Finally, the next day it will happen.
The eyes of millions of parents around the world will be on a rather gray building in the town of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. 5 against Corona.
This epidemic seems to present us, the pediatricians, with a tremendous challenge that has never been seen before: the need to persuade parents to vaccinate their children, despite unprecedented attacks in their power and sophistication on social media against this vaccine.
I truly understand the hearts of the parents, who are bombarded every day with baseless statements designed to loosen their hands, instill fear in their hearts and sow doubts and fears in them.
As the morbidity decreases, the question doubles - why do you really need to get vaccinated, since everything outside is calming down.
Unfortunately, colleagues in the medical profession also contribute to confusion, skepticism, insecurity and resentment.
If so, what will the parent who wants to do the best for his child really do?
He would leave all the advice of the professors from the television and the networks, who had never seen the white in their eyes and never knew, and would go and ask for the advice of his pediatrician, whom he trusted 365 days a year.
I have no doubt he will hear a very clear statement: You must protect your children!
Go and save them!
The Clalit Health Fund study published over the weekend, spoke about the high effectiveness of the vaccine in adolescents in Israel aged 18-12.
This will only add to the strength of the recommendation.
This is our war today: the war for real information, and the war for the life and quality of life of each and every one of your children.
Even if the statistics say "mild illness", none of you would want to be at your child's bedside in intensive care, with his life hanging in the balance, as dozens of parents across the country have experienced in recent weeks.
One such girl, aged 7 and a half, was hospitalized in intensive care in Assuta Ashdod, and her mother admitted live that she intentionally infected her children with the virus.
Statements such as "Corona is a mild illness" will also not comfort the parents of the unvaccinated 16-year-old boy from Jaljulia, who died of severe multisystem syndrome following Corona.
I am sure you will eventually do the real and right thing, and you will be able to say to your children: We have done for you the most important thing a parent can do at this time.
Prof. Tzachi Grossman, Chairman of the Association of Pediatrics, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, and Maccabi Health Services