By Victoria Mckeown –
The British government has explained why vaccination for 16 and 17 year olds will afford them around 80% protection against hospitalization.
After the UK government announced the roll out for 16 and 17 year old’s, assuring them that it would afford them 80% protection from being hospitalized, raising questions as to how they arrived at that figure.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
PHE England say that sample experiments conducted through research enables them to assess the efficacy of the vaccine in terms of preventing teenagers from hospitalization.
The government referenced the Joint Committee Of Vaccination Immunisation (JCVI) which stated that it had carefully deliberated on the effects of the vaccine on children, adding that the COVID-19 immunization programme has been highly successful, with rapid delivery and high uptake. The programme has already substantially reduced the risk from serious COVID-19 in the UK population., they said.
JCVI said it had received representations from professional bodies and members of the public on the hotly contested issue of the virus vaccination of children, both for and against extending the vaccination programme to teenagers.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
It stated that the known benefits from vaccination are likely to be limited and that JCVI favours deferral of a universal offer of vaccination until more data have accrued, including a clearer understanding of the impact of COVID-19 in the UK within the context of a successful adult vaccination programme.
Impact
The impact of the vaccination programme on the population is assessed by taking into account vaccine coverage, evidence on vaccine effectiveness and the latest COVID-19 disease surveillance indicators.
Vaccine coverage tells us about the proportion of the population that have received 1 and 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Based on antibody testing of blood donors, 96.2% of the adult population now have antibodies to COVID-19 from either infection or vaccination compared to 16.4% that have antibodies from infection alone. Over 95% of adults aged 30 or older have antibodies from either infection or vaccination.
Studies
PHE England said that texperiments on eenagers in other parts of the world indicates an effectiveness rate of 55 to 70% after the first dose, with little evidence of variation by vaccine or age group. The UK government department said the studies shows that vaccination it reduces the chances of those who have had the dose catching the virus by 70%, with a 30% chance of still catching it the virus after the first dose.
The chances of being hospitalized having caught the virus is reduced by a further 10%, leaving just a 20% chance, according to the statistics. The statistics makes the chances slimmer, but not definite.
Part of the government’s source of research stems from one conducted in the USA, which suggested that in males aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 cases of myocarditis were reported per million first doses given. The figure rises to 67 per million after the second dose. Most participants in that sample recovered quickly, the government said- this forming the basis of the stats.
The JCVI is currently advising that children aged 16 and 17 years are offered the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with the second dose offered 12 weeks after the first dose, while further data on vaccination in younger people is assessed.
Teenagers of 16 and 17 will not need the consent of an adult to take the vaccine. Many teenagers are skeptical of the vaccine due to conspiracy theories they have heard, but many are also wanting to the vaccine in order to feel safe and join night clubs without any obstacles.
Covid-19 is not known to generally have a serious effect on children,
Longer Protection
Representatives of PHE England explained to this publication that the benefit of having an 8 to 12 week gap between the first and second doses is that it offers more protection for a longer period of time, and provides higher levels of protection than a shorter dose interval of 3 to 4 weeks.
The department estimates that protection will probably be even higher because younger people respond better to vaccines, and some will have already had the COVID-19 infection, meaning this first dose should act as a ‘booster’ to their immunity.
Surveillance Reports
Surveillance reports reveals early estimates of effectiveness of a single dose of either vaccine of around 60% after 1 dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and that around 70% (95% CI: 46 to 86%) after 1 dose of the Moderna vaccine (week 26 Vaccine. It remains unclear what makes those in the remote bracket still catch the virus despite the jab, or the those who fall into the rare 20% chance of being hospitalized after taking the first jab.
Data from the adult COVID-19 vaccination programme also indicates that vaccine coverage is lower in more deprived neighbourhoods compared to less deprived neighbourhoods. How similarly differential vaccine uptake among school-aged children might affect health inequalities should be considered ahead of any policy decision on this front.
”Should the government wish to consider vaccination of children and young adults aged less than 18 years with the primary aim of reducing the SARS-CoV2 infection rate (asymptomatic and symptomatic cases) irrespective of other direct or indirect benefits, the known benefits from vaccination are likely to be limited, it added.
“”In this instance, JCVI favours deferral of a universal offer of vaccination until more data have accrued, including a clearer understanding of the impact of COVID-19 in the UK within the context of a successful adult vaccination programme”.
”The JCVI has looked at the very latest safety data from the UK and other countries as we know that some serious side effects have been reported in this younger age group. This includes myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart). These are extremely rare and usually occur within a few days of the second dose, typically more in young men”
PHE England also said that prioritizing the first dose and delaying the recommendation on the second , in order to allow the JCVI to provide the best available advice with the latest available information for the second dose, whilst providing some immediate protection from severe disease.
Data from the USA suggests that in males aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 cases of myocarditis were reported per million first doses given. This rises to 67 per million after the second dose. Most people recovered quickly., the government said.
Some of the symptoms experienced in younger people after receiving their vaccination includes a stabbing pain and/or tightness in the chest which may spread across the body.
Research also highlight among the symptoms a pain in the neck that may spread across the shoulders and/or arms, shortness of breath when lightly exercising or walking, difficulty breathing when resting or feeling light-headed, flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature, tiredness and fatigue, palpitations or an abnormal heart rhythm
Professor Wei Shen Lim, COVID-19 Chair for JCVI, said:
”After carefully considering the latest data, we advise that healthy 16- to 17-year-olds are offered a first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Advice on when to offer the second vaccine dose will come later.
”While COVID-19 is typically mild or asymptomatic in most young people, it can be very unpleasant for some and for this particular age group, we expect one dose of the vaccine to provide good protection against severe illness and hospitalization.
As previously advised by the JCVI, children aged 12 to 15 with specific underlying health conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID-19 should be offered 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination with an interval of 8 weeks between doses.
This includes children with severe neurodisabilities, Down’s Syndrome, immunosuppression, profound and multiple learning disabilities, and severe learning disabilities or who are on the learning disability register. Children with additional underlying health conditions to be offered vaccination will be updated in the Green Book.
Children and young people aged 12 years and over who are household contacts of an immunosuppressed person should also be offered 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine”
The idea of offering 12 year olds the vaccine is very upsetting for many parents, but it still boils down to the fact that parents of those young children would have to consent to it. Where parental consent is given , it is not the business of anybody else to object because an adult who has the best interest of the child at heart has agreed to the jab, making it a matter between the parent and the child.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar