Germany should receive the vaccine from December 13th.
(Photo: picture alliance / Laci Perenyi)
Berlin The decision of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) on the corona vaccination for children was long awaited – now it should be made a few days before the start of delivery of the vaccine.
The panel of experts wants to recommend the vaccination to children aged five to eleven with previous illnesses and who are in contact with high-risk patients, announced the Stiko on Thursday with reference to a draft resolution. It should also be possible to vaccinate healthy children upon request and after medical advice.
However, this is not yet a final recommendation; a coordination process with specialist societies and countries is still ongoing. Changes are still possible.
How the Stiko justifies its decision
“Although the 7-day incidence in this age group is very high, so it can be assumed that a large proportion of five to eleven year olds will be infected in the medium term without vaccination, most infections are asymptomatic,” said Stiko.
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Children in this age group with no previous illnesses would currently have a low risk of severe Covid-19, hospitalization and intensive care. In addition, the risk of rare vaccine side effects cannot currently be assessed due to the limited data available for this age group.
Therefore, the Stiko speaks for children without previous illnesses at the age “currently no general vaccination recommendation”.
What vaccine will children receive
For five to eleven year olds, a lower-dose and differently bottled preparation is used compared to the conventional Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. According to Stiko, two doses of the mRNA vaccine should be given at intervals of three to six weeks.
The delivery of this particular child vaccine was recently brought forward by a week to December 13th. The green light for approval in Europe was given at the end of November.
If doctors have previously vaccinated younger children, they usually reduced the dose of the vaccine, which is approved for those aged 12 and over, themselves – this falls under what is known as off-label use. The Stiko recommendation, however, only refers to the special children’s vaccine.
Why the Stiko recommendation is important
Vaccination recommendations from Stiko are considered the medical standard and are an important guideline for many doctors. Depending on the level of knowledge, the committee has repeatedly adjusted its vaccination recommendations.
The vaccination for children from 12 years of age was initially only recommended for previous illnesses and was later extended to the entire age group. Stiko decisions had triggered discussion and criticism on several issues relating to corona vaccinations; for example, the committee was accused of proceeding too hesitantly for pandemic conditions.
With agency material.
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