In the past two weeks, 500 Israeli children ages 5-11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, and so far, there have been no unusual side effects; the only side effects were the usual light symptoms expected after receiving a vaccination.
Some of the HMOs reported that they had seen no side effects at all, Israel Hayom discovered.
The data was presented to senior officials in the HMOs, and it is initial, unofficial, and not final, but matches the known data regarding the rarity of side effects among hundreds of youth ages 12-15, who were vaccinated before the rest of their age group following the receipt of special permission by the Health Ministry.
Since the beginning of August, children ages 5-11 who are in “high risk” categories have been able to receive special permission from the Health Ministry to receive the vaccine. According to Health Ministry instructions, the final decision is the parents’, but the child should receive an explanation of the considerations, and this should be recorded.
In addition, the four HMOs have been requested to monitor and follow those receiving the vaccines. All of the children who were vaccinated are scheduled to receive the second dose as well.
Clalit, the largest HMO, has vaccinated 400 children ages 5-11, “without reports of any significant side effects.” Meuhedet, as of Sunday, had vaccinated approximately 20 children in that age group, all of whom are in high-risk groups.
Meuhedet’s Dr. Roni Ferber told Israel Hayom that the HMO is “personally following every one of these children and so far, no significant side effects were noticed, other than light localized pain or redness around the site of the injection.”
“It’s true that this is not a representative sample, but at the same time it is good news. At this time, the vaccination of all children ages 5-11 is being researched, and we are prepared to provide a solution for this population as well, as much as necessary and in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines,” he said.
The Maccabi HMO has vaccinated approximately 50 children ages 5-11, and according to a senior official, no unusual side effects were discovered, other than “the regular side effects, and there’s nothing unusual.” Similar statements were made by a senior official in the Leumit HMO, which has so far vaccinated five children in that age group.
Following the Israel Hayom report, the site added, some Israeli health officials have called on the Health Ministry to approve the vaccination of children ages 5-11, even before the completion of Pfizer’s clinical trials or the vaccine’s official approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Professor Eli Sprecher, Deputy Director of Research & Development at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center, told Israel Hayom that he is “in favor of approving the vaccine in Israel as quickly as possible also for children ages 5-11, but I suggest waiting for the expected announcement in the next two or three weeks of the results of the Pfizer and Moderna studies, and without needing to wait for approval from the FDA.”
“If the publication of the results of the pharmaceutical companies’ research is delayed by more than a few weeks, then it will already be possible to approve it in Israel without waiting for them. There is no reason to assume that children will suffer different side effects than what we have seen until now, especially since we saw in Israel and around the world how a great many children ages 12 and over received the vaccine and they did not suffer any concerning effects – in fact, we saw the opposite. Vaccinating the children will reduce transmission and prevent children – even if not many children – from being seriously harmed by coronavirus.”
Professor Dr. Masad Barhoum, General Director of the Galilee Medical Center, was more reserved:
“The vaccination of children is an issue which we must examine in a different way than the considerations connected to vaccinating adults. Since we are talking about a situation in which the FDA has not yet issued approval, it would be proper to wait for the researched data, in order to accurately assess the risks versus the benefits.”
“So far the data, according to which the 500 children who were vaccinated in Israel did not suffer side effects, definitely seems encouraging. Therefore, the data indicates relative safety, but we still need to add additional data, in order to understand the wider numerical picture.
“In my estimation, in the future all of the children will be vaccinated, but before we make a decision on that, we should do it on the basis of as widescale data as possible,” he added.
Professor Hagay Zion, Chairman of the Israeli Medical Association, added: “Children are a separate category, and we should wait with the vaccine until the completion of the clinical trial for children, which is being conducted by Pfizer and Moderna with the approval of the FDA. In my opinion, there is not yet enough data to begin vaccinating children ages 5-11.”
Source: Arutz Sheva