More than 10,000 young schoolchildren receive first dose of vaccine on first day

Thursday 16th December 2021 – PRESS RELEASE with Mike Smith

The first day of pediatric vaccination against the coronavirus passed normally in the Comunidad Valenciana. In total, 10,016 schoolchildren from 159 educational centres across the region have received the first dose of the vaccine without significant incidents. By provinces, jabs were administered in 21 schools in Castellón (853 students), 81 schools in Valencia (5,706) and 57 schools in the province of Alicante (3,457).

The regional departments of Health and Education, Culture & Sport organized the campaign in two phases, beginning with the students of the special education centres and rural centres due to the students’ characteristics or the shared use of physical spaces, both of which recommend that their immunization be a priority.

In this same phase, for which the Comunidad Valenciana has received a batch of 150,000 doses of the pediatric vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech, the 6th, 5th and 4th grade of Primary students are also being vaccinated schools.

After Christmas, it will be the turn of the younger students. In total, all boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 5 residing in the Valencian Community, about 330,000, will be summoned to be vaccinated.

The vaccine is being administered in the schools themselves, during school hours and by educational level to preserve the usual bubbles. This means that if a minor has reached the age of 10 but, for any reason, is still in the second or third year of Primary, they will be vaccinated with their classmates.

However, children belonging to the group of very high-risk conditions or undergoing immunosuppressive treatment will be vaccinated, as long as there is no medical contraindication, at their hospital or health centre.

Aside from these exceptions, it has been chosen to vaccinate in schools because “they are spaces in which it is easy to reach all minors and because, in reality, there are no great differences between immunizing in a teaching centre or in a mass vaccination centre”, according to the head of the Health Promotion and Prevention in the Stages of Life service of the regional health department, José Antonio Lluch.

Pediatric immunization, authorized last week by the Public Health Commission of the Ministry of Health, takes on special relevance in the current situation for three reasons detailed by José Antonio Lluch: “First, the incidence in this age group is the highest of all ages, although it is true that, luckily, children do not usually suffer from severe COVID. In addition, their vaccination will allow progress in the normalization of their lives and, thirdly, it will also help reduce the general incidence. According to a report published a few days ago by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the impact that vaccination can have on children, even with not too high coverage, can be significant in the population as a whole”.

Eight weeks between the two doses to optimize protection

In order to receive the vaccine, the family must provide an authorization signed by the parent, guardian or legal representative at the centre. If deemed necessary, a relative may be present at the time of the vaccination for the child’s emotional well-being. In any case, crowds should be avoided, people should stay in the enclosure for as little time as possible, masks must be worn and interpersonal distance respected.

The second dose of the vaccine will be administered within eight weeks, as indicated by the National Vaccination Strategy, to increase the immune response, as well as to have all those under 11 to 5 years of age vaccinated with at least one dose in the shortest possible time.

If a minor becomes ill, is in isolation on the day of vaccination, or cannot attend the appointment for any other reason, they can be vaccinated when the health teams return to their educational centre to continue with the vaccination campaign.

Medical, nursing and logistical support staff

The team that travels to the schools, as detailed by the director of Primary Care nursing of the Castelló de la Plana Health Department, Inmaculada Fabregat, is made up of “medical, nursing and logistical support staff.”

Before arriving at the school, the medical team coordinates with the management of the educational centre to know precisely the number of doses to be taken as well as to organize the operation in advance: “The educational community has shown a very close collaboration throughout all this time with health personnel, whose commitment is commendable, when it comes to detecting cases and cutting chains of transmission. With vaccination, this cooperation is further increased, if possible, to protect the child population, the true heroes these days, and their environment,” said the Director of Primary Care of the General Department-Alicante, Inés Montiel.

Those who turn 12 years old between the first and second dose receive the first pediatric vaccine and the second, adult vaccine (recommended from 12 years of age) with the established period of eight weeks for the second dose.

A Simple Guide of Children’s Vaccination

The authorised vaccine is called Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech) and has been designed for children aged 5 to 11, administered from vials which are different to those which have been dispensed for the adult population.

Two doses of the vaccine will be administered with a gap of eight weeks between each dose which will not only increase the immune response but also allow all children aged between 5 and 11 to be vaccinated in as short a time as possible.

Children who have had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection will be vaccinated with a single dose no less than four weeks after the diagnosis of the infection or the onset of symptoms.

If a child becomes infected after the first dose has been administered, the second dose will be given once they have recovered and eight weeks have passed.