Also likely to develop severe forms of Covid-19, very young children (6 months to 4 years) with comorbidities can now be immunized. The High Authority for Health (HAS) had recommended a month ago to open vaccination to this age group which was hitherto excluded. Here’s everything you need to know regarding this campaign.
Which children will be able to receive the serum?
For the time being, vaccination extends only to children who present risk factors identified by the HAS. These are ten in number and are listed in a note from the General Directorate of Health transmitted Thursday evening to health professionals. These include obesity, diabetes, trisomy 21 or even the various cardiac, respiratory or neurological pathologies. It should also be noted that children living in the entourage of an immunocompromised person are also concerned by this campaign.
Which vaccine and how many doses?
To date, only serum developed by Pfizer/BioNTech is recommended to immunize this age group. Three doses are recommended by the General Directorate of Health with an interval of three weeks between the first two. It is then recommended to wait eight weeks before making the final injection. The DGS advises following this vaccination schedule in order to “guarantee optimal protection”.
Last month, the High Authority for Health highlighted an effectiveness of “80.3% once morest symptomatic infections”, following three doses “in all age groups from 6 months to 4 years without a history of infection”. On the other hand, in the event that the child has already contracted the disease, “a period of 3 months must be respected” before receiving the serum.
By whom and where?
The DGS indicates in its message that only the doctors are authorized to vaccinate these young children. “The time of the prescription thus constitutes a privileged moment to explain the act and its importance to the parents, to answer their questions and to accompany them as well as possible”, argues the DGS. Midwives, state-certified nurses, child nurses and child nurses will also be able to administer the serum, provided that a doctor has prescribed it beforehand. Vaccination can take place in the hospital or in specialized establishments.
What conditions?
Nevertheless, the vaccination of a child at risk cannot take place without the authorization of both parents. “Unless it is impossible for one of the two parents to obtain the agreement of the other parent”, specifies the General Directorate of Health. On the other hand, the child does not have the obligation to be accompanied by one of his parents. The person who will take care of it must however prove that he does indeed have “parental consent” and “present a parental authorization form duly signed by both parents”. A document to be found here.
