Planning to get your kid vaccinated? Bengaluru doc shares some dos and don'ts

Preparing to get your child vaccinated at the earliest? Here are some dos and don'ts.

Karnataka is gearing up to vaccinate all of its population, and is now looking at children below the age of 12 amid steadily rising COVID-19 cases. Fears are also imminent that a fourth COVID-19 wave is around the corner and may hit the state in June and extend till October this year. If you are planning to get in line to get your child vaccinated, here are some dos and don'ts to follow.

Kids aged 6 to 12 years will be among those to be vaccinated next in Karnataka. (Stock photo/For Representation)

Dr. Gaurav Sharma, a general physician at the GS Family Clinic on Kanakpura Road, with over 19 years of experience told Hindustan Times that so as long as the child has no heightened sensitivity or allergies, he or she may be given the vaccine. “There should not be any history of major disorders or neurological diseases. The child also should not have any prior history of any hypersensitivity. For example, any drug allergies or other allergic conditions,” Dr Sharma said.

"It might be beneficial if a physician would consider studying a more detailed history of the patient. One thing to avoid would be overcrowding at vaccination centres when administration process opens up. I am guessing that children will be standing in queues when vaccinations are opened, like how we were vaccinated, however to avoid risk of infection, we must plan our vaccination carefully and avoid overcrowding at primary healthcare centers," Dr. Sharma advised.

On any risk factors for younger children, Dr. Sharma said that, typically those kind of cases where severe side effects develop are very, very rare. In this matter, he suggests that the child get vaccinated by his family doctor or paediatrician who has the entire history of the patient. “As far as side effects are concerned, minor complaints like fever, nausea or discomfort and pain at the injection site, and redness are the common side effects, which are usually self resolving,” he said.

Speaking on safety measures that children should follow pre and post vaccination, Dr. Sharma said that masks should be on in public places as cases are rising again. “Whether you are vaccinated or not as a child, one should exercise all precaution in public places, like social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding crowded places. Because vaccination does not mean guarantee that you are a hundred percent safe from infection,” he said.

Dr. Sharma also added that any medication when introduced for human usage is first run on volunteers. Elders participate more in these trials for obvious safety reasons. Therefore, the paediatric data is very limited in all drug and vaccine development. He said, “A vaccine that worked with minimal to no side effects on an adult may not have the same effect on, say a two year old child. So we need to gather more data. I am guessing that the approval process for starting vaccinations for the younger age groups is delayed probably because of the lack of data or inadequate data.”

On the don'ts before and after getting vaccinated, Dr. Sharma advises children to avoid excessive physical activities because during the process of antibody formation, there can be mild tiredness. Children would benefit from staying inside, at home. If there is fever, a mild fever medication can be given to the child, he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Wednesday that a vaccination campaign for six to 12-year-old kids would be launched in schools also. The vaccination campaign would be intensified by increasing the precautionary vaccination for those in the 15 to 18 age group and those who are 60 years and above.

"We are thinking about setting a daily target of 30,000 tests. Random testing would be done on two per cent of the international travellers and tele tracking would be implemented. Passengers from eight countries would be tracked," Bommai said.