The ARS of Reunion announced this Friday, January 27, 2023 the opening of vaccination to children at risk aged 6 months to 4 years. This announcement follows the favorable opinion of the High Authority for Health on December 19th.
•
Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 has been possible since December 2011. But until now, the youngest could not benefit from an injection, which protects against serious forms of the disease. On December 19, the High Authority for Health gave the green light to the vaccination of children from 6 months to 4 years old, in any case those who present risk factors.
The ARS of Reunion announces this Friday, January 27 that this vaccination is now possible on the island, and is recommended for children aged 6 months to 4 years old who are in the following cases:
• at risk of severe forms of Covid-19, presenting at least one fragility (comorbidity):
Congenital heart disease;
Chronic liver diseases;
Chronic heart and respiratory diseases (including severe asthma requiring treatment);
Neurological diseases;
Pathological or drug-induced immunodeficiency;
Obesity;
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes;
Hematological malignancy;
Sickle cell disease;
Trisomy 21;
• living in the entourage of an immunocompromised person or who does not meet the
vaccination.
These young children will then be vaccinated with the pediatric Pfizer, administered in three doses: the first two with an interval of 21 days, and the third 8 weeks after the second injection. As for adults, a deadline must be respected if these children have tested positive for Covid: three months must elapse between infection and injection.
These injections can be performed in pediatric hospital departments, for children who are followed there regularly. “Parents must contact these services to agree on the vaccination procedures“, underlines the ARS.
But doctors are also authorized to prescribe and administer the vaccine to these young children. Midwives and nurses can also administer it, on medical prescription.
Affected parents can:
• make an appointment with their usual doctor, midwife or nurse,
• or go to the website www.sante.fr to find a healthcare professional nearby.
The person accompanying the child must be able to establish that he has parental consent and present
an authorization form duly signed by both parents.
Remember that the campaign for the second booster dose for the over 60s continues. “Booster dose is strongly recommendedparticularly in people over 60 and people with fragilities, in order to protect them from severe forms of the disease”, insisted the prefecture and the ARS again in this week’s Covid epidemiological point.
From January 16 to 22, 2023, 807 injections of anti-covid vaccine have been carried out in Reunion according to figures from the ARS.