New Corona Child Vaccination Hit / Don't Hit What do you think

Nowadays, one of the Omicron strains of the new coronavirus, "BA.5", which is easy to spread, is spreading, and the infection of children is increasing.

About one in six children between the ages of 5 and 11 have been vaccinated twice.

Few children get seriously ill with corona, but doctors at hospitals and clinics have recently said that there are more children with high fever than before.

Should I get the vaccine or not?

We have compiled new data so that children and parents can think together.

(As of July 25, 2022)

What is a child's vaccine?

Currently, the corona vaccine used in Japan for children aged 5 to 11 is a vaccine made by the American drug company Pfizer, which is given twice every three weeks.

Children's vaccines contain one-third the amount of body-working components of adult vaccines.

Vaccines work because a mechanism called "immunity" works to fight and kill viruses and bacteria that come in from the outside.

In detail, the corona vaccine contains a substance called "messenger RNA" that is a blueprint for the thorny part called "spiked protein" on the surface of the virus.

When you inject the vaccine, "spiked protein" is made in your body based on this blueprint.

"Spike protein" is a component of the virus.

Then, using this as a marker, the immune system works to create a substance called an "antibody," which is a weapon that attacks viruses.

By doing this, you will be able to fight when the new coronavirus really enters your body.

When infected without vaccination, "immunity" tries to fight by making "antibodies" that match the shape of the new coronavirus.

However, you may not be able to make enough "antibodies" in time, or you may not be able to fight as much as you expected because there are too many enemies.

As a result, symptoms such as coughing and dullness may occur, and in some cases, it may become severe.

When you hit the vaccine, you will be able to make "antibodies" in advance, which are weapons for fighting the new corona.

By preparing to fight when the virus really arrives, you will be able to prevent infection, symptoms, and serious illness.

How many children are vaccinated?

In Japan, corona vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 began in February 2022.

As of July 24, 2022, there were more than 1.43 million children aged 5 to 11 who had been vaccinated once.

There are about 7.41 million children aged 5 to 11 years nationwide, so 19.3%, or about 1 in 5 children.

About 1.33 million people have been vaccinated twice, or 17.9%.

About 1 in 6 people.

(From the Prime Minister's Office website)

Overseas, there are countries where vaccines for children started earlier than in Japan.

For example, in the United States, 30% and 3 out of 10 people were

vaccinated twice, and

in Canada, 42.4% and 4 out of 10 people were vaccinated as of July 17. I am.

Should I hit it?

Do I have to hit it?

The situation is different for each person and family.

So what should we think about when deciding whether to vaccinate or not?

The important thing is to compare "the good things that can happen with vaccination = benefits" and "the bad things that can happen with vaccination = risks" and think about which is bigger.

The benefits of vaccination include, for example,

▽ preventing yourself from becoming infected with corona and becoming seriously ill,

▽ not spreading the infection to those around you,

▽ being able to spend time at school with peace of mind. there is.

The risks that may arise from vaccination are:

▽ Unwanted body reactions and side reactions may occur after vaccination.

(From the materials of the US CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Also, children can receive the corona vaccine free of charge, but parents must make efforts to receive it like the vaccines for measles, chickenpox, Japanese encephalitis, etc. It's not a must.

It is important to think about whether to hit the vaccine by comparing the benefits and risks together at home, and whether it is better to hit it or not.

I will show you detailed data, including new ones, for you to think about.

How many children are infected?

Since the spread of the virus "BA.5", the number of people infected with the new coronavirus has increased at a stretch.

On July 23, more than 200,000 people were infected each day, and the number of infected people is "the highest ever" on a daily basis.

In the week leading up to July 19, there were approximately 590,000 infected people nationwide, from babies to adults.

Of these, about 83,000 children are under 10 years old, about 14%.

About 1 in 7 people are infected.

(From data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)

What happens when a child gets infected?

In the two years since the corona infection began, approximately 1,462,000 children under the age of 10 have been infected.

Of these, seven have died.

In addition, the number of children who became seriously ill in the week until July 19 was four.

Even if infected with corona, most children are mildly ill.

However, even if it is mild, you may have a high fever, you may have a fever, or you may have difficulty breathing due to the back of your throat.

In addition, a type of virus called "BA.5" is now spreading, and pediatric doctors have commented that "I think more children have a higher fever than before."

The number of children who become severely ill remains the same, but high fever can lead to febrile seizures and encephalopathy.

A group of pediatric doctors (Japan Pediatric Society) says that children who originally have heart or lung disease are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill.

In addition, even if there are no symptoms, sequelae such as coughing and suffocation may continue after healing.

What is the effect of the vaccine?

What can you prevent?

In 2021, Pfizer actually vaccinated children aged 5 to 11 years to investigate.

After more than 7 days of hitting twice, the effect of preventing symptoms from corona was 90.7%.

However, it is known that the vaccine is less effective than before for the new coronavirus of the type of Omicron strain, which is now spreading.

A paper published by an American researcher found that vaccination of children between the ages of 5 and 11 was as effective as 68% in preventing the disease from becoming severe, even with the Omicron strain.

Most of the severely ill children have not been vaccinated.

(American CDC and others published in the medical journal "New England Journal of Medicine" on March 30)

Also, in a study conducted in Singapore, children aged 5 to 11 years old were vaccinated twice. Even with the Omicron strain, the effect of preventing infection is 36.8%, and the effect of preventing hospitalization is 82.7%.

A single vaccination was 13.6% effective in preventing infection and 42.3% in preventing hospitalization.

(Singapore University and others announced in the medical journal "New England Journal of Medicine" on July 20)

It is difficult to completely prevent infection even with vaccination, but it will be a serious symptom such as hospitalization. It has the effect of preventing that.

What are the side reactions after vaccination?

There may be side reactions after vaccination.

When the body's "immunity" remembers what the virus looks like, it can cause fever and pain in the vaccinated area.

What are the specific side reactions?

According to Pfizer's investigation,

▽ Pain in the part where the injection was given occurred in 74% of the first injection, and about 7 out of 10 people.

The second injection was 71%, which was also about 7 out of 10.

▽ The number of people who felt sluggish was 34% after the first injection, and about 3 out of 10 people.

The second injection was 39%, about 4 out of 10.

▽ The fever of 38 degrees or more was 3% in the first injection, and about 3 out of 100 people.

The second injection was 7%, about 7 out of 100.

(From a paper published by Pfizer in the New England Journal of Medicine)

The rate of side reactions is lower between 5 and 11 years old than adults.

Most people have symptoms such as pain in the vaccinated area or difficulty in raising the arm, but it will subside in a day or two.

Is there a serious side reaction?

In rare cases, it is known that some people develop "myocarditis" or "pericarditis", which causes the heart muscle to swell and become difficult to move after vaccination.

In Japan as well, the number of people who were vaccinated between the ages of 5 and 11 between February and June 2022 and who were reported to be suspected of having myocarditis or pericarditis was summarized. I have.

After the first injection, 3 people were suspected of having myocarditis, 2 people were suspected of having pericarditis, and 3 people were suspected of having myocarditis after the second injection. No one was suspected of having pericarditis.

At this point, the first injection was about 1.32 million and the second injection was about 1.15 million, with 2 to 3 suspected myocarditis and pericarditis in 1 million. It means that it is about.

(From the side reaction study group of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) In

the United States, children are vaccinated before Japan, so we are investigating many side reactions.

The number of boys who developed "myocarditis" between the ages of 5 and 11 was 0 per million for the first injection and 4.3 for the second injection.

For girls, the first injection was too scarce to understand, but the second injection was twice per million.

All were mild and recovered.

Also, according to a report from the United States, two children died after vaccination, but both were originally ill and in poor health before vaccination.

There is no data showing that he died from vaccination.

(From the CDC explanatory material)

Is Corona's vaccine scary because it's new?

Corona's vaccine is the world's first new technology vaccine that uses "messenger RNA".

"Messenger RNA" has been studied for over 30 years to be used to cure diseases.

"Messenger RNA" is a substance that breaks down quickly and is decomposed and disappears within a few days after vaccination.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare also says that it will not remain in the body and have a negative effect.

It is also unlikely that the vaccine will cause illness after decades.

On the other hand, in addition to the "messenger RNA vaccine", there are "recombinant protein vaccine" that artificially creates and injects virus components, "inactivated vaccine" that processes real virus to eliminate toxicity, and so on. Some domestic companies are developing this type of vaccine.

Some say that these techniques have been used in vaccines for some time and are safe.

Tetsuo Nakayama, a pediatrician and researcher of vaccines at Kitasato University, said, "Scientifically, messenger RNA vaccines are expected to be effective in providing basic immunity. It's a vaccine that can be used. I understand that I want to use a conventional vaccine, but I'm not sure when it will be put to practical use as a vaccine for children at the stage of development. Wait. We need to think about whether it's okay to do it. "

How do experts see it?

What do experts think about whether it is better to get the vaccine or not?

On June 22, a group of pediatric doctors (Japan Pediatrician Association) found that children's vaccines

had

very mild fever and pain after vaccination, unlike adults.

He said that it is necessary for children to inoculate the vaccine to prevent it from becoming more severe, and sent a message saying, "Please give the children a vaccine."

In addition, Kitasato University's specially appointed professor Nakayama says that he wants children to make decisions considering that the infection situation has changed.

"In the past, many children did not have a high fever even when infected, and many children did not feel tired, but nowadays, many children have a high fever, and the impression is that the number of children who are tired and have a hard time has increased. However, high fever can lead to febrile seizures and encephalopathy. It is up to each child to decide what to think about fever, but it is difficult for children. In addition, after-effects may occur even after healing. And "MIS-C" may cause inflammation in various organs. If it can be prevented by vaccination, I think it is better to prevent it. The new corona virus Even before it spread, everyone was able to lead a healthy school life because they were protected by various vaccines such as seizures and encephalopathy. The new corona virus is changing its shape one after another. , It seems that a new type of "mutant virus" that is not the "BA.5" that is spreading now will come out. It is said that the current vaccine is not so effective against Omicron strains. However, it has the effect of preventing aggravation and will be a basic immunity against mutant viruses in the future. With that in mind, it would be better to consider vaccination. "