Corona vaccination for children: new findings on side effects and vaccination reactions
Created: 02/21/2022, 12:56 p.m
By: Sophia Lother
A pediatrician vaccinates a 7-year-old girl against the corona virus.
© Jan Woitas/dpa
What side effects and corona vaccination reactions do children and adolescents experience?
Medicines Commission has published an overview.
Berlin – The decision to have their children vaccinated against Corona* is not easy for many parents.
While many let themselves be vaccinated without hesitation, the concerns of the little ones are usually much greater - especially with regard to possible side effects.
But what side effects are to be expected in children and adolescents after a corona vaccination and how serious can they be?
The drug commission of the German medical profession has now evaluated data from the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) and published their results.
Corona vaccination in children: What side effects does Biontech have?
The Medicines Commission is the scientific expert committee of the German Medical Association.
It evaluates the reports from the PEI on suspected cases of corona vaccination side effects and reactions, among other things, and publishes a safety report.
The current report refers to the data of the PEI from December 27th, 2020 to December 31st, 2021 from Germany.
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has approved the Corona vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer* for children under the age of 12.
The safety report of the Drug Commission now shows that the vaccination reactions reported so far are "predominantly temporary and not serious".
In children under the age of five, 103 suspected cases were documented, but no serious reactions.
The situation was different for five to eleven year olds.
Corona vaccination with Biontech in children under the age of 12: What are the side effects?
In this age group there were 398 suspected cases after a corona vaccination with Biontech.
In addition, a total of five "serious reactions" were reported.
An overview of vaccination reactions:
Children under five years: 103 suspected cases;
no serious vaccination reactions.
Children between five and eleven years: 398 suspected cases;
the following serious reactions were reported in five reports: type 1 diabetes mellitus, immune thrombocytopenia, vomiting and fever, fever and fainting.
Corona vaccination with Biontech and Moderna for children and young people: new details on vaccination reactions
The Medicines Commission has also published new information for children from the age of twelve and young people up to the age of 17.
The corona vaccines* from Biontech/Pfizer and from Moderna* are used for this age group.
Accordingly, the reactions reported so far after a corona vaccination are “mostly not serious”.
But one message stands out here.
Cases of myocarditis and pericarditis were much more common in male children and adolescents than in females.
The number of cases per 100,000 vaccine doses was 5.1, for girls and teenagers only 0.6.
But what exactly is myocarditis or pericarditis?
Girls and teenagers (12 to 17 years) | Boys and Teegans (12 to 17 years) |
Myo-/pericarditis: 0.6 per 100,000 vaccine doses | Myo-/pericarditis: 5.1 per 100,000 vaccine doses |
Side effects and corona vaccination reactions in children and adolescents
In myocarditis, the heart muscle tissue is inflamed.
This can gradually lead to tissue death.
In the meantime, several studies have shown that there is a risk of heart muscle inflammation after a corona vaccination*.
Inflammation of the heart muscle is manifested by non-specific symptoms* and therefore sometimes goes undetected.
If the pericardium is inflamed, it is called pericarditis.
It presents with fever and stabbing chest pains, according to the MSD Manual.
Due to the inflammation, fluid and blood components penetrate into the sac of the heart.
It usually starts suddenly and is often painful.
(Sophia Lother)
*fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.