On Monday, February 14, the Dominican Republic officially begins the vaccination against COVID-19voluntarily, in children between five and eleven years old.
Here are some of the main questions that arise about this vaccination day:
1. In which vaccination centers will the children be inoculated?
According to the protocol established by the Ministries of Education and Public Health, educational centers will function as vaccination posts.
2.Which vaccine will be used and in how many doses?
The vaccine to be used will be Sinovac and it will be administered in two doses, with an interval between one and the other of 28 days.
3.How safe is this vaccine for children?
According to a study conducted by Sinovac at the end of last year, the vaccine is safe for children and young people between 3 and 17 years old.
The randomized, placebo-controlled, case-based phase III study, conducted in South Africa, Chile, Malaysia, and the Philippines, enrolled 2,140 children aged 6 months to 17 years.
4. What happens if you do not want to vaccinate your son or daughter?
Vaccination is voluntary; however, the authorities call on the population to inoculate their children. For the inoculation process, a written authorization from the father, mother or guardian of the minor is required.
5. Why is it important to vaccinate children against COVID-19?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccinating children can help protect family members, including siblings who are not eligible to be vaccinated and family members who may be older. risk of getting seriously ill if they become infected.
Vaccination can also help prevent children from getting seriously ill, even if they get COVID-19. It has been shown that the omicron variant affects minors more than the others of COVID-19.
Vaccinating children 5 years of age and older can help keep them in school and help them safely participate in sports, games, and other group activities.
6. Can the vaccine cause any side effects in children?
The president of the Dominican Society of Pediatrics, Luz Herrera, explained that children can experience some short-term side effects such as fatigue, headache, muscle pain and fever.
He said that these symptoms usually go away on their own in a day or two, in any case, you should consult with your pediatrician.
To these the CDC adds pain in the arm where the injection was given, redness and swelling, just like in other vaccines.
The child must wait between 15 and 30 minutes before leaving the establishment to supervise that he does not have any adverse reaction.
7. What to do if the child has an allergic reaction?
In this case, the doctor recommends calling 9-1-1 or going to the nearest health facility.
Some recommendations
Herrera recommended talking to the children before going to the vaccination posts to reduce stress, since minors get stressed by injections.
Similarly, Herrera recommended checking if the child’s vaccination schedule is late and updating it.
“That he is clear when it is time for the second dose and that they ensure the vaccination card,” he said.
