Developing a safe and effective vaccine takes time, but thanks to the unprecedented investment in research and development and global cooperation, scientists have been able to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 in record time, while still maintaining robust, evidence-based, and rigorous regulatory standards.
COVID-19 is a nightmarish-like pandemic situation, which has critically affected not only India but also the rest of the world beyond measure in every way. The pandemic is literally interrupting the immunization schedule of a lot of children causing most parents to be concerned about the potential exposure to coronavirus whether they should take their babies to a hospital.
Surprisingly, India has documented the birth of 20 million new births of children between March and December in the year 2020, as per a recent UN report. If the children are not vaccinated, the odds are very high that they will be vulnerable to a variety of life-threatening diseases, for example, mumps, TB, Meningococcal, diphtheria, whooping cough, diarrhea, measles, polio, etc. Particularly, infants lesser than one-year-old are at the maximum risk of suffering from any of these diseases. Let us now learn how to get on with the vaccination of your children during this coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to all of the advice already given to parents about hand washing, physical distancing, and maintaining hygiene practices, they should take extra care to protect infants from infection. Breastfeed your baby if possible. There is currently no proven research that breastmilk can transmit the virus, but you should take the usual hygiene and respiratory protection (while breastfeeding as well as at other times) to avoid respiratory transmission. Use antibacterial wipes if available to wipe down countertops and diaper-changing surfaces once a day.
Try to ensure young children have the same caregivers to reduce the number of people they come into contact with. Those caregivers should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly, avoid sharing things that go in their mouths such as cups, and stay away if they feel at all sick.
Importance of vaccinations in children
To get the most out of immunization, which helps protect against vaccine-preventable diseases, it is important that you follow established schedules and that all doses are given on time.
By following the vaccination schedule, we promote the protection of children against vaccine-preventable diseases (measles, meningitis, invasive pneumococcal disease, etc.). Children are vaccinated very early because they are vulnerable to diseases, which can have serious consequences. Vaccinated on time, they can benefit from the best possible protection without delay.
Should children be vaccinated during the COVID-19 period?
Many parents are still concerned about the safety of their child getting vaccinated during a pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all routine immunizations be performed as planned, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently no evidence that the pandemic poses any particular vaccine risk. Experts emphasize that it is particularly important to perform planned vaccinations of children at birth and in the first two years of life. Vaccination of the most vulnerable children who have not received routine immunization in the past should also be a priority. Timely immunization is essential to protect against serious and life-threatening infectious diseases, as well as to avoid the build-up of unvaccinated groups and the potential loss of social immunity.
Safety tips to be followed by parents at the time of visiting a vaccination center:
- Do not go to a clinic if you or your child is sick. Postpone the meeting
- Senior citizens (more than 60 years old) should avoid visiting vaccination booths with children
- Parents and children, with the exception of infants, must always put on a mask
- Take proper appointments with your pediatrician for vaccinations
- Stand two meters (six feet) from other people.
While holding up vaccination is not a new occurrence, it is something never backed up by pediatricians in any part of the world, simply on account of the reasons discussed above. The gist of the article is to feel free to get your child vaccinated unhesitatingly.
