BIG NEWS! The TGA has provisionally approved a pediatric dose of the Moderna (Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to five years. So what does this mean for Australian families? Should we vaccinate our children?
Winter is proving to be a critical period in Australia for COVID-19. Omicron is spreading like wildfire with new variants popping up, resulting in a massive wave of cases. The healthcare system is under increasing pressure, death rates are rising and we are seeing too many reports of young children succumbing to the disease across the country.
And like the last two years, we have to answer: “Wear your masks, keep your distance and get your vaccinations.”
But until now, there was no hope of vaccination for our little ones.
Want to join the family? Subscribe to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
What does this announcement mean?
This approval hopes that by vaccinating our youngest children, we will provide them with protection against the more serious outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death. It will also help slow the general spread through the community.
But that’s just the first step to make the vaccine available to Australian children. Essentially, the TGA (Therapeutic Products Association of Australia) has looked at the evidence and reviewed reams of documents and statistics from medical trials, to the highest standards. At the end of the day, they are satisfied that the vaccine is effective and safe for this age group.
The vaccine is not yet available
The next The step is for our lead advisor, ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) to assess the big picture and advise on how the vaccine should be rolled out in Australia, and WHO should get it.
What is likely to happen from here?
It’s not as simple as going to your doctor tomorrow, rolling up your kids’ sleeves and getting the shot. There are many factors to consider and design a deployment plan. ATAGI will have to take into account a lot of factors such as:
- Vaccination schedule. The vaccine has been approved as a schedule of two injections 28 days apart.
- Who should get the vaccine? Should all children in this age group get it or just a vulnerable few?
- Vaccine availability. One of the main problems is that the Moderna vaccine is very scarce: not only here, but all over the world. Our government will need to work closely with manufacturers to secure supplies in a hotly contested global market.
- Security profile. The TGA considered data from a study of more than 6,000 American children. They were able to determine that the vaccine has a similar safety profile to that seen in adults.
- Secondary effects. Most adverse events were mild-moderate and generally reported after the second dose. These include irritability/crying, redness and/or swelling at the injection site, fatigue, fever, muscle pain, and axillary (groin) swelling or tenderness.
- Balance against the risks of infection by COVID-19. Young children are at risk of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a serious complication of COVID, requiring urgent hospital care. We know that vaccination is extremely effective in reducing this risk.
- Future effectiveness. The Omicrom variant continues to evolve with cases of variants BA.4 and 5 increasing rapidly. It will be necessary to clarify the utility in the current configuration.
RELATED: The COVID vaccine is safe and effective during pregnancy
RELATED: Dr. Sam Answers Questions About Kids’ COVID Vaccine
My younger children have already had a COVID-19 infection: do they need the vaccine?
It is a well-known fact that vaccination provides better and longer-lasting protection against COVID-19 in the future. In addition, it has also been proven that the best protection arises after having had both a course of vaccination and an infection.
As a parent, what should you do?
During the COVID crisis, Australians have benefited from our AAA-rated health system, government strategies and vaccination programs. ATAGI has been a world leader in its advice, based on robust medical data and experiences from around the world. I trust them, you should too.
Although the total number of hospital admissions for COVID in under-fives has been small across the country, the majority have been in this age group. We also don’t know what’s around the corner: which new strain might end up affecting our little ones the most. And sick under-fives absorb a lot of healthcare resources, as they need a much higher level of care and support.
Babies and children can get sick from COVID. Grandparents are still getting sick. Why wouldn’t you take any opportunity to vaccinate your younger children?
If you are worried about vaccinating your child, talk to your local doctor for advice.