All you need to know about Vaccination in Children

Vaccination for children aged 15-18 years is underway and most of us might have already taken at least one dose of Covaxin (the only vaccine approved for this age group). The news coming out from the government is that they will soon extend this eligibility to the 12+ age group as well. It's only natural that all parents would want to gain maximum knowledge about the subject before taking the call to vaccinate their child. This is a simple write up that I hope would help you to reach a sensible decision.

1. The first question on everyone's mind is whether the vaccine is safe for their child.

The simple answer to this is, Yes! The extended answer is that all vaccines go through a rigirous safety analysis before it can be released for the general population. Covaxin has already proven safe even in adults and the company has submitted enough data for use in children aged 12+ that gives us no reason to believe that it is unsafe for our children.

2. If the disease in children produces only mild symptoms, do we really need to vaccinate the children?

I guess this narative is more from the current wave of a milder mutation of the virus than plain facts. Sure, most children seem to have rather mild symptoms, however, there are enough and more children who have had a rather serious infection with a long drawn hospital stay along with some complications to boot. This only goes to show that this virus is mostly dependent on the immune response the body is able to mount at the time of infection. Children that have co-morbidities in terms of juvenile diabetes, immunocompromised states, obestiy, kidney disease or chronic diseases are at a higher risk for complicated disease and should receive the vaccine for their protection.

Multisystem Inflammatory Disease Syndrome (MISC) is a rare but life threatening complication of Covid-19 that may still occur in unvaccinated children as was seen in the initial days of the disease and the vaccine clearly prevents such an outcome. 

Children are proven spreaders of the virus and this transmission can be cut down once they are vaccinated as the viral load and the live virus transmission chain will break. This is simple to understand because the virus is eliminated from the body at a quicker pace than would be in an unvaccinated individual. Since the children remain the only segment of population that are unvaccinated, it only makes sense that once they do receive the vaccine, the transmitability reduces and the pandemic would change into an endemic form and die out.

To reiterate, it is more important to vaccinate immunocompromised children rather than think about how the vaccine could cause something to go wrong because the child's immunity is low.

3. What precautions should be taken?

No vaccines should be taken if the child is ill, has a fever or any infection or is currently on any medication for a particular infection or allergy (short term). 

If you do decide to take the vaccine, please remember to continue Covid appropriate behaviour like masking, not touching your hand to your nose or mouth and covering up when you cough or sneeze. Remember, the vaccine does not guarantee that you won't get infected, it only guarantees that the infection would be mild or even symptom free. Hand hygiene and social distancing is paramount in preventing the infection.

4. Are there any side effects to the vaccine?

The side effects with Covaxin continue to be similar to those observed with other vaccinations as well. Some arm soreness, a mild fever that lasts 24-48 hours, some bodyache and fatigue may be experienced. The symptoms can be easily controlled with paracetamol. Allergic reactions are quite rare and can be easily managed by your Doctor.

5. What the story on the expiry dates of vaccines?

There was a large discussion on the expired vials of Covaxin and their extension granted by the Government. The initial stringent approvals of a 6 month shelf life was given at the emergency use level but this can be extended after real time data is shared about the stability and shelf life of the vaccine. This extension was initially given for 3 months and then extended upto a full year. Rest assured, none of the vaccines injected during that period would have lost their efficacy. The new batches of vaccines are already out and by the time you decide to vaccinate your child, you would have a new expiry date on the vials anyway.

6. Does it really make a difference?

Right at the end, if there is still a doubt in your mind, look at the bigger picture. You are not vaccinating your child only for the child but for everyone the child comes into contact with, this could be the elders in the  family, people not allowed to vaccinate, people who can't receive the vaccination due to their physical state or just those that were too scared to take it.

If we ever want this pandemic to end, we all need to play a collective part in establishing herd immunity so that the virus is forced to mutate to a weaker strain that will then fade away or remain as the common cold / flu virus is currently in existence. 

For those looking at vaccinations, feel free to contact me for your requirements or even if you need to discuss this further or have any questions that you need answered. 

Corporate India, Let's Get Vaccinated!

Tired of playing the fastest fingers first game? Can't see anything but red on the calendar? Are you the on of the unfortunate 18+ people who just can't seem to get a shot? Waiting for fly out of the country but haven't even got your first dose yet?

Well, it's here! Finally, after weeks of paper pushing, rubbing backs and oiling the machinery that runs this city, we've got systems in place to start corporate vaccinations for now. Individual vaccinations will still take a while but if you have the numbers, we can now source the vaccines! Kicking of corporate vaccinations from next week, we are in the process of obtaining a substantial amount of vaccines to serve blue collar India.

We're starting off with Covaxin as it's readily available and can start innoculations as early as next week. For now we would need a minimum number of people confirmed to even start the process so if you do work in an organisation that would like to get their employees vaccinated in the comfort of your own office/workspace and you have the numbers, we can get it done asap!

Do get in touch with me via Whatsapp and let's talk.

Is this Balance?

You would need to completely open up your minds to reading this one. If you feel you can’t, please stop right here, scroll to the bottom, hit like and share and move on. However, if you feel like you have some time (in this lockdown, what else do we have) or if you feel like you are capable of thinking beyond the ordinary, read on.

I am a man of science who thinks everything must have some logic and reason and don’t give too much into miracles and fate. I do believe in a higher power, but I’m not the kind to spend hours and lifetimes appeasing statues that are called God! I believe in faith but perhaps not so much in religion. I do believe, however, in the fact that we perhaps know much less than we give ourselves credit for. There are a lot of unexplored and undiscovered truths out there that continue to be labelled fiction just because we haven’t seen or experienced it yet. There are certainly things that happen that we don’t understand that are far too easily categorised into alien activity, miracles, tricks, magic, imagination, ghosts, paranormal activity and what have you.

 

Heavy enough for you yet! It gets better, I promise.

 

Let’s start off this passage with the assumption that we’re all living in an experiment that has gone horribly wrong (or perhaps out of control). This would have to start way back from before Darwin peed in his diapers! Dinosaurs – there’s a good place to start. Is it? Let’s push way back. Polar ice caps? The big bang? This is how limited we are in our knowledge. We just think we know but do we really? Wait, I’m going off track. Back to the beginning of the experiment.

 

Assume that we started off as single cell organisms (that’s what science would have us believe). Evolution happened and we grew a pair (pun intended). Multi-cellular beings with hyphae, antennae, digits, a spine, neurons firing in all directions, a brain to control it all and the power to kill. Oohhh, maybe we stole that one from the BFG. Animals, fish, birds, quadrupeds, bipeds, apes, humans!

 

Survival!

 

Let’s knit that all together now otherwise this could be as long as a book. Assume that we were all meant to be in balance with half of the good things on one side and half of the bad on the other. Wait, who decided what is good and bad. Anyway, let’s just divvy it up and move forward. Food chains – there is a balance that we can understand. Biggest eats smaller eats smaller eats smallest who eats energy from plants! (Thank you 5^th standard children that we were forced to teach at home).

 

Let’s assume that the person conducting this experiment gets bored every few years and wants a reset. This person then decides to shake up the game board and see who survive so we can play more. Perhaps this could explain the constant wipe-outs every few hundred years.  Wait, how would they get new players? That’s why they made us stupid. They gave us libido so we provide them with a constant supply of stupid. The need to procreate is the single biggest fault line in this game! When you have nothing to do, create! So, that’s what the powers that be must have done as well (we are all created in HIS image remember).

 

Did I lose track again? This is so fascinating! Right, we wipe out half the Earth and reset. The ice age, the dinosaurs, the tigers, the fish, the turtles, the pangolins and us humans. We feel that we have no right to die early, but we are stupid remember. We’re just pawns in this game (we even gave ourselves the name, pawns...who does that?)

 

So, if we assume that we are merely here to maintain a balance and if we really, really open our minds to it, would we still be surprised? Every few decades, since humans thought we took over the Earth, we have been systematically culled and wiped off and yet we insist on creating more and more of ourselves to deplete already depleting resources. They try to wipe us out with disease and we insist on finding cures or vaccines. If that doesn’t work, they give us greed to start wars. That almost worked until the last one but perhaps third time lucky? Then, we get new diseases and we make new treatments and vaccines only delaying the inevitable. Then come the natural disasters. We get earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones with weird names, volcanoes erupting, fires all over the place, landslides, floods and many more. We just keep coming up with ways to survive!

 

We think we will survive but if the balance has to be maintained, they will get us. We could beat a disease and walk out of the hospital only to be crashed into by an ambulance. Ironic! (the singer got it right) Try and defeat a pandemic by locking down and we get earthquakes breaking our homes and cyclones dropping trees on us. If we get enough vaccines, we will get reactions and side effects. If we survive this pandemic, religious wars will get enough of us. If we are to survive all of this, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about WWIII or perhaps another drought or famine to wipe out a significant mass of people. 

Anyway you look at it, it’s time we accept that our board game can only handle so many pieces and the rest are going to fall off. Make the most of your time here, stop hoarding things that will only get destroyed by natural disasters or remain unused once we leave the realm. Hug your loved ones often, kiss your children, smile at strangers, be kind to animals, empathize with those that are suffering and sympathize with those that just don’t get it!!

Positive after vaccination - How does it work?

We all have been eagerly waiting to get the vaccine to end the mayhem created by the corona virus. We would all like to believe that vaccination is the only way to stop the disease from spreading. Is that completely true, though?

As per the experts, vaccination doesn't mean the end of the virus. Vaccination solely guards your body against the dangerous effects of the virus. The infection can occur at any time, vaccination just helps in warding off the serious issues that it might trigger. People who have been vaccinated also need to abide by all safety measures to prevent contracting the virus. These people can even transmit the virus to others.

What this means is that for a vaccination to declare that is works, all it has to do is to prevent you from getting a severe infection. It may not prevent you from actually getting the virus in the future, although there are ongoing studies to prove just that. 

In the next few months, Pfizer and Moderna are expected to release data that should indicate how often vaccinated people become infected by the virus, even if they have no symptoms. The companies have been testing participants in their vaccine trials for antibodies to a protein called N that is part of the corona virus but not part of the vaccine. Finding those antibodies would mean that a vaccinated person has been infected by the virus.

So what exactly did they study when the made the vaccine?

The Pfizer and Moderna trials tracked only how many vaccinated people became sick with Covid-19. The study essentially took 2 groups and put them into a placebo group and a vaccine group and studied the risk of people getting sick with the corona virus without actually studying if the vaccine would prevent the infection in the first place.

 

Having said that, the vaccine will offer some protection from getting the virus. The way it works is this. The vaccine provokes the immune system of the receiver to make antibodies against the virus. Once the antibodies are formed, the immune system is primed to attack anything that remotely resembles the corona virus so that if you do get exposed and the virus does enter your system, it should be attacked by the antibodies.

 

How does this differ from immunity obtained after being infected?

In most respiratory infections, including the new corona virus, the nose is the main port of entry. The virus rapidly multiplies there, jolting the immune system to produce a type of antibodies that are specific to mucosa, the moist tissue lining the nose, mouth, lungs and stomach. If the same person is exposed to the virus a second time, those antibodies, as well as immune cells that remember the virus, rapidly shut down the virus in the nose itself before it gets a chance to take hold elsewhere in the body.

 

Vaccinated people may still harbour the virus in their nose and throat and these people who may not develop any symptoms could possibly be transmitting the virus without ever knowing it. It would only depend on whether the virus can replicate faster, or the immune system can control it faster.

 

What are breakthrough cases?

Breakthrough cases are those cases that test positive even after receiving the vaccine and can be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. This might occur in those people whose bodies cannot produce a robust reaction to a vaccine. Breakthrough infections are generally mild and do not require hospitalizations. Some people may have no symptoms at all and may be discovered only through testing. Absence of symptoms actually means that the vaccine is doing exactly what it is supposed to do: prevent people from getting sick, even if it does not fully block the virus from infecting them. If vaccinated people become silent spreaders of the virus, they may keep it circulating in their communities, putting unvaccinated people at risk.

 

Why are vaccinated people are testing positive for the virus?

 

- They are not following the precautionary measures such as wearing masks in public, sanitizing hands, maintaining social distancing and ignoring the other safety protocols as advised by the health ministry

- Not following the after vaccination rules as told by the doctors (eg alcohol consumption, taking immunosuppressive drugs)

- Not getting the second dose on time or not getting the second dose at all

- Barrier in immunity (may not mount a good enough immune response)

As of now, the only way to be absolutely sure of not getting the infection is to continue to follow strict hygiene measures in terms of hand washing and sanitizing, respiratory hygiene including wearing a mask at all times when outside your safe zone or in presence of strangers, covering your mouth and nose when your cough or sneeze, not rubbing your eyes, nose or mouth under any circumstances. These measures have to continue until a larger segment of the population is vaccinated and the transmission chain can be effectively broken.

Swine Flu. Did Common Sense Fly Too?

We live in an era where anything sensational becomes viral. I sometimes, wonder, if people don’t sensationalize things more now because they want it to go viral. The prestige of knowing something before anyone else and being the first to update social media seems to have hit us hard. With the result that Swine Flu has taken over our natural conversations and lives. There is a fair level of paranoia going on out there. While I agree it is scary to most because of the lack of correct information, I also think it is prudent not to spread the wrong information gotten out of either social media or that ‘reliable source’ who swears it spreads via chicken!

Just to put everyone’s mind at ease, here are a few facts about the virus that we all should know in order to act rationally to care for our loved ones.

What is it?

It is a virus. Very similar to the common cold virus or flu virus. The difference is that this particular strain of virus has the propensity to cause severe infections in few people. However, most infections caused by this virus are still mild and almost exactly like the regular seasonal flu we all suffer from.

How does it spread?

Not via pork, not via chickens. Not even via mosquitoes. The virus did originate in workers who were in the pig industry but the virus has moved on and mutated itself to be able to spread directly among humans.

The main mode of spread is through droplet infection. This basically means that anyone in contact with someone who either coughs, sneezes or does not wash their hands before touching you are at risk. Just being in the same room is not going to get you infected!

How can we prevent it?

Regular hygiene! Covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, making sure you wash your hands regularly, not sharing handkerchiefs or napkins amongst children are all notable preventive measures. Mosquito repellents and creams have nothing to do with the spread.

If you somehow contract the flu, the safest thing to do is stay at home. This will prevent spread to others.

A paranoid fear of public spaces and closed rooms is unwarranted.

You may want to wear a mask -- but you need to be sure to dispose of the mask immediately after leaving the proximity of a suspected patient. If you wear the same mask repeatedly or touch it with your hands, you may be more likely to get yourself infected than if you hadn't worn any mask at all.

How Do I know I have it?

There is no way to know for sure without doing the specific blood tests. Anyone having common flu symptoms may be suffering from Swine Flu. The usual symptoms include fever, generalized bodyache, weakness, watering from the eyes, soreness in the throat. However, please be aware that you may not have any severe symptoms at all.

Is it worth skipping school or parties?

No, it’s really not. Unless someone attending is a known case of swine flu, the chances of spread from known people is highly unlikely. At the same time, just make sure you maintain hygiene and use separate napkins / tissues. Closed spaces are only a risk if a known source is there and that too if they are actively coughing or sneezing.

People can still shake hands with each other as long as they are not symptomatic. Again, the swine flu takes a respiratory root of transmission through coughing and sneezing and landing on a susceptible host.

Doctors recommend that after shaking hands, people should wash them or use hand sanitizer before they touch their mouths, noses or eyes.

Hand sanitizers have been shown to be very effective in killing the swine flu virus and should be used not only by people trying to prevent catching the virus, but also by people who have the virus to keep from spreading it to others

What are the treatment options?

There are two drugs available to treat swine flu but these will be effective only within 48 hours of contracting the infection. Antibiotics have no role in swine flu treatment.

Vaccination?

There is a vaccine for swine flu available but the protection it offers is only 65-70%. The older vaccine was available for adults only but the latest vaccine is available for both adults and children. Contact your doctor for more details.

Who should get vaccinated?

All children 6 months to 4 years (59 months) of age

All people 50 years of age and older

Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma) or cardiovascular (except isolated hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurological, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)

People who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV)

Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season

Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years of age) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye's syndrome after influenza virus infection

Residents of nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities

Health-care professionals (doctors, nurses, health-care personnel treating patients)

Bottom Line:

The CDC says that a good way to prevent any flu disease is to avoid exposure to the virus; this is done by frequent hand washing, not touching your hands to your face (especially the nose and mouth), and avoiding any close proximity to or touching any person who may have flu symptoms. Since the virus can remain viable and infectious for about 48 hours on many surfaces, good hygiene and cleaning with soap and water or alcohol-based hand disinfectants are also recommended. Some physicians say face masks may help prevent getting airborne flu viruses (for example, from a cough or sneeze), but others think the better use for masks would be on those people who have symptoms and sneeze or cough.

The 6 feet rule works wonders. If you are six feet away from anyone who is sneezing or coughing, you would probably never contract the flu.