A group of Spanish researchers discover a new therapeutic target against obesity, in mice
14 December, 2021
The Miguel Servet hospital in Zaragoza is already investigating whether the omicron variant is more serious than the delta variant
15 December, 2021
Pfizer is the brand chosen for the pediatric vaccine, although with a different viral load and a different interval between injections.
Next week, the coronavirus vaccine is scheduled to begin to be administered to the 3,3 million children aged 5 to 11 in Spain. The vaccination strategy has all the approval of the WHO and pediatricians, although the serum injected into children will not have the same characteristics as that of adults. What are the main differences between these vaccines?
First, children will receive one-third of the dose given to adults. Thus, your puncture will not even require dilution of the formula, because the remedy administered will be very low. This serum will be injected to each child at a dose of 10 micrograms, a third of the amount received by adolescents and adults, Although the pharmaceutical brand chosen to provide their immunization is Pfizer, the same as that of the majority of vaccinated adults, who were also able to have access to Moderna or Astrazeneca.
The second big difference is that the children's two punctures will not be separated by 21 days, but by eight weeks (about two months), in accordance with what the Commission has agreed upon at the proposal of the experts of the Vaccine Presentation. Experts estimate that these deadlines contribute to increasing the immune response and having all children between 5 and 11 years of age vaccinated in a short time with at least one dose.
El Ministry of Health has made any other indication (the strategy advises start with children with immunosuppression and other vulnerabilities and then prioritize based on their age), but it has also left the door open for the autonomies to manage this process based on their possibilities. Regarding the general protocols, there is a chapter that children and adults share and it is the fact that The minor who has overcome the disease will only receive a single initial dose and it will not be necessary to put the second one as a souvenir.
And what about the side effects? Francisco Álvarez, coordinator of the vaccination advisory committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), does not rule out that after the first punctures there will be an increase in calls from parents concerned about some consequence of the vaccine. "The side effects are the same as those that occur in adults and even a little less, being a third of the dose. These are effects that we already know, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, fatigue...", summarizes the doctor, who recalls that in the United States 3 million pediatric vaccines have already been administered and the side effects reported are no different from "We can be very calm," he points out. "If the child has a few tenths or a headache, he will take a painkiller, paracetamol or ibuprofen," adds the doctor, who asks the parents not to - in that case. get overwhelmed and, above all, do not turn to Google but to your pediatrician.
