YOUR TEEN & THE VACCINE

Some are nervous to get it, others can’t wait. Here’s what you need to know & what to do if you and your child disagree over the jab

- RICHARD VAN RENSBURG

FOR many people it was great news: they’ve had their Covid vaccinations and now kids between 12 and 17 could get it too – which meant it would be possible for entire families with kids in this age bracket to be jabbed up.

Matrics would be prioritised to give them enough time to recover from any possible side-effects in time to write their exams, said Dr Nicholas Crisp, acting director general of the health department.

The government aims to reach 6 million teens in total and to have 3,25 million kids vaccinated by mid-January, boosting the country’s fight against the pandemic and our chances of returning to a sense of normality.

Yet at the time of going to print, progress had been slow and only 30 000 children had been jabbed.

Experts say the vaccine will not only keep children safe but prevent them from passing the coronavirus on to older and more vulnerable members of their community.

Here’s everything you need to know about the safety of vaccines for children and how you can address this hot potato.

WHICH VACCINE WILL KIDS GET?

Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is the only one that has been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) for use in children 12 years and older. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine – the other jab used in SA – is so far only administered to people over 18.

Teens will receive only one jab of Pfizer at this stage to allow the ministerial advisory committee on Covid vaccines more time to gather data on potential side-effects for this group.

WHY SHOULD KIDS HAVE THE VACCINE?

The benefits of vaccinating teens far outweigh the risks, says Dr Sheri Fanaroff, a medical doctor and health writer from Johannesburg.