Spain begins to vaccinate children against Covid: "Now I am a little less fear"

España ha empezado a vacunar a los niños contra la covid. Con más o menos reticencias de los padres y algún que otro llanto por un brazo dolorido, los primeros pinchazos han llegado este miércoles al colectivo de 5 a 11 años, que ahora aglutina las incidencias más altas en España (648 casos por 100.000 habitantes a 14 días). Son 3,3 millones los menores llamados a vacunarse con el preparado pediátrico de Pfizer, que contiene un tercio de la dosis de los adultos y ha demostrado una eficacia del 91% contra la covid sintomática en este grupo de edad. El segundo pinchazo será ocho semanas después del primero. “Me han dicho que es un pinchacito y no duele nada”, confiaba Álvaro, de nueve años, a las puertas del colegio Antonio Machado de Valencia poco antes de vacunarse. En el primer día de inoculaciones, había nervios y ganas: “En mi cole hay muchas clases confinadas, pero ahora que estoy vacunada tengo un poco menos de miedo”, admitía Itziar, de 10 años, en el Hospital La Paz de Madrid.

Good morning, the earliest punctures reached the schools of the Valencian Community, which has chosen to organize the operation of children's vaccination in schools."As a mother, I'm looking forward to him," said Ana Ramiro, Álvaro's mother.There were 10 minutes for nine, entrance time, and Ana was waiting at the gates of the Antonio Machado school to let her enter to accompany her son during the puncture.The role to authorize the child's immunization arrived on Monday and returned it signed on Tuesday."It seems perfect to me to do it in schools to have everything centralized and that it is done as quickly as possible," Ramiro resolved.

About half past nine in the morning, Pilar left Antonio Machado school after her daughter, Sofia, the first of the primary room list, had been vaccinated: “He has taken it very well, very quiet, he knewWhat was going.They have taken her out of her classroom, they have punctured her in a different one, and then has been 15 minutes in case in a third.No nerves".This mother explained that the family spent the covid in December last year and the child wanted to get vaccinated.“It's a new vaccine and I wanted to come just in case it had some reaction.There were many toilets, ”said Pilar.Nor were there cries, he said: “I have not seen anyone cry or nerves.When they are a little smaller, there is any tear, but these are older ”.

According to the first data collected by the Ministry of Valencian Health, between 60% and 80% of parents have authorized, for the moment, the vaccination of their children against Covid.More than 10.000 schoolchildren from 159 educational centers have received the first dose of the vaccine in the morning during school hours.Although there is still, however, reluctant people, such as Amparo P., 49, who has not given authorization to vaccinate his nine -year -old daughter because he thinks that the drug is not enough tested.Although clinical trials have demonstrated the security of the vaccine and more than five million children have already been punctured in the United States and Canada, Amparo P.insists that he prefers to wait.It is not antivacunas, clarifies, and, in fact, her daughter has received the punctures of the child vaccination calendar and she herself has vaccinated against the Covid without having suffered side effects.Even so, he is afraid: "I don't want risks or that she had a bad time".

The child vaccination operation has danced between schools (in the Valencian Community, Extremadura and La Rioja), vaccination, hospitals and health centers.Precisely, from the Ambulatory of the Good neighborhood, in Toledo, the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, has celebrated the "extraordinary" response to the pediatric vaccination campaign and has urged to accelerate the punctures - also the third doses in adults -To get to Christmas with the highest vaccination coverage (about 80% of the Spaniards have completed the vaccination pattern).This Monday, 1.3 million pediatric doses arrived in Spain and Darias's forecast is that another two million arrive in January.

In the Balearic Islands, the punctures have begun at three in the afternoon with desire: in just 24 hours the 6 have been exhausted.000 appointments available to vaccinate these first days in the Old Hospital of Son Dureta de Palma, the Covid Express of Inca and Manacor and the Health Centers of Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera."We lost grandmother and today is one of the happiest days, it is very important for us," said Vanessa Lozano, Arian's mother, who with her hand covering the puncture commented that she thought she was going to hurt less.

In the Palmesan enclosure, Jaume, 10, commented that the COVID vaccine had not hurt compared to that of the allergy "that have it on ten seconds".Meanwhile, his brother, Joan, appeared safer: "The vaccine still does a little damage to the beginning, but nothing happens, it will not kill you".Together with them, his mother, Virginia, was satisfied because they have risk people with whom they live together and had been waiting for a time to get vaccinated."Yesterday at three in the afternoon, when the citation system was opened, we were in front of the computer to book an appointment," he said.

More tranquility

In Madrid, the Child Vaccination Trajin was also this Wednesday in hospitals, such as La Paz.At half past four in the afternoon, Itziar, 10 years old, left the hospital with a shit on the arm.His mother, Begoña Mujica, asked for the vaccination appointment yesterday: "You stay a little quieter, especially, now that Christmas comes".It is the same calm that Byron Letamendi, Daniel's father, nine years old: "At least you know that someone else in the family is protected".The child was confined a week ago for a positive in his class.

After the prick, Daniel took iron to the matter: "I thought I was going to hurt a little more, but I just felt the little one and nothing more".There has been a child, however, that has taken it worse.Like Gabriel, nine years old, who accused the pain of the puncture and cried in his mother's lap, Irene Fernández: "Vaccines do not go very well," said the woman.In La Paz they have begun at noon and will continue until 21.30.Marta Moro, vaccination coordinator, says that the number of children's appointments a day - they will take two or three days per week - is 1.850 until January 31.On the first floor of the hospital, minors can also obtain the European Covid certificate.

Also at the gates of the Childo Niño Jesús University Hospital there was a long tail of a hundred people."We have come more for the grandparents because now that Christmas comes we want to spend it with the family, since last year we could notto get vaccinated together.Ana Isabel Moreno also accompanied her three children: “Today is a party for everyone.Although children are very vulnerable, we have to do it for the good of the community ”.

In the Child Jesus, Dr. Enrique Villalobos accompanied families to resolve the doubts of the kids and their parents: “Most have it very well assumed.As in almost everything, children usually give us a lesson, ”said the doctor.

Another point of high influx of children and adults has been the vaccination installed in the Fira Barcelona enclosure, in the Catalan capital.Vaccination in Pavilion 4 had a differentiated entrance for children to avoid agglomerations.The tail of the little ones was still shy compared to the row of adults - first and second doses and reinforcement punctures - which extended along María Cristina Avenue and was kilometer.After the end of the classes, however, they were arriving more kids with their parents, many of them still with the backpack in tow, directly from the school.In the first days with the open agenda, the Generalitat has registered 71.700 appointments for the vaccination of children aged five to 11.

Ona, 10, was happy to get vaccinated: "It's as if a mosquito picara you," he has suggested and then affirmed that he had not hurt.His father, David Navarro, works at the Bellvitge Hospital and was clear from the beginning that his daughter had to be vaccinated.Also María Vilà, who has arrived with her three children - Lucas (seven years), Bruno (five) and a six -month little girl - highlighted the need to vaccinate them: "We must prevent, both for them and for the rest".Shyly, Lucas said he liked "very much" to vaccinate.

In the Palace of Sports of Murcia, doses against the smallest have also been injected against the COVID.Pablo, who turned 11 years ago a week ago, on December 8, was one of the first to receive the prick."I have not noticed anything, I don't know if tomorrow my arm will hurt," he said.He has been accompanied by his mother, Natalia García, who regretted not having been able to vaccinate today her other daughter, Sara, seven years old.Vaccination at the moment is open only for the stretch of 11 to 8 years.

Alicia Campanas did take her two daughters, aged nine and 10, vaccinated: “We had doubts to put it on or not because there is almost no information about the long -term effects, but this Christmas we want to get together with relatives and we feel more safeSo.They were the only ones in the family who still had no doses, ”he said.For Rubén López, on the other hand, there was no doubt about the convenience of vaccinating his son Alonso, 11: “I asked for an appointment as soon as they enabled the website.My wife is in treatment for cancer and the more we do we close to the virus, the better, ”he said.

High risk children

The Ministry of Health has recommended to start children's vaccination for older ones (10 and 11 years) and the greatest risk.That is, immunosuppressed children by the disease they suffer or the treatment they take, minors with complex chronic diseases, with neurological problems or severe cognitive affectation or children with serious obesity, for example.

This is the case, for example, by Juan Antonio Pérez, a nine -year -old Sevillian, who has been happy this Wednesday from the vaccination center installed in the Faculty of Mathematics of Seville because, finally, he can relate to his classmates.Juan Antonio underwent a marrow transplant in 2020 that forced him to be isolated for four months at the Virgen del Rocío hospital and then had a rejection.Overcome all difficulties, his mother commented on Wednesday, the child has learned a lot about the human body during his internment."The first day I had natural sciences and we gave the body parts the second one that knew it best because I have seen many Netflix documentaries," he said proud and, to take advantage of what he learned, he says he will be "doctor, nurse or firefighter".

In Andalusia, where on Monday in just 24 hours there were more than 85.000 citations for pediatric vaccination, is being administered in health centers, schools and other concerted points.The intention of the Board, as the spokesman and advisor to the Presidency, Public and Interior Administration, Elías Bendododo have pointed out on Wednesday, is that before Christmas 266 are administered.000 dose of the coronavirus vaccine to children under 12 years.While with the age strip between the ages 5 and 8 it has been planned to start in January.

Elena Garrido, 11, who has not come to the center very convinced, asked before entering if you can't "change the puncture for a pill"."I am afraid of the vaccine.In addition, if I spread and I have to do quarantine I do not go to school, although I am also afraid of the disease, ”this sixth course student of the Antonio Machado school in Seville was sincere.More diligent and accompanied by his whole family, Alejandro, 10 years old, "wishing to get vaccinated," said her mother, Almudena García.I had weight reasons to want to prick: "My second best friend has taken the covid and had to be isolated 10 days, but it's already well and we have been able to see us," explained the child.