A specialists’ meeting is to discuss whether a mix-and-match approach to COVID-19 vaccines for children could be recommended, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) as inoculations of children aged six to 11 with the Moderna vaccine began yesterday.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on April 20 recommended that children aged six to 11 receive a two-dose regimen of 50 micrograms, or 0.25 milliliters per dose, 12 weeks apart.
The Food and Drug Administration on April 17 issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna, at 50 micrograms per dose, for children aged six to 11, and on Thursday issued an EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, at 10 micrograms per dose, for children aged five to 11.
Photo courtesy of Da-Keng Elementary School
Last week, the government signed a contract to purchase the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children and adults, with the first batch expected to arrive in the middle of the month, so many parents are hesitating over which vaccine to give their children.
Chen, who also heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), yesterday said that the specialists’ meeting would discuss whether a mix-and-match approach to COVID-19 vaccines for children could be recommended.
Parents can take time to decide, as the vaccines are to be offered outside of school, Chen said.
Photo: Lin I-chang, Taipei Times
Parents can have their children vaccinated at a later date at a healthcare facility, selecting the vaccine that they consider best for their children, he said.
Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said that the vaccination scheme for children would be similar to last year’s scheme for adolescents, which allowed them to receive the vaccine at school or have their parents take them to a contracted healthcare facility.
Parents are more familiar with their children’s health, but can consult a physician if necessary, Pan said, adding that the ministry would respect their decision.
On Saturday, Ho Mei-shang (何美鄉), an adjunct research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences, wrote on Facebook that the COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates for healthy children are low, but not zero.
While parents should weigh their decision carefully, Ho wrote that she “strongly suggests that children with underlying health conditions get vaccinated.”
However, cardiovascular surgeon Yang Chih-chun (楊智鈞) of Da Chien General Hospital wrote on Facebook that the technology behind mRNA-based vaccines — including Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — is “too new,” saying that he does not fully understand the health risk to children.
Compared with the low risk of death from infection in children, Yang said he would choose to be cautious, opting for a protein subunit vaccine when available.
Chen said that the center respects experts’ varying views on the new vaccines, but that scientific studies have suggested that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks.
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