Filenews 5 October 2021
The Cyprus Paediatric Society (PEK), in a press conference organized on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, announced the launch of its information campaign on vaccinations of children against the Covid-19 disease.
The campaign is organized by PEK with the primary aim of informing the public about the necessity of immediate vaccination of children over 12 years of age against the Covid-19 disease. The main concern of PEK is the protection of the children themselves and the widest possible vaccination coverage of our population, with the sole vision of gradually exiting the uncertainty, the danger and the restrictions brought about by the pandemic.
The President of PEK, Dr. Michalis Anastasiades, presented to the attendees the informative material that has been prepared in the framework of the campaign, stating that this is posted in a separate section on the website of PEK www.child.org.cy on PEK's Facebook page and on the Youtube channel he maintains. He invited the public to visit and study the material.
He also recalled that the Cyprus Paediatric Society is at the disposal of the public, having opened its channels in recent years, in an effort to initiate communication and interaction with the public.
In the context of the presentation, Dr. Anastasiades recalled the reasons why PEK, based on an extensive study of all available scientific data, unreservedly supports the vaccination of children over 12 years of age against the Covid-19 disease, which were announced by PEK on 30/07/21. These include, among others, the increased transmissibility of the virus in unvaccinated people at all ages, the risk of complications posed by the possibility of children with Covid-19 being ill, the necessity to ensure the smooth functioning of all levels of education and the preservation of the psycho-emotional health of children that has been so affected by the pandemic and the prolonged periods of confinement and abstinence from social activities.
In addition, he pointed out that the vaccination coverage of children has inevitably been affected by the pandemic and the delays that have already occurred in the administration of vaccines of the basic vaccination program and this raises further concerns in the event of a possible prolongation of the current situation, and should be preserved in every possible way.
Regarding the safety of vaccines, the President of the PEK stressed that there is accumulated experience of the use of approved mRNA vaccines in children > 12 years of age for many weeks, in a sufficient number of countries (in the US alone, 10,000,000 doses were administered), with strong evidence of their effectiveness. The vaccines have been approved by the official drug licensing bodies (EMA, FDA) while the recommendation to use the vaccine in children over 12 years of age that has already been given by the most responsible scientific organizations such as the CDC, ecdc, AAP, EAP and a significant number of European and other countries, gives even more confidence in the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines.
He further pointed out the dangers that arise for Public Health from the widespread misinformation and inaccuracies spread on the internet or in other places, by people who mostly do not possess scientific knowledge on the subject. In the context of our social and parental responsibility, we must be informed and trust authoritative and scientific information, rejecting myths.
Concluding, Dr. Anastasiades mentioned that the members of the Cyprus Paediatric Society are at the disposal of the State and society to assist both in the effort to provide valid information and to carry out the work of vaccinations to children. The containment of the pandemic was and is a supreme duty and priority of PEK, in the context of the performance of the paediatricians' debt to safeguard and protect the health of children.
