More COVID cases among children

21 January 2022 12:20 pm Views - 256

While there seems to be some waning of vaccine immunity against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, more research needs to be done to ascertain who needs the booster dose

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As schools reopened while adhering to health guidelines a spike in COVID cases in children has been observed. “About a month ago we only had five or six patients but the numbers have now increased to 30,” opined Dr. Deepal Perera, Consultant Paediatrician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital. “Dengue cases too were on the rise and we have around 30-40 children in wards who have been diagnosed with dengue,” said Dr. Perera.
However the government made arrangements to vaccinate children above 12 years of age. When asked if there were any complications among children after getting the vaccine Dr. Perera responded in the negative. “There may be rare cases such as pain in the hand but we haven’t seen any major complications,” he added. 
Earlier this week, World Health Organization’s Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that there’s no evidence at present to prove that healthy children and adolescents need the booster dose. She said that while there seems to be some waning of vaccine immunity against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, more research needs to be done to ascertain who needs the booster dose. 
The main aim of administering the booster dose is to protect the vulnerable and to protect those who have the highest risk of disease severity and death. These include the elderly, immunocompromised people with underlying conditions and healthcare workers.