The Children

 source: Le Figaro, updated 08, 21, 2021

author: Cécile Thibert

translation: GoogleTranslate/doxa-louise

Vaccinating children against Covid, good or bad idea?

The benefit / risk balance of anti-Covid vaccination has not yet been established for children under 12.  Studies are underway in the United States and Europe.

CHECKING-IN - As studies are underway to assess the efficacy and safety of vaccines in children under 12, the idea of ​​access to vaccination for this age group is starting to gain ground. Experts are not unaninous on this divisive subject.

THE QUESTION . Will the opening of vaccination to under 12s be the next step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic? While clinical trials are still underway to assess the safety and efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in this age group, the idea is gaining ground within the scientific community. In the United States, at the beginning of August, the Academy of Pediatrics called on the Drug Agency (FDA) to " continue to work hard to authorize as soon as possible safe and effective vaccines for children under 12 ”, recalling that 350 children have died of infection in the country.

For the time being, no country has given the green light to the use of these vaccines in children, except in special cases. As of August 16, around 14,000 fragile children under 12 had already received at least one dose of vaccine in France. What about everyone else? While these are hardly ever affected by severe forms of the disease, would there be any benefit in opening the doors of vaccination centers to them in the coming months?

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