Sinopharm vaccine is one of the candidates to inoculate children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 in Argentina

The vaccination plan at the national level is progressing in the realization of vaccinations in the lowest age groups. However, Most COVID-19 vaccine producers did not initially include girls, boys and adolescents as priority groups – between the ages of 17 and 3, since until current evidence they develop COVID-19 with mild symptoms; and above all because specific clinical trials are necessary for these age groups.

However, there is a growing consensus among specialists to move towards fully vaccinated societies, and that the under-18s represent a fundamental age segment for collaborating on the much-talked-about herd immunity. It is clear then that immunized children and youth will work together to “break through” infections and the emergence of new variants. It is also true that adolescents and children today represent the age group with the lowest incidence of COVID-19 disease, but the same specialists warned against the need to include children, despite the fact that their chances of becoming seriously ill and dying were estimated at 1 in 500,000.

So far, the Pfizer lab is leading the race for the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, closely followed by Moderna and sharing the same genetic platform. Pfizer’s vaccine has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 in adolescents. It is the only one – to date in the world – to have received an emergency authorization from the two most important regulators, – the North American, FDA and the European, EMA – to be applied to minors from 17 to 12 years old. because your clinical trials have ended. And now he is betting on “lowering” the age with new clinical trials, looking for evidence and safety in adolescents, children and babies.

The Argentina approved vaccination of adolescents aged 12 to 17 with pre-existing conditions – called priority groups– with Moderna’s vaccine, but so far, with the exception of Pfizer vaccines, also on the messenger RNA platform, there is no other available, approved or with the corresponding scientific approvals for children under 12 years old.

Today, the Nation’s Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, in collaboration with Presidential Advisor Cecilia Nicolini, held a virtual meeting with researchers and referents from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Medical Regulatory Zone, country that has authorized the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19 in people aged 3 to 17 years.

The United Arab Emirates have conducted clinical trials with the above vaccine in this population with the application of two doses at an interval of at least 21 days. and the results were positive and similar to adults, both in terms of safety and immunogenicity.

During the first half of last June, the clinical trial began in the United Arab Emirates with Sinopharm vaccine in children from 3 to 17 years old. The study evaluated the immune response of 900 children “In preparation for the vaccination of children in the near future,” they said from the Abu Dhabi media office. Regarding vaccines for minors, in this country, They had already approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children 12 to 15 years old in May. The country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Considering “the importance of these studies for our country and the world”, as expressed by Vizzotti in videoconference, the minister invited the researchers to present the study and the results, which led to its approval, before representatives from the National Drug Administration, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) and the National Immunization Commission (CoNaIn). Thus, these studies carried out by the United Arab Emirates among the pediatric and adolescent population for the application of this vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus they will be shared at a future meeting with representatives of ANMAT and CONAIN.

“Although children and adolescents generally suffer from COVID-19 disease in a mild form, it is essential to advance their individual protection which will result in indirect benefit. in older populations with a higher risk of complications and death ”, explained the Minister and underlined the importance of continuing to evaluate the strategies which have a positive impact on the schooling, as well as the possibilities of collaboration with the United Arab Emirates to generate evidence.

From the Argentinian Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), there are experts who agree that the Sinopharm vaccine could be a good option to give to this sector of the population.

“The Sinopharm vaccine was developed with an inactivated viral platform. This vaccine design platform was already in use for other diseases in children and adolescents. These are safe vaccines“, he commented Infobae Dr Liliana Vázquez, member of SADI and specialist in infectious diseases at Clínica Maternidad Suizo Argentina and Sanatorio Finochietto. “Because of his background and his evidence, Sinopharm vaccine may be beneficial in children and adolescents and is safe, although less effective than others already applied in Argentina. We are awaiting the publication of results which demonstrate safety in the pediatric population, ”he added.

Sinopharm vaccine is 78% effective after two doses. Last June, The Chinese regulatory agency has authorized the use of Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for children aged 3 to 17 years old. This country has a population of 1.4 billion people. 1.12 billion people need to be vaccinated to reach the 80% target this year. It will be difficult to do so without immunizing many of its 254 million children under the age of 14.

Those who attended today’s virtual meeting with Carla Vizzotti and Presidential Advisor Cecilia Nicolini were: Research Director and Head of the G42 Healthcare Vaccine Project, Walid Zaher; the head of international strategic partnerships of G42 Healthcare, Obaid Al Zaabi; and the head of regulatory affairs of the G42 Life Science Cluster, Maimoona Firdous. The Under-Secretary for Health Strategies, Juan Manuel Castelli, and Argentina’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Jorge Agustín Molina Arambarri, were also present at the meeting.

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