The COVID vaccine for six-month-old and older kids will be reviewed by Israeli scientists this week. After the CDC authorized the COVID vaccine on Saturday, Israeli Health Ministry officials are expected to examine the possibility of vaccinating children beyond the age of six months with the vaccine.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory group recommended that the vaccinations begin.
Vaccinating young infants is up for discussion in Israel’s Coronavirus Vaccine Expert Committee on Tuesday, but a decision won’t necessarily be made during the meeting.
“Therefore it’s almost certain we’ll suggest vaccination when the matter comes up,” said Prof. Zachi Grossman, Chairman of the Israel Pediatric Association and a committee member, in an interview with Haaretz.
The Pfizer dose for children aged 6–5 years is one-tenth that of an adult. Third and eighth weeks after the first and second are administered in three separate shots. Moderna for children is administered in three doses separated by four weeks.
According to the FDA, the advantages of vaccines exceed the drawbacks observed in clinical trials.
Committee member and director of the Sheba Medical Center pediatric infectious disease section, Dr. Michal Stein, said results and objections from clinical trials must be viewed holistically.
“The study doesn’t show that this group is protected from major illness. Because the vaccine is effective and safe, the trial’s goal was to examine if children’s doses could create the same amount of antibodies as adults’ doses of the vaccine. Immunoglobulin levels met expectations, even if they were preliminary.
Pediatric infectious disease association chief Dr. Stein said it is difficult to prove in clinical study that a vaccine protects children from serious illness. Data from the United States backed up the vaccine’s necessity. During the Omicron wave, we’re keeping an eye out for hospitalizations and other consequences. While vaccination clearance is not guaranteed, Stein suggested the issue would be debated at some point.
Israel has 750,000 children between the ages of six and five. Only about a quarter of these children will be given the vaccination, even if it is approved here. A parent’s risk assessment based on infection rates and the harm that widespread variants do to children are two important influencing elements to consider.
Twenty-four percent of children ages 5-11 have been vaccinated since the 5-11 vaccine was approved for use six months ago. As a result of their own experiences, parents are less likely to vaccinate their children younger than two. There is no reason not to provide the coronavirus vaccination to children ages 6 months to 5 years at the same time as their routine vaccines, says Stein.
Grossman asserted that whether people want the vaccine or not has no bearing on his advice. He noted that some families are waiting for the vaccination to be licensed, while others refuse to have it. Grossman supports vaccination if there is a safe and effective vaccine.