Pediatricians and pediatric emergency services from various parts of the country report a sharp increase in the number of children with severe viral infections.

Various viruses, including the RS virus and also the new delta variant of the coronavirus, are now spreading rapidly among children and young people.

Sick leave is high in preschools and schools and the burden is great on healthcare.

- I am very worried about the situation.

The spread of the virus is clearly greater now than normal at the start of school, says Petter Brodin.

No immunity among children 

During the pandemic, the prevalence of the rs virus has been low.

But it also means that few children have developed a protection against these viruses.

- This in combination with the fact that children have not been vaccinated against corona makes the situation very worrying, says Petter Brodin.

The dominant delta variant increases the risk of children becoming ill from cornaviurset, even though most children still do not become seriously ill.

Today, everyone over the age of 16 can be vaccinated against the coronavirus, but so far the Swedish Public Health Agency has said no to vaccines for children under the age of 16.

But now the Pediatric Association has turned the issue and is now for vaccines for children from 12 years. 

Very few side effects in children 

This is a difficult trade-off that the authorities need to make before a decision is made to vaccinate even smaller children.

Children rarely get seriously ill from the virus and therefore the so-called risk-benefit balance is different than for adults.

Fresh in memory are also the consequences of the mass vaccination during the swine flu when a number of children in Sweden were affected by narcolepsy. 

But Petter Brodin believes that the vaccine has so far proved very safe even for smaller children and therefore Sweden should also change its lower age limit.

He believes that the Swedish Public Health Agency will issue a statement on the matter shortly.

- We should have vaccinated everyone over 12 years before school starts, says Petter Brodin.