Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

European Union starts drive to vaccinate children against COVID

European Union starts drive to vaccinate children against COVID

Six-year-old Johanna squeezed her eyes shut as she received her first coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday at the Bethesda children's hospital in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

She was among the first children aged 5-11 to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the European Union as half a dozen countries launched campaigns amid soaring infections and fears about the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant.

"Johanna is perhaps a little nervous, but she also said she was ready for it," said her father, Zsolt Jorasz. "They aren't afraid, they're used to getting vaccines."
The campaign is a test of parents' willingness to inoculate their children as governments seek to avoid the mass hospitalisations of previous waves.

The first specially adapted paediatric vials and syringes for smaller doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived in the region this week.

Around 27 million 5-11 year-olds are eligible for the vaccine in the EU, and most countries want to move fast.

In Spain, hundreds of parents queued to have their children vaccinated at the Infanta Sofia hospital in San Sebastián de los Reyes outside Madrid, which expects to administer over 1,000 shots per day.

Nuria Miró, a 41-year old architect, hoped that inoculating her two youngest children, Pau, 11 and Marti, 5, would give her family peace of mind over Christmas when they meet up with elderly relatives.

"We were really looking forward to them being able to get the vaccine. At a personal and societal level, it's imperative that we all get vaccinated," she said, adding that she considered the vaccine no riskier than any other drug.

While most children do not become seriously ill from the coronavirus, they can unwittingly infect others at higher risk. And children now account for the majority of cases in Spain, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Early studies indicate that existing two-dose vaccines may be less effective against the new variant, but will still prevent severe illness and could protect health systems from becoming overloaded. With Omicron cases doubling every two days in some countries, the race to immunise is on.

'FOR THE COMMON GOOD'


Hungary said 38,000 parents had registered their children for the shot so far, while in Poland over 100,000 children were signed up to a vaccination drive starting on Thursday.

In Rome, clowns and jugglers were enlisted to cheer and distract children being vaccinated in a campaign extending to the rest of Italy on Thursday.

"Everyone has their own opinion, but we wanted to do it for the common good, for the school, and to guarantee that lessons can go on, otherwise we'll never get out of this," said Matteo Megna, who had brought a child for vaccination.

Denmark began inoculating its children against COVID-19 before the EU-wide recommendation, and has reached almost one in four of those eligible after just over two weeks.

But some parents say not enough is known about the impact of the vaccine on children. In the United States, similar concerns have meant that only 18% of children have received a shot since they became eligible last month.

France, Finland and Germany, where scepticism is relatively common, were vaccinating only the most vulnerable children rather than seeking blanket coverage.

But at a paediatrician's office giving vaccinations in the German town of Maintal near Frankfurt, parent Sandra Harnisch said her family had been in quarantine nine times so far, for 10-14 days a time, because one or other of them had had contact with an infected person.

"For a second-grader, that's barely tolerable, because she's missed so much school," she said.

Spain, where vaccination has been embraced, is already planning to administer second doses to children after eight weeks in both schools and hospitals.

"Today is the first day, the response has been extraordinary - and we're convinced it'll continue like this," Health Minister Carolina Darias told reporters.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×