Why does no one ask the kids if they want to get vaccinated for Corona?

In the lively and heated discussion at times about the question of young children's vaccines, it seems that they forgot to include one important side - the children themselves.

Dr. Yuval Guzensky mentions that children also have the right to be full partners in this decision

Dr. Yuval Guzensky

28/11/2021

Sunday, 28 November 2021, 08:13 Updated: 08:21

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Very recently, International Children's Rights Day was marked, and a few days later, the vaccination campaign of 5-11-year-old boys and girls against the corona virus began in Israel. I will start by saying, I am in favor of vaccines and if I had children at that age, I would encourage them to get vaccinated. But as a children's media researcher I would like to regret that the public discourse and debate revolved around “questions and answers for parents”. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wrote, "Take care of the children, take them to get vaccinated." I do not underestimate the importance and parental responsibility, but do not forget that children are human beings who have the right to be full and informed partners in the decision regarding immunization.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child contains clauses designed to ensure the right of children to freedom of expression and access to information that is useful to them.

In other words, in addition to addressing parents, the Ministry of Health and state institutions should make an effort to address children directly in Israel, Hebrew and Arabic, and explain to them in understandable but honest words the importance of the vaccine, provide insights into disease risks so they can be aware partners.

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The state should address them directly with information.

A child after the Corona vaccine, Jerusalem, November 2021 (Photo: Roni Knafo)

In a study I did with partners from around the world with the spread of the corona epidemic, it became clear that the more the children knew the facts about the corona, the less they were afraid.

Children who knew what the corona virus was, how to defend against it and who belonged to the risk groups of the plague, felt safer.

Knowledge is power for adults and for children alike.

If you want to avoid relying too much on rumors and "false news" (Pike News), then the news sites, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health must contact children directly, provide reliable information and answer difficult children's questions.

A company in the US, where the pre-Israel vaccination campaign began, said that her 7-year-old son had recently developed great anxiety due to the corona. And here a few hours after receiving the vaccine last week, the side effects of the anxiety disappeared.

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My reference is also to parents.

Do not be afraid to talk about the challenges and concerns of children, quite the opposite, the more reliable information we provide to children, the more they will trust us adults, and grow to be adults capable of making judgmental decisions.

Prime Minister Bennett promised total transparency in response to the concerns of the parents. Must also complete transparency in response to concerns children themselves. There is no other way besides our duty of adults to share the accumulated knowledge and a real dilemma on our right of girls and boys to be part of the public debate on vaccines, which have become very relevant for them.

• health

• parenthood

• Child health

Tags

• Vaccines

• Vaccine for corona

• Corona

• covid-19