According to paediatrician Michèle Kayser, the vaccine is particularly important to protect vulnerable children, or a vulnerable person living with children, e.g., a parent going through chemotherapy.
Nevertheless, the final decision whether or not to vaccinate a child remains with the parents. Whenever parents ask her if they should vaccinate their children, Kayser always stresses that they have no obligation to do so.
The paediatrician compares the vaccination against Covid-19 for children to a flu shot, in the sense that it is optional. It remains true, Kayser explains, that children themselves have a much lower risk of getting sick from an infection compared to adults, and only very few have to be hospitalised. Personally, Kayser thinks that a vaccine mandate for everyone over the age of 18 would be the best solution, as this would make vaccinating children less of a priority.
The fact that children are being vaccinated now means that parents are assuming a “social and epidemiological responsibility”, Kayser says. By vaccinating their children, they are also protecting the vulnerable members of society.
In fact, children are often much more reasonable than adults. Many want to get vaccinated because they are simply fed up with endless quarantines and isolation, or that they can no longer pursue their hobbies. Not even mentioning the anxiety many children experience because they are afraid that they might bring the virus into their home.
The infection rate in schools, day cares, and ‘maisons relais’ is high. Children between the age of 8 and 11 often say that they prefer to keep their masks on in their school because they do not want to be infected. Kayser stresses that a lot of adults should take these children as an example to follow.
The paediatrician states that she has “no concerns” regarding the vaccine itself, pointing out that there is a substantial amount of data on the product by BioNTech/Pfizer. Symptoms that may be experienced are roughly the same for children as for adults, e.g., a sensation of pain in the arm following vaccination or flu-like symptoms for a day. Kayser is not worried that parents will reject the vaccine. After all, she says, other vaccinations, such as the one against tetanus, are also widely accepted.
If there are any questions, parents should talk to their paediatrician. Ultimately, it makes no difference where they have their children vaccinated: Paediatricians, GPs, and vaccination centres are all good choices. Appointments can be made via the website impfen.lu or via this link.
As of Thursday afternoon, over 1,100 appointments had already been made via the website of the National Health Directorate.
