To create necessary conditions for Covid-19 vaccination for children aged between 5 and 11

According to statistics from localities, the province has more than 288,000 children aged between 5 and 11. In order for each child to receive two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, Binh Duong needs more than 517,000 doses. In order for this vaccination campaign to be highly effective, Binh Duong organized training for medical workers on the implementation of Covid-19 vaccination, intensified the communication of immunization benefits, encouraged parents to take their children to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Medical workers of Thu Dau Mot City immunize children aged 12 to 14 against Covid-19.

To prepare carefully all conditions

Currently commune, ward and town medical stations are closely collaborating with education branch, kindergartens, primary schools, junior high schools to arrange vaccination sites, organize the Covid-19 vaccination for students aged 5 to 11. Dr. Do Viet Hung, Deputy Director of Di An City Medical Center, said: The center is assigning staff at injection sites and planning for a backup plan of the upper level. In particular, in this campaign, the city reinforced health officials to do screening and mobile emergency, arranged mobile emergency teams to promptly handle serious accidents after vaccination if any. According to statistics, the whole city has about 55,500 children from 5 to 11 years old, i.e. in the age of vaccination.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Hien, Vice Chairwoman of Thuan An City People's Committee, said: "The city mobilized human resources from departments, branches and unions to assist medical branch in this vaccination campaign for children from 5 to 11 years old. Drawing on the experience of vaccine data entry in previous campaigns, this time the city will perform vaccination and data entry at the same time, establish a data entry team, review the list in advance for the vaccination to be on schedule."

Regarding dosages and vaccines for children, Dr. Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Health, said that according to the direction of Ministry of Health, there are two vaccines against Covid-19 that will be given to children from 5 to 11 years old, Pfizer and Moderna. Unlike people aged 18 and older, the Ministry of Health requires only two injections of the same vaccine, not mixed with any mRNA vaccine for children aged 5-11. In particular, the expanded vaccination program for children from 5 to 11 years old will use shorter needles. Pfizer vaccine is prescribed to children aged 5 to under 12 years, intramuscular injections, recommended dose of 0.2ml, two injections are given four weeks apart. Spikevax vaccine (Moderna Covid-19 vaccine) approved by the Ministry of Health is conditional for use by children ages 6 through 12 years to meet urgent needs in covid-19 prevention and control. The dosage of vaccine for a child is equal to 1/2 of the basic dose for an adult (equivalent to 0.25ml), the same as the repeated dose of an adult. Two injections are given four weeks apart.

According to researches, severe and abnormal reactions after injection in children aged 5-11 are less than in children aged 12 and older, but medical authorities are not neglectful, prepared all necessary conditions, propagated and encouraged parents to support and take good care of children after vaccination, avoid strenuous physical activities. The province will carry out the campaign in successive form (school, area and social protection establishments). Particularly, children who do not go to school will be injected at district, town and city medical centers. Earlier, in a training on the vaccination implementation method, the Ministry of Health ordered the vaccination campaign for children from 5 to 11 years old must take place in schools, fixed and mobile vaccination facilities. The 11-year-old group will be injected first, then gradually lower the age.

Covid-19 vaccination benefits for children

According to statistics, in the past seven days, the whole province recorded 13 patients died from Covid-19, including 1 case of an 8-year-old unvaccinated child, hemorrhage under the spider membrane, ruptured cerebrovascular malformations. Besides the record of covid-19 dead children, in recent months, Binh Duong has also recorded a rapid increase in the number of children infections. The vaccination of children from 5 to 11 years old is urgent, will help children prevent and combat variants of SARS-CoV-2, the disease worsens and leaves fewer aftereffects.

Dr. Huynh Minh Chin said: "Currently, according to survey data, post-Covid-19 syndrome occurs not only in adults but also in children. Children infected with Covid-19 have few serious complications that lead to death, but the long-term effects associated with Covid-19 are quite common in the world, affecting their academic performance. Children infected with Covid-19 can continue to serve as a source of infection, infecting adults, those who are not vaccinated, and maintaining the chain of infection in the community."

From October 2021, Binh Duong will vaccinate children aged 12 to 17. Up to now, the use of vaccines has proven its effectiveness, namely reducing infection rates, severe cases and deaths in this age group. Currently, units and localities in the province are urgently carry out the vaccination campaign to accelerate the progress of booster shots under directions of the Government and the Ministry of Health.

In order to ensure the progress and safe implementation of vaccination for children from 5 to 11 years old, Provincial Department of Health advised Provincial People's Committee to issue a plan to implement covid-19 vaccination for this age group. On the basis of the plan issued, the Department of Health directs its affiliated units to cooperate with localities, education sector to reckon up children in this age group living and learning in the province, regardless of whether or not there is a permanent household registration, to implement the vaccination effectively. Currently, medical branch is preparing the best conditions in terms of human resources and material facilities, to ensure on-schedule and safe injections when vaccines are distributed from the Ministry of Health.

Reported by Hoang Linh – Translated by Ngoc Huynh

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