“The logistical question is not yet settled and it is the important challenge” for the vaccination of children, explained Wednesday December 15 on franceinfo Professor François Angoulvant, pediatrician at Robert-Debré hospital, member of the French Pediatric Society, while the vaccination against Covid-19 of 5/11 must begin years with comorbidities. Around 400,000 children are affected.
franceinfo: How is it going to happen?
François Angoulvant: There is a very important logistical question, there must be pediatricians who are available, who can explain the vaccination to parents and children. At the moment the period is busy, pediatric emergencies, pediatricians, are working a lot with winter epidemics. So there is a real organizational challenge if only to vaccinate these children. For children with comorbidities, the vaccine is to do with the doctors who usually follow them. The logistical question is not yet settled and it is the important challenge.
Who are the children affected?
These are children with chronic illnesses that will require specialized follow-up. Therefore, pulmonary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, immune deficiencies, renal and genetic pathologies, trisomy 21. These are more fragile children, whom we will want to better protect. They are vaccinated against the flu every year.
Are these vaccines safe for children?
These are vaccines that we know well, the dosage for children from 5 to 11 years old is not the same as for adults, it is about a third of the dose. We are starting to have experience feedback from other countries and for the moment we have no significant adverse effects that have been described. To protect these children, those around them need to be vaccinated. Children who have already had the Covid do not need to be vaccinated, hence the interest in being screened before vaccination.
Is the vaccine effective against severe forms?
We are starting to have data which suggests real efficacy in severe forms, knowing that severe forms of Covid in children are not the same in adults. There are few severe respiratory attacks. It is much more dangerous to be 60 years old than to be a child with a chronic pathology.