(Madrid) Vaccination of children began Wednesday in several European countries, including Spain, but the vaccine alone will not “be enough” against the Omicron variant which is expected to become dominant by mid-January, warned the European disease agency urgently advocating more restrictions.
At ten days of Christmas, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) called for a “rapid reintroduction and strengthening” of measures against COVID-19 such as a return to telework or increased caution during the holidays the end of the year.
A strengthening recommendation that comes as the restrictions go increasingly badly in many European countries almost two years after the start of the pandemic.
In the German region of Saxony, stronghold of the anti-restrictions movement, a police raid carried out after death threats made by the anti-vaccine movement against a regional leader made it possible to get hold of weapons. New Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vowed to wage a relentless struggle against a “minority of extremists”.
In an attempt to stem this new wave, certain German regions, including Berlin, Spain, Greece and Hungary have taken over from Denmark and Austria, by starting to vaccinate those under 12.
Record of contaminations in the United Kingdom
This expansion of vaccination to children comes as the new variant Omicron could become dominant in Europe by mid-January, warned the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. In the UK, a record of more than 78,000 cases in 24 hours was recorded on Wednesday.
Vaccination of 5-11 year olds, with a version of the Pfizer vaccine less strong than that intended for adults, has been possible in the European Union since its authorization by the drug regulator on November 25.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 5-14 year olds are currently the most affected by the pandemic, sometimes with rates two to three times higher than in the rest of the population.
In Germany, besides Berlin, Bavaria has also started to immunize children.
” We only talk about this ”
Hoping to be “an example for the world”, in the words of its Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Spain, one of the champions of vaccination in Europe, has also mobilized its staff to administer the vaccine to those under 12 in schools, vaccinodromes or hospitals.
In the country, 74% of parents plan to have their child vaccinated, according to a survey.
Passing for several days, a government campaign on television shows children rejoicing that it is “their turn” to be vaccinated to act like “grandpa and grandma, papa and mama, auntie and uncle, the mistress”.
Magdalena, 11, received her first dose on Wednesday at the Príncipe de Asturias Hospital in Alcala de Henares, on the outskirts of Madrid.
Headband in the hair and bandage on the shoulder, the teenager was “not nervous” and even “very happy” because she “wanted to be vaccinated for a long time already. We only talk about that with my friends: when do they vaccinate you? ”
Gabriela Rodriguez brought to the same hospital her two daughters, Rocio, 10, and her 5-year-old sister, Lucia, who could not restrain a few cries before the injection.
“At first I was a little concerned with what I read about the possible effects,” admits Gabriela. “Everything went well for the big one, the little one was more reluctant, but the stickers (distributed by the nurses in Christmas clothes) arranged everything”.
In Greece, more than 30,000 parents have made an appointment to have their child vaccinated while the campaign also began Wednesday in this country, as in Hungary. Other countries like Italy, Poland (where new restrictions were introduced on Wednesday), Portugal or Cyprus will start their campaign in the coming days.
In France, only the vaccination of children at risk of developing serious forms has been approved, but the government has said it is considering extending it “to all children” on a voluntary basis.
The pandemic has killed at least 5,319,316 people around the world since the end of 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday midday.
While the Omicron variant continues to spread at high speed across the planet, Morocco has detected its first case, just like Kenya which for the first time has identified “at least three”.