Welcoming Booster Vaccine for Children

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO (TOK)

Students aged 6-11 years in line to receive the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at their school, SD Negeri 11 Batu Ampar, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, Friday (14/1/2022).

A year after the vaccination of children aged 12-18, the government is preparing the Comirnaty vaccine as a booster dose for adolescents aged 16-18.

As is already known, the main purpose of vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic is to prevent hospitalization, severe infection and even death. Thus, a booster vaccine is needed when there are signs of insufficiency. Simply put, booster vaccines increase the effectiveness of the vaccine.

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Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) urges governments to prioritize more strongly a fair and equal distribution of the vaccine, because there are still many countries with very limited first-dose vaccines. However, WHO is also aware that booster vaccination needs to be given to the population that has received complete primary vaccination, to optimize the effectiveness of the vaccine against infection.

Likewise in the elderly, who respond poorly to the primary vaccination series.

In reality, there are cases of individuals whose bodies are less able to build their immune system after being vaccinated. Likewise in the elderly, who respond poorly to the primary vaccination series.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has recommended the Covid-19 vaccination to be given to people from the age of 6 months and a booster vaccination for those over the age of 5.

Currently, 36 countries have given booster vaccines. The highest number of vaccinations given is in the US, followed by Brazil, India, Germany and Bangladesh. Statistics show that although the transmission rate increases with the arrival of Omicron subvariants BA4 and BA5, hospitalization rates and mortality rates can be significantly reduced.

KRISTI DWI UTAMI

Elementary school students had their blood pressure measured before being injected with the Covid-19 vaccine at the children's vaccination center, Tegal City Square, Central Java, Wednesday (15/12/2021).

In Indonesia, the booster vaccine has covered 56,449,470 people, which means 27.10 percent of the national-vaccination target. Indonesia has also started to give a second booster dose to health workers, in addition to preparing the first booster dose for teenagers or those 16-18 years old.

Booster vaccines are becoming important for children and adolescents, as many schools have switched to face-to-face learning. Although schools require the use of masks and discipline to obey health protocols, the fact is that in the wider community, there have been many violations, especially after the government allowed the people to take off their masks in outdoor areas. Now, with the BA4 and BA5 subvariants becoming more and more easily transmitted, our children need a booster vaccine as an antidote, so that they stay healthy, and teaching and learning activities take place as well as possible.

These include the US and European Union countries.

We respect the precautionary principle applied by the Health Ministry; booster vaccines are still limited to those aged 16-18. We also need to have compassion for countries that have limited access to vaccines. However, while still considering vaccine fairness, Indonesia needs to learn from countries that have implemented booster vaccinations for children of lower age. These include the US and European Union countries.

(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo)