Like many others, you might also wonder how this virus can affect your children, how to protect children, and most importantly, whether the vaccine for Covid-19 is safe and effective for children. Before going for the covid-19 vaccine, ensure that you know about it in detail.

Coronavirus originated from a category of other viruses that causes respiratory conditions such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We all know about Covid-19, its outbreak, and have dealt with the situation and the new Covid-19 variants.

How does the Covid-19 virus affect children?

Worldwide, the negative impact of the Covid 19 outbreak can profoundly affect the development of young children. These adverse effects could be associated with food insecurity, rise in poverty levels, disrupted healthcare sectors, and most importantly, personal factors such as the demise of caregivers or loved ones and psychological stress.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s lives have been turned upside down. Children’s routines are entirely changed between remote schooling and the cancellation of playdates. Constantly staying at home makes them less physically active and more attracted to the virtual world of harmful video games.

Children with underlying medical health conditions are more prone to the risk of severe illness due to the pandemic. A potentially dangerous complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) can occur. This medical condition can result in life-threatening issues with the heart and other body organs. In the MIS-C, several body parts such as lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, skin, or gastrointestinal organs can become inflamed.

How can we protect our children from the Covid-19?

To protect children from the attack of this pandemic, the government and guardians can follow the six-point plan by UNICEF for children. It includes:

1. Ensuring all children know about the outbreak and how to keep themselves safe
2. Guarantee access to health and nutrition services and make the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine available and affordable to every child.
3. Support and protect children’s mental health by bringing an end to abuse, gender-based violence, and neglect in childhood.
4. Make the children well aware of the importance of personal and community hygiene. Increase access to sanitation and clean water, and address climate change and environmental degradation.
5. Ensure an inclusive recovery for all by reversing the rise in child poverty and offering access to covid 19 vaccine-free registration.
6. Put efforts to protect and support children living through conflict, disaster, and displacement.

Kids also have questions concerning coronavirus outbreaks, and you need to give them age-appropriate answers that do not fuel the flame of their anxiety. It also helps if you discuss things they can control, such as physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, and other health-promoting behaviors.

Omicron: The new variant and its effects on children

The new Covid-19 variant Omicron has put children at greater risk of contraction, and they may have severe symptoms, given that the younger population is not yet vaccinated completely. This new variant has again made children go for remote schooling, which can further push their chance to learn in a community and enjoy playdates together with some outdoor physical activity.

It is believed that children have a more robust immune system in response to coronavirus infection. Since the early onset of Covid-19, the majority of young people had mild to moderate illnesses, with no sign of complications or danger. Apart from the common symptoms such as fatigue, cough, fever, and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in severe cases, there were no significant hospitalization cases or death among kids.

Is the vaccine safe & effective for children?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the kid-size doses of the Covid-19 vaccine effectively prevent symptomatic Covid-19. U.S. regulators authorized the vaccine for younger children after millions of 12 to 17 years old children had already safely received the shot. Covid 19 vaccine for seven years old or more is available, and keeping the current scenario in mind, parents are taking their children for vaccination quickly.

The FDA cleared the shots depending upon a study showing the doses for children were 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The 5 to 11 years old children developed antibodies fighting the virus as potent as those of young adults who got regular doses, with similar or less severe symptoms such as fever or achiness, sore arms.

Very rarely, young adults and teens are given the covid-19 vaccine by Moderna face severe side effects, heart inflammation, or myocarditis. In the case of mostly teen boys or young men after the second dose, it is evident that they tend to recover rapidly. After intense scrutiny, U.S. health authorities concluded that the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine outweigh that small risk.

Contradictions to Covid-19 vaccine

Problems with the Covid-19 vaccine may occur in people with a history of:

• allergic reaction to a previous covid-19 vaccine
• Delayed-onset anaphylaxis or immediate allergic reaction to vaccines or injectable therapies (such as acupuncture), pharmaceutical products, or food items

Covid-19 vaccine and future pregnancy: Consult your medical healthcare provider regarding it. As of now, there are no clinical trials on pregnant and lactating women so far.

Covid-19 vaccine and blood clots: AstraZeneca vaccine can cause an infrequent but severe side effect known as thrombosis associated with thrombocytopenia.