WHO advises against compulsory vaccination of children

Sonia Chemaa with Benjamin Peter and AFP 4:11 p.m., December 7, 2021

Vaccination against Covid-19 will now be open to children aged 5 to 11 by the end of the year, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Monday evening.

Previously, it was only allowed 12 years and over.

This vaccination will be done on a voluntary basis, with diluted solutions, suitable for the little ones, but which do not however reassure the parents.

"They're too small."

For Charlotte, mother of two children, there is no question of vaccinating her 6-year-old daughter, even if it means depriving herself of leisure.

"Too bad, we will do the movies at home," resigns the mother, herself vaccinated.

An opinion shared by Edith, also the mother of a little girl.

"Impossible! My daughter won't go to school if she has to."

Perverse effects on "general public confidence"

Children are the age group most affected by the virus.

But the sensitive point is obviously the vaccine obligation.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Europe to better protect children, while keeping compulsory vaccination as an "absolute last resort".

It must be decided "only when all possible options to increase the vaccination rate have been exhausted", in particular because of the possible perverse effects on "the confidence of the general public". 

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Continue to live like recluse

Other parents, on the other hand, are less reluctant to vaccinate their children.

"I'm ready to do it," says Bertrand, father of a 9-year-old boy.

"My daughter, the eldest, who was eligible, was vaccinated and we did not ask the question. So, if it should be done for the little one, yes. If it can limit the spread of the virus , to protect others and to protect ourselves a little more. Yes, we will. If we do nothing, we will continue to live as recluses. " 

Avoid class closures 

Currently, in Europe, cases are increasing in all age categories, "with the highest rates observed among 5-14 year olds", sometimes two to three times higher than in the rest of the population, he said. WHO Europe. To avoid further class closures and the return of distance education, she advised to strengthen testing and the use of masks in schools and to consider vaccination at the national level of school children, approved by several agencies. drug in the world. On Monday, a study by the World Bank and several international institutions warned of the impact, even heavier than expected, of the pandemic on the education and future of children around the world. According to her, the current generation of young peopleschool is at risk of losing nearly $ 17 trillion in income in its lifetime due to school closures linked to the pandemic.

The vaccination schedule

In France, from November 15, wearing a mask was again compulsory in schools.

Vaccination remains optional for children under 12.

For the 360,000 children "at risk" of developing serious forms of the virus, it "will begin on December 15," said the Prime Minister.

For the remaining six million children, the government is still awaiting the green light from the High Authority for Health (HAS) and the National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE).

On the vaccination calendar, the dates of December 20 and 27 were put forward by the executive.