Is labor pains still 2 months away? Will the number of confirmed cases exceed 10,000 soon? Famous doctor: "Take vaccines first if available" for children
Should children be vaccinated? The number of confirmed cases during the “labor pain period” may exceed 10,000
The local epidemic continues to heat up, with the number of confirmed cases in a single day exceeding 2,000. Recently, there was an unfortunate case of a boy in New Taipei who passed away from the epidemic, raising public concerns about the risk of children being infected with the epidemic. Dr. Huang Gaobin, deputy director of the Infection Control Center of China Medical University Hospital and commander of the Central District of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Network, said in an interview that the number of infections in Taiwan is expected to continue to rise, and a certain proportion of children will be diagnosed. Based on the current trend of community infection, it is “strongly recommended” that children should be vaccinated against the new coronavirus.
“Our current epidemic prevention policy is to increase the number of natural infections, improve the natural infection antibodies in the community, and cooperate with the effectiveness of vaccine coverage to gradually open up epidemic prevention controls and allow Taiwan to return to normal life. Before that, there will inevitably be 2-3 During the labor pains of the month, it is possible that the number of confirmed cases will exceed 10,000 every day!”
Dr. Huang Gaobin pointed out that the new coronavirus is not the only Omicron virus strain that is causing large-scale infections now. Various mutant strains have caused a certain number of severe infections in the past two years or so, and there have also been cases of severe infection in children.
Even if the virus evolves and becomes milder, children may still be infected. Dr. Huang Gaobin reminded that although the COVID-19 vaccine cannot prevent infection 100%, it will reduce the rate of severe illness and death in children after they are infected. In principle, it is recommended that children be vaccinated to increase their protection.
Is Moderna’s childhood vaccine unsafe? Famous doctors urge: “If necessary, treat first”
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration has approved the Moderna vaccine for use in children aged 6-11 years. However, many parents are still waiting for the BNT children’s vaccine to be approved by more countries and have a longer safety monitoring period. Dr. Huang Gaobin said that the Moderna children’s vaccine in Taiwan is administered at a “half dose” dose, while the BNT children’s vaccine is 1/3 of the adult dose. The difference between the two is about 5 times. The effects are naturally different, and the side effects are also different.
“To put it simply, the effect is better, but the side effects are higher. But judging from the current research, the Moderna vaccine is very safe. There will be no other problems due to the high dose. The uncomfortable symptoms will be relieved in about 1-2 days after vaccination. In terms of economic benefits, parents are advised to “get vaccinated first if available”. If they are really worried about the risks, they can also wait for the BNT children’s vaccine later!”
Dr. Huang Gaobin explained that the new coronavirus vaccine administered to children must have sufficient clinical trial data to prove its safety and effectiveness, such as Moderna and BNT vaccines. High-end vaccines do not have clinical trial data on children and will not be allowed to be administered to children.
Should children be vaccinated to protect their elders? What is the vaccine coverage rate?
Many parents worry about the unknown risks of vaccinating their children. Dr. Huang Gaobin said that vaccinating children with the COVID-19 vaccine has two positive benefits. First, parents can rest assured that their children can engage in school and outdoor activities. Furthermore, although children are not easily infected or have very mild symptoms, they may still become “carriers” of the virus and transmit the virus to their elders or relatives and friends with lower immunity during family interactions.
Dr. Huang Gaobin pointed out that vaccinating children with the COVID-19 vaccine can actually help protect the elders and parents in the family and reduce the risk of infection in adults. Judging from the current vaccination situation abroad, children’s vaccine coverage can reach 30% to 40% or even more than 50%, which will help the virus prevention and control be more comprehensive and help the overall epidemic progress.
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