VACCINES can help to protect children below 12 against Covid-19, especially the Delta virus variant, doctors said.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech shots for five to 11-year-olds  saying the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

Dr Musa Nordin, consultant paediatrician at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospitall said children in the age group should be given the Pfizer vaccine.

“I agree with the unanimous 14-0 decision of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices to recommend vaccinating them with the two-dose regimen of 10mcg vaccine 21 days apart.

“The risk benefit analysis is overwhelmingly in favour of immunisation,” he said.

The recommended dosage is a third of what is given to adults.

Musa, who is a member of the Malaysian Paediatric Association, said 347,000 or 14% of children below the age of 11 in Malaysia have been infected with the coronavirus. Fifty-eight of them have died of the disease.

“These cases and deaths are preventable because there is a vaccine available to prevent them from getting Covid-19 and protecting them from deaths,” he said.

“I will vaccinate my three grandchildren, who are five, six and seven to prevent them from getting Covid-19 and to prevent the 59th child death,” Musa said.

He said some of the children infected with Covid-19 have been diagnosed with a severe form of the coronavirus which is known as multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, which requires intensive care.

“The world’s largest study on Long Covid in children, conducted in the United Kingdom, showed that after getting infected with Covid-19, 14% had three or more symptoms of ill health at 15 weeks.

“The most common being headaches and unusual tiredness. Others suffered from difficulty in breathing and mental health problems. This is the burden of Long Covid,” Dr Musa said.

He said immunisation will not only prevent children from getting Covid-19 but also the chronic problem of Long Covid.

“The UK government has invested US$60 million (RM249 million) in Long Covid research and the National Health Service (NHS) has invested US$182 million in 80 Long Covid clinics.

“I hope Malaysia will do the same. But first begin by preventing more Covid-19 infections in children with vaccination and reducing the risk of Long Covid,” Musa said.

He said there is only one rare side-effect associated with vaccination, which is inflammation of the heart (myocarditis).

“The data presented showed that it occurs less frequently in younger children than in teens 12-17 years old. No cases were observed during the trial (which was actively looked for), but long term follow up is required since the trial numbers were small,” he said.

Musa said vaccinating young children will also increase the chances of attaining herd immunity and decrease the risk of more virulent variants evolving.

“Your paediatrician and family doctor have been administering virtually all your child’s vaccines. It is important to talk to your paediatrician or family physician if you have any particular concerns about the vaccine,” he said.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Amar Singh said Malaysia should heed the CDC recommendations.

Amar said 47 children aged below nine and 66 children aged 10 to 19 died of Covid-19 between July and Octobr.

He said the death rate among young persons was 1:3,804, considerably higher than during the pre-Delta period.

Amar said without vaccination, the probability of hospitalisation among children is 1:100 and death is 1:3,800, which could rise if the children’s ICUs are overrun.

The probability of of children suffering Long Covid is 1:10.

“When schools are open without adequate mitigating factors, we will get a Delta pandemic among children. This has been seen in other countries like the United Kingdom,” he said.

Amar said staff and children attending school should be vaccinated against the coronavirus while the schools must have good ventilation to reduce the airborne risk.

He recommended face masks of a good quality and proper fit and weekly RTK-Ag tests for children who cannot be vaccinated.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association president Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said young children should be vaccinated to protect them from contracting the virus and getting severely ill.

“Some people or parents are worried about the side effects, especially of myocardial infarction and pericarditis,” he said.

“Even the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) and CDC have acknowledged this. But the FDA model predicts that the overall benefits of the vaccine would outweigh the risks in children above the age of five.

“It is highly recommended for children five to 11. If there are any doubts, they should discuss theem with their healthcare provider.”

He said vaccination will also help them safely attend school and participate in sports, playdates, and other group activities.

It will also slow down the spread of the virus in the community, he added.

China has approved the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use in children aged three to 17.

Malaysia will be participating in phase 3 clinical trials of the Sinovac vaccine for children, Deputy Health Minister II Aaron Ago Dagang told the Dewan Rakyat recently.

Children aged 12 to 17 are given the Pfizer vaccine in Malaysia. – November 4, 2021.