Vaccination of children in France: many parents skeptical
A member of the nursing staff checks the temperature of a child who has just been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Sélestat, in the Bas-Rhin, on December 21, 2021. AP - Jean-Francois Badias
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
At the heart of the fifth wave of Covid-19, and while the Omicron variant is already causing fear of a sixth after the holidays, the High Authority of Health approved, Monday, December 20, the vaccination of children from 5 to 11 years old, on the volunteer base.
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Already approved for children suffering from co-morbidities, vaccination against Covid-19 for all children aged 5 to 11 received the
green light from the Haute Autorité de santé on
Monday. It is not binding: only children whose parents have given their authorization can receive the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. The injection is calibrated for this age group: it is three times less dosed than for adults.
Vaccination could begin this Wednesday, December 22. According to experts, this is a way to reduce the circulation of the coronavirus.
The new Omicron variant
is gradually spreading in France, as everywhere in the world. On the evening of Tuesday, December 21, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the Omicron variant now accounted for 20% of positive cases.
In Paris, one in three cases could be due to this very contagious mutant. Its lightning diffusion raises fears of an explosion of contaminations, more important than what it has already been for several weeks. The number of infections is at a very high level: more than 50,000 daily cases on average over the last 7 days. It is in the 20-40 age group that the incidence increases the most, and is the highest: it exceeds 700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
No one knows at this time what impact the release of Omicron could have on hospital admissions, as there are many unanswered questions: its level of severity, but also its precise level of resistance to immunity. post-vaccination, or after infection with another variant.
Still, a third of people who may have already taken the booster dose have not yet done so.
And 5.5 million people eligible for the vaccine have not received a single dose.
More than a million of them are over 65 years old.
"My mother is a little skeptical"
Sacha, 11, a middle school student in the 6th grade, will be vaccinated soon. When asked what the vaccine is for, he replies: “
Protect yourself, protect others. For me, it's not so much to stop the disease but rather to reduce the risk of catching it. So that, if we have it, we have a less serious form than without a vaccine.
"
He has an appointment in January to be vaccinated, although his mother is not entirely convinced: “
She is a little skeptical.
I understand since it's new.
We don't know more than that.
We are told to get vaccinated.
She's not completely opposed, but she does it reluctantly anyway.
What about his teachers?
“
We're going to have a theatrical outing.
The teacher does not influence us on whether to get vaccinated or not.
She leaves us the choice: either take a test or get vaccinated.
Like one wants.
"
"There are concerns"
For this mother interviewed, it is a
categorical "no"
: "
No, I will not vaccinate my daughter. She is doing very well, I do not consider that she needs this vaccine. There is the epidemic, sure, but we are careful about it and the people around us. They haven't told us too much about the benefits or anything about this vaccine. We don't know the consequences, so I prefer not to. As long as all is well, let's be careful rather than getting the vaccine.
"
This father, he is ready to have his children vaccinated, but not without concerns and questions: “
I would not prefer.
I think there is no real danger for the children.
I think we will do it anyway, because it helps reduce contamination.
It is important.
But like many people, we ask ourselves questions because there is little perspective and because it is not trivial.
There are concerns.
"
"If I am forced, I will"
A mother says she is "
refractory
" because she does not see any real advantage in the vaccine against the Covid-19: "
For all the other compulsory vaccines such as polio, there is a fundamental interest for the children.
On the other hand, for this one, no.
"
A father, vaccinated just like his wife, does not
"
wish for the moment
" that the children be vaccinated: he fears "
the risks with vaccines developed too quickly
" and argues that "
the children are at the age when they are build their immune defense system
”.
Another father is waiting for a possible compulsory vaccination: “
It won't make me happy.
But if I am forced, I will, as a citizen and trusting those who know the subject better than me.
"
Aware of the obstacles to the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11, the High Health Authority insisted on Monday, in its recommendations, that this act "
can be done within the framework of a shared medical decision, without making it exigible. nor compulsory after having provided families and children with clear information adapted to their age on knowledge of the benefits and risks associated with the administration of this vaccine
”.
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France
Coronavirus
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Vaccines