A pediatrician at Hat Yai Hospital in Songkla province has sought to allay the concerns of parents and guardians who have not consented to their 12-18 year old children receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, assuring them that it will safeguard their children from the virus.
Hat Yai Hospital infectious diseases pediatrician Dr Kanokporn Rangsitsathien has reiterated that all vaccines being used in Thailand were approved by the World Health Organization and are registered with the Food and Drug Administration, adding Pfizer is the only vaccine with research involving children.
She asked parents to be confident in the efficacy of the inoculation despite some reports of unwanted side effects such as aches and swelling. Effects such as redness around the vaccination area have been found in 80 percent of first doses while headaches, fever and soreness were reported in 60 percent of second doses. Both conditions mostly lasted for only five to seven days and then completely resolved.
On allergies to the vaccination, the main concern cited by guardians, the pediatrician cited data from around the globe showing very few people are violently allergic to the shots, with severe reactions such as inflammation rarely found.
Hat Yai Hospital has noted a 20 percent uptick in COVID-19 infections among children, mostly stemming from contact within families. Nevertheless, the majority of children have shown few symptoms with fatalities so far occurring at a rate of 1 per 100,000. Dr Kanokporn urged parents to consider all the facts when making their decision to consent to a vaccine for their child. (NNT)
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