Herd immunity against Covid-19 without vaccinating children?

About Covid-19 vaccine: Leading infectious diseases experts and vaccinologists have warned that herd immunity against the coronavirus cannot achieve globally without vaccinating children;

Arguing that vaccinating the adults may prevent mortality, but the transmissibility of the virus would continue in the unvaccinated populations; especially children.

They said studies to vaccinate children are underway although these studies started very late; They made it clear that the transmission of the virus will not stop even by vaccinating 70 percent of the adult population globally.

We might be able to reduce mortality if don’t vaccinate children, but we will not be able to reduce transmissibility unless children are also vaccinated.

Dr. Saad B. Omer, the inaugural director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, said “We may not be able to achieve herd immunity globally unless we vaccinate children as they are both in the numerator as well as in the denominator,”

While delivering an online talk on “Covid-19 Vaccines: From Trial to Market” late Thursday night.

The talk was organized by local pharmaceutical firm Getz Pharma and moderated by the company’s head of Public Health and Research, Dr. Wajiha Javed,

Who raised various queries that were in the minds of people regarding Covid-19 vaccines, their efficacy and safety, deployment issues, and availability.

Dr. Omer, who is also a member of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) Working Group on Covid-19 Vaccines; said now trials of various vaccines were being conducted in the children under the age of 18;

but these trials should have been conducted a little earlier to ascertain if they were effective in preventing the transmissibility of the virus.

Is the vaccine safe for elders?

Regarding the safety and efficacy of different vaccines in elderly people, Dr. Omer said most of the vaccines were safe for the elderly; but different countries were making their own judgments and issuing advisories for the elderly in accordance with life expectancies in their own countries.

“Different countries are making their own judgments and issuing different advisories for elderly people;

but you should keep in mind that the age of 60 in Pakistan is 80 in other countries.

The people who survive beyond 60 there is similar to people who survive 70 in other [developed] countries.

The people in the age group of 50 to 60 years would prioritize and data may be available.

But so far the safety profile of different vaccines is very good and in the US over 20 million have vaccinated.”

Vaccination for Pregnant Women

He said data shows that hospitalization and ICU admissions are nearly twice as high in pregnant women who have contracted Covid-19 as compared to non-pregnant women.

So in that context, they should give covid-19 vaccines but decision-making should base on the circumstances as the benefits should be more as compared to the risks.

As far as immune-compromised people are concerned, it would depend on various types of vaccines,

He said adding that vaccines should also be available for such people and given by looking at the cost-benefit ratio.

Responding to various queries by public expert Dr. Wajiha Javed; the infectious diseases expert; opined that People having the infection should wait at least three months before getting the vaccine.

He said that although people should get a vaccine with the same vaccine for the first and the second dose.

If a second dose of the vaccine is not available; the second dose of any other vaccine of the same type can use to strengthening the immune response in the individuals.

He added that some countries are delaying the administration of the second dose;

WHO allows an interval of up to six weeks to ensure that an ample quantity of the vaccine is available to give the second dose of the vaccine.

Commenting on equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines to the people around the globe.

The Vaccine should be Free

The expert said covid-19 vaccines should be provided free of charge to people except those who can afford them;

He added that governments should continue to subsidize their production till a sizeable population gets a vaccine in the world.

As far as how long a person would remain immunized after vaccination is concerned, he said, it is too early to predict but it is likely that the immune response following immunization would last at least for a few years.

He added that variants of the coronavirus could create problems in this regard.

2022 will be a lot better!

According to the expert, 2022 would be a lot better as compared to the current year in many countries; if they deployed the Covid-19 vaccines in a smart and equitable manner as we know that 80 percent of deaths occurred in 16 percent of people.

“So if you cover that 16 percent population, it would reduce the mortality despite continuing transmissibility.”

Another Pakistani expert of infectious diseases, Dr. Faisal Mehmood from the Aga Khan University Hospital,  said that in his opinion that Covid-19 may not eradicate from the world like smallpox and people would have to live with it for long.

“The transmission of Covid-19 will likely not stop even with 70 percent coverage”

I don’t think we will be eradicating this infection like smallpox,” Dr. Mehmood said, adding that there is a possibility of vaccinating people every year due to the emergence of different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the future.

An official of the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSR& C); when approached, said that currently the available Covid-19 vaccines are for adults only, but in the coming years; it is likely that vaccines would be available for children too.

‘Prevent those people who have severe disease through vaccination’

• Preventive measures like:
• Wearing masks,
• Social distancing
• Immunity development through vaccination
•  Also, By natural means

As it would be wrong to say that vaccines can eliminate the virus completely.