2 mRNA shots for kids as good if not better than cocktail, says top paediatrician
It is not necessary to give children an inactivated and mRNA vaccine cocktail because two doses of an mRNA vaccine provide plenty of protection, Somsak Lolekha, president of the Paediatric Society of Thailand, said recently.
The Public Health Ministry has approved the use of a Sinovac-Pfizer vaccine cocktail for children aged 12 to 17.
Somsak said though the cocktail provides the same immunity as two shots of Pfizer, he thinks it is a waste because the country has enough Pfizer vaccines in stock.
As for children between the ages of six and 11, he said they too should be provided with two doses of mRNA jabs instead of the cocktail.
The latest information from the US and Canada shows that children should receive two shots of the Pfizer vaccine within a gap of eight weeks instead of four. This has shown that children develop 10 times more immunity and the risk of developing heart inflammation is also reduced.
Somsak also advised against booster shots for children except those with chronic diseases who have low immunity.
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He added that most children develop mild symptoms, with only 2 per cent getting hospitalised and a third of those in hospital landing in intensive care.
He also warned that some children may suffer from multisystem inflammatory syndrome after being infected with Covid-19, especially those in the five to 12 age range.
