Vaccination of children more challenging than adults: Study

A fully vaccinated child population will strengthen herd immunity in society, halting the further spread of the virus. Booster doses in adults and children are expected to reduce the impact of any new virus variants, reveals a study in the Sultanate of Oman.

“The risk of children contracting long Covid-19 can impair children’s quality of life, development and perhaps leave a lifelong health impact”, suggests the study published in the latest edition of Oman Medical Journal.

However, implementation of the vaccination drive among children is expected to be more challenging than among adults. The member states of WHO have affirmed that implementing Covid-19 vaccination programmes during the pandemic required rigorous planning and coordination of activities and resources ahead of time.

The study was carried out by Salah al Awaidy of the Office of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Faryal Khamis, Adult Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Royal Hospital and Thamra al Ghafri, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health.

“Taking such meticulous preparations ensure all stakeholders at the country level are aligned and prepared for a smooth roll-out of the vaccination programmes, including contingency plans for unforeseen challenges, and to ensure positive reception from the citizenry,” urges the study.

Effective nationwide immunisation of children requires the participation and confidence of many stakeholders, including parents, the public, and various government partners and requires resources to be in place.

The study conducted before the re-opening of the schools found extended school closures causing a significant psychological impact on children, and educationists and psychologists are increasingly calling for their early reopening.

“The safest way to open schools and keep them open is to fully vaccinate all children. With them back at school, parents and caregivers will be able to resume their workplaces, increasing their productivity and income levels”, it urges.

The world has already experienced how the 2021 adult vaccination drive against coronavirus succeeded in averting a huge number of infections and hospitalisations and saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

It is time to repeat the exercise for children now that an increasing array of Covid-19 vaccines have been tested and approved for paediatric use.

The study stressed a socio-behavioural survey among the public and the healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Sultanate of Oman to assess their perceptions and attitudes on vaccinating children and adolescents.

The survey results will assist the policymakers in planning the vaccination drive. This will also help them to understand the prevalence and nature of vaccine hesitancy among the Omani public.

“This, in turn, will help the generation of structured public education campaigns to inculcate a well-reasoned understanding of the need for vaccinating all children”.

While stressing the crucial role of HCWs, who are generally trusted by the public, the study moots imparting further training of the HCWs and update themselves with the latest developments in Covid-19 prevention and management, understand the people’s misinformation and the fears, and be ready with clear scientific explanations that reassure and motivate the public towards acceptance of paediatric vaccines.

When a Covid-19 vaccination campaign for 12–18-year-old students commenced in August 2021, it was accepted by the citizens and expatriates. In October 2021, the National Supreme Committee approved the immunisation of children aged 5–11 years, pending the availability of paediatric vaccines.

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