A paediatric senior charge nurse at University Hospital Wishaw (UHW) is urging parents and guardians of children between the ages of 5 to 11 to consider booking an appointment for their child to receive the Covid vaccine, particularly those children classed as vulnerable or living with a vulnerable person.
Jane Thomson cares for some of the most vulnerable children in Lanarkshire in the paediatric ward at UHW and in her professional and personal experience the vaccine is safe and offers a level of protection to children who may be more vulnerable if they catch Covid-19.
She said: “We realise that some parents or guardians may be hesitant or have concerns about bringing their children for the Covid-19 vaccination.
“However, like all the other vaccines over the years these vaccines have been tried and tested and are important to reduce the severity of illness in children.
“I would like to encourage parents and guardians to make that informed decision to have their child vaccinated, especially those kids that are at higher risk.”
The Pfizer vaccine was approved for children aged 5-11 in December 2021 and they will be offered two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine eight weeks apart.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said it was estimated that more than 85% of children aged 5-11 had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection by January 2022 with over half due to the Omicron variety
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Paediatric Nurse Jane Thomson offers her advice to parents and guardians on getting their child vaccinated:
