So far, the only WHO-approved vaccine for adolescents is the shot of Pfizer Inc. (representative)
Brasilia:
As more adults receive COVID-19 vaccines, children who are not yet eligible for vaccination in most countries account for a higher percentage of hospitalizations and even deaths, he warned on Wednesday. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
In nine months of this year, infections in children and adolescents in the Americas have exceeded 1.9 million cases and face significant health risks, said the regional branch of the World Health Organization. Health (WHO).
Experts say the pandemic has caused the worst educational crisis ever seen in the Americas due to the lack of face-to-face schooling.
The COVID pandemic has also disrupted sexual and reproductive health services in more than half of the countries in the region, helping to fuel one of the biggest jumps in teen pregnancy seen in a decade, PAHO said.
Closures and economic disruptions have increased the risk of domestic violence, and for many children, their homes may not be a safe place, said Carissa Etienne, director of PAHO.
“Our children have lost more school days than children in any other region. Every day that children go without face-to-face school, they are more likely to drop out and not go back to school,” he said. .
So far, the only WHO-approved vaccine for adolescents is the shot of Pfizer Inc., while Moderna Inc. has applied for emergency approval of its vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, according to PAHO Deputy Director Jarbas Barbosa.
He said Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm of China have also applied for WHO approval or use of their vaccines for adolescents and children aged 3 to 17 years.
Some countries have moved forward and started vaccinating children and adolescents, such as Chile and Cuba, without waiting for WHO approval, Barbosa said.
Cuba began vaccinating teens this month with the intention of immunizing more than 90% of its population in December and will begin inoculating children ages 2 to 10 this week, becoming the first country in the world to be vaccinated. massively children under six years of age. .
The Communist-led Caribbean island is the only country in Latin America to develop vaccines against COVID-19: Abdala, given to most adult Cubans, Sovereign-2, administered so far primarily to teens and kids, and the Sovereign Plus booster.
They do not yet have WHO approval.
PAHO praised Chile, Uruguay and Colombia for the success of programs to limit the impact of the pandemic on young people.
“Children and adolescents in our region are at risk of becoming the generation that missed out on health, education and social opportunities,” Etienne said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)