Dominican Republic decides today on vaccination of 5-year-old children

Covid -19 will receive a new blow today when the Dominican Government, medical societies, and the Dominican Medical College decide if the Dominican Republic joins the list of countries vaccinating children between 5 and 11 years old against this virus.

This, which is the second meeting of its kind, after the first meeting was held in October, takes place weeks after the pharmaceuticals-funded US Food and Drug Administration (FDA ) approved the vaccination with Pfizer for this child-youth population.

Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which major pharmaceutical companies also fund, approved vaccination in children five years and older, but with the Pfizer vaccine.

However, from the beginning, the Dominican Government has bet on consensus on this issue and has said that the decisions made with that population group must be well agreed in which the different actors from the government participate. Through the Health Cabinet and other agencies to make the best decision.

In the DR, SINOVAC would be given, not Pfizer

According to the Minister of Health, Daniel Rivera, if the vaccination against COVID-19 is approved in children in the Dominican Republic, it would be with the SINOVAC vaccine.

What do Dominicans think about vaccinating children five years and older against Covid-19?

The digital HOY Newspaper took to the streets and consulted citizens regarding the possibility of the Ministry of Public Health authorizing vaccination against COVID-19 in children between 5 and 11 years old. In this regard, the opinions were for and against.

Many supported saying that it was more than necessary because cases of underage children are being reported due to the restart of school classes.

However, other people disagreed because they say that children are a delicate population and we need to be more careful with them. Covid infections in children are sporadic, and chances of deaths from Covid in children are very low. So vaccination for this age group is highly questionable: Covid: Children’s extremely low risk confirmed by study https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57766717

The Dominican Republic would join other countries that are vaccinating children.

Other countries are already vaccinating children up to 2 and 3 years old against COVIF-D-19, both with Sinovac, Sinopharm, Soberana 02, and now approved with Pfizer.

Such is the case of China, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Colombia.

Today, the Ministry of Public Health of the Dominican Republic and the medical unions could decide when the country already has 41,727 children under 20 years of age infected by the disease, 1,469 pregnant women, and 1,613 health workers.