Children under 18 years of age are the only organization of the population that has not obtained a dose against the contagion of Covid-19. When deciding whether to target trendy vaccines to adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age with risk factors, the following is: Will immunizing all children be the next step?
On July 17, Argentina won a donation from the United States of 3. 5 million doses of Moderna. Of that stock, according to estimates by the National Ministry of Health, 1,848,000 vaccines will be used to vaccinate doses of 924,000 young people. and adolescents who will be given priority at this level of vaccination.
From the original stock there will be a residual quantity of 1. 6 million doses. The National Government has not explained what is intended with them. If the workers are hired in other spaces or if, if the mixture of vaccines is approved, they will be reserved for adults who do not receive the dose at the moment, especially those vaccinated with Sputnik V.
Vaccines are a hidden asset and the management strategy is debated in the world and in Argentina. Ángela Gentile, director of Epidemiology at the Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital and member of the specialized commission ensured by the national government, set up a discussion on the basis: “that all adults with threat points have a dose, either with the same vaccine or via the exchange of platforms, a study on which there will be scientific results in the court term”, he provided a break from his day’s activities via telephone.
Gentile believes that, knowing that coverage for adults or infectious diseases is complete, we will have to move forward with the vaccination of minors. “Firstly, as defined, young men and women aged 12 to 17 will be released with risk points because it is clear that they are at risk of increased complications and mortality. We will have to ensure that the statistics and our patients are in the hospital for them: they are patients who have gained a welcome, have become confused and our considerations but also that we can pass on to the rest of the healthy adolescents.
Para Gentile, ante variantes de mayor peligrosidad como la Delta, es necesario sumar vacunados para crear barreras epidemiológicas que dificulten la transmisión del virus: “Los adolescentes, que tienen una gran movilidad, van a contribuir a la construcción de esta barrera que ayudará a lograr en alguna medida la protección de grupo”.
Today, more than 20 countries are vaccinated with the Pfizer dose for children and women aged 12 years and older. In Latin America we find Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Colombia. Some other people are vaccinated under specific conditions, and less so with serious infections; others, without conditions.
La Argentina estaba esperando la aprobación de la Agencia Europea de Medicamentos (EMA) para avanzar. El 23 de julio el Comité de Medicamentos Humanos (CHMP) de ese organismo recomendó la aplicación de Moderna en niños, niñas y adolescentes de 12 a 17 años.
“So far, no country, with the exception of China, has been emptied in less than 12 years,” the head of the medicine branch at the Gutiérrez Hospital, Eduardo López, said by telephone. “Although several laboratories are testing their use in childhood populations, there are no published studies that show that vaccines are effective for 12 years. ”
Currently, the population of children and women without risk points is an inappropriate idea for López: “Vaccination will have to be universal, but it will also have to be prioritized. less with threat points. Children and young people are sane. a secondary priority.
Lopez without a doubt. In case of evaluation of the vaccine combination, the lowest dose of Moderna should be intended for adults over 50 years of age. “This is the segment that has had the maximum hospitalizations and falls in 2021. It is vital to hear that in the face of the Delta variant, immunity with one dose is incomplete. ”
Marta Cohen, a pediatrician, identified by the Queen of England for her practice of medicine, has replaced her brain at this time. She is one of the professionals who agreed on the desire to urgently vaccinate children, women and adolescents who oppose Covid. But an article published in the British Medical Journal has superseded his opinion.
“The article raises a moral question: whether vaccines should be used to immunise children in the UK, knowing that mortality in this population is very low, or whether a lot of incomplete vaccines should be given to the country among adults.
Argentina, in his country of origin, is trained -outside the University of La Plata and is a resident of Pathology at the Hospital de Clínicas and the Ricardo Gutiérrez Hospital-, and addresses the representation that read that article: in Argentina there is an excess of vaccines.
“Today this fits the current view. The mortality rate among young people is 0. 17 per year per 100,000 inhabitants. The balance between risks and benefits is not essential to quickly vaccinate healthy young people. But it is mandatory to administer complete vaccination for adults in the world is a challenge for the country, it is for humanity.
In July, Cohen met with Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, who had traveled to England to speed up the availability of Astrazeneca’s treatment. They looked at the vaccination of the maximum vulnerable population and demonstrated caution and eye coverage towards the youngest.
“‘With siblings? Do you think it is advisable to vaccinate the siblings of minors with risk factors?’ “I asked Vizzotti and I was satisfied that he would do this ‘I think it’s very good,’ he replied,” Cohen reconstructs At the moment, this option has not been announced.
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes.
• Obesity grade 2 (Primary body mass index at 35) and grade 3 (Primary body mass index at 40).
• Chronic cardiovascular disease: central insufficiency, coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, pulmonary hypertension. Congenital central disease.
• Chronic kidney disease (including patients on dialysis and transplants). Nephrotic syndrome.
• Enfermedad respiratoria crónica: enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC), fibrosis quística, enfermedad intersticial pulmonar, asma grave. Requerimiento de oxígeno terapia. Enfermedad grave de la vía aérea. Hospitalizaciones por asma.
• Enfermedad hepática: Cirrosis. Hepatitis autoinmune.
• People with HIV.
• Pacientes en lista de espera para trasplante de órganos sólidos y trasplante de células hematopoyéticas.
• Oncological and oncohematological patients with a diagnosis or “active”.
• People with active tuberculosis.
• People with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Down syndrome.
• Personas con enfermedades autoinmunes y/o tratamientos inmunosupresores, inmunomoduladores o biológicos.
• Adolescents who are in the facilities of a giant room.
• Pregnant other people over 12 to 17 years of age with individual indication.
• People with a valid single disability card (CUD).
• Personas con pensión de ANSES por invalidez aunque no tengan CUD.
• People with ANSES pension for transplant recipients even without resorting to the CUD.
M. G.
metchenique@clarin. com
Clarín Newsletter
Receive in your email all the notifications, coverage, history and analysis of our periodic publications
Print edition