Ask the Pharmacist

Q. Is it safe for my children to get the Covid vaccine when the time comes?

A. At the end of our last column, we hinted that this week we would delve into the topic of mixing Covid vaccines (i.e. taking a different brand with your second dose) . Since that time, Ontario and many other provinces have halted the administration of “first-dose” AstraZeneca vaccines. There is a study currently underway in Britain reviewing this topic and it would be best to wait until the full study has been published (likely later this month) before writing about that here. So, without further ado, let’s discuss whether or not your children should bare their arms.

Throughout this pandemic, children originally seemed to be unscathed by this virus. That has led to many people wondering why we should even consider vaccinating this group. One reason why is the widespread speculation that though most children were not experiencing symptoms if they contracted the virus, they may well have been responsible for its transmission to the adults in their bubble such as their parents, extended family and the school staff including bus operators etc.. Now that we have been dealing with this coronavirus for 14 months and the variants of concern are taking hold, it is abundantly clear that children have become more susceptible.

According to Health Canada’s chief medical advisor, nearly 20% of all Covid-19 cases in Canada have occurred in children and teenagers. Though the majority of the young appear to have mild symptoms, the tragic outcomes of the few children that have succumbed to this virus in Canada should serve as a stark reminder that nobody is exempt from the deadly nature of this disease.

It is also important to consider the variants that keep arising. As each person, be it a child or an adult, gets infected with this disease, it gives the virus an opportunity to mutate and risk a more dangerous variant or one that is resistant to the current vaccines. As more people get vaccinated, this will decrease the number of infected individuals and thus will ultimately reduce the chances of new variants showing up. As stated before, the virus is continually looking for another host and does not show prejudice in doing so. It will gladly accept the young or old, sick or healthy, good or bad, religious or agnostic, wealthy or poor and people of all ethnicities. In regards to the above question, it is important to remember that the virus will not ignore a host that is below a certain age group.

Another reason to consider vaccinating your teen is that doing so hastens a return to normalcy for all of us. We have all been affected to some degree or another from this pandemic. Maybe you or somebody close to you has had the virus and are suffering from some long-term complications of it. Worse yet, perhaps you know someone that has died from it.

On another note, we need to think of the many businesses and jobs that are at risk with the drop in sales with so many months of operating with “curb side pick-up”. How about the importance of sporting and artistic events within the community and the major sports on the grander scale. Yes, the pro sports such as NHL, NFL and NBA have been able to continue their games but without fans cheering them on in Canada. In the United States, they are looking at having 50% capacity in some locations at some sporting venues.

Though many of us believed the United States made many mistakes at the beginning of the pandemic, their aggressive vaccine program has led to a much quicker return to “normal” than we are seeing here in Canada. Many of us look forward to the day that we may either participate in social functions or attend a live sporting or musical event. There is also the idea of travel. There might come a day when you need to show a vaccine passport in order to be permitted to join the crew.

Will children be expected to show proof of vaccination? Who knows? Only time will tell. That decision may vary depending on which province or country you are looking to travel to.

It is also important to concern ourselves with the effect of the social restrictions that have been enforced which may ultimately wreak havoc on our mental health. It is on the minds of many as to how this pandemic might affect the children in the future. The sooner we can all go back to what we deem as “normal” (just what will that look like going forward?) the better off we, of all ages, will be. The quickest and best way to achieve that will be to get as many people vaccinated, including the appropriately aged children.

At present, Pfizer is approved for use in those 12 years of age and up and is looking to get Emergency Use Approval (EUA) for those 2-11 by the fall. Moderna is currently approved for 18 years of age and older. The company is undergoing studies with the 12-17 age group as well as another study including children from 6 months to 11 years. It might be 2022 before full data is available for those studies.

As for AstraZeneca, the trial that was underway in children was paused due to the blood clots that were arising in the adult population. Recall that this is the vaccine that was just recently put on hold for first doses in Ontario last week. Johnson & Johnson is currently studying its vaccine in adolescents however, we have yet to administer any of their doses that have been sent to Canada due to safety concerns that originated from their laboratory in Baltimore so that vaccine may not factor into the equation.

That means that the only vaccine your child would get at this point in time is the one manufactured by Pfizer. As to how well the Pfizer vaccine works in the 12 to 15 age group, it would be an understatement to say that the researchers were pleased with the results. In a trial involving 2,260 adolescents, the vaccine demonstrated 100% efficacy and the antibody responses in this age group were, on average, even better than those seen in the 16 to 25 years old bracket. In general, the vaccine was very well tolerated.

Children seem to experience the same sort of side effects as young adults when it comes to the Covid-19 vaccine. Some complained of pain at the injection site and/or tiredness and headache for the following day or two. Some children also mentioned chills and body aches. These do not seem to be dissimilar to the rest of the population that have already been vaccinated with the mRNA vaccines. As was discussed in prior columns, side effects such as these can be a good indication that the vaccine is working on your immune response, so embrace the discomfort. For more information on this or any other topic, contact your pharmacist.