Kosovo still without decision to vaccinate children

The Ministry of Health of the Government of Kosovo has not yet given the green light for vaccinating people aged 12 to 15. As they say, this possibility is under consideration, but such a decision will be made in the appropriate “moment”.

By August, the Government of Kosovo has allowed immunization against corruption even for persons over 16 years of age, while for the 12-15-year-old group, the vaccine is done priorly and according to health indicators.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May this year has authorised the use of a Pfizer-made anti-commercial vaccine. B NTech for children aged 12-15.

The US is already vaccinating children aged 12 and older.

On October 27, however, an American government panel has voted to recommend the vaccine for children between five and 11 years of age.

Kemal Ratkozer, an economist with a profession from Lipjan municipality, is the father of three children. His younger daughter is now 14 years old, and he expresses himself willing to admit that she will be vaccinated if this is required by health authorities.

If the World Health Organization has studies, facts and recommends that the vaccine has no other side effects, then we have to vaccinate children. We as children have had different vaccines in the past. I'm going to accept the vaccine of my daughter, we have to be based on something, I'm not a field expert and I'm based on health experts, because if everyone acts with speculation, then I don't know where we're going to go”, says Ratkozer.

Doctors: To vaccinate, there must be no hesitation
Microbiology Professor Gjole Mulliqi-Osmani, director of private laboratory “Microbiology” in Pristina, says that vaccination of children in Kosovo should be done for those under the age of 12. Ups and downs, she says, show that there is no particular danger of being vaccinated by new age.

“Also, Kosovo specifications, large numbers of students in one class, in gardens, with a greater number of members in a house add even more to the need for vaccination of children over 12 years of age”, it is said of Radio Free Europe.

Another argument for vaccinating children, says Mulliqi-Osman, is that children are carriers of infection, but in most cases their disease can be passed with milder symptoms.

Even pediatrician Ramush Beyi, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe, stresses that Kosovo must implement the recommendations of international health organisations. So Kosovo citizens, according to him, should not hesitate to immunize their children.

Do we have a solution to this situation? I think we don't. We are part of the global war against COVID-19 and the problems it causes. Based on scientific recommendations and experience around the world, I say that if children don't have any other diseases that endanger their immune system and have no other problems, I don't think they're a more endangered group than other groups”, he says.

Child Vaccination in Region and World Countries
Some of the countries in the region and the world have already begun vaccinating teenagers. Northern Macedonia and Serbia have started vaccinating children from the age of 12 onward.

Many countries in the world and Europe have also begun using vaccines in 12 - year - olds. The United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Poland, France, Switzerland, and North Sweden are some of the countries where vaccination takes place in children.

In Kosovo from March 2021, when the immunization process has begun so far, over 1.5 million doses of the vaccine have been given. Of them, more than 720 thousand citizens have been vaccinated with both doses of anti - coronary. Immunity is done for all persons over the age of 16.

But, recent weeks in Kosovo, the number of people infected with coronarys has decreased, and in the same period, citizens' interest in vaccines has dropped. COVID-19. Out of the 20,000 vaccines that were given in one day last month, in recent days this number has dropped to about 7,000.

The Health Ministry, on Friday, 29 October, has called on citizens to be vaccinated without hesitation. In a post on the social network Facebook, it says that the epidemiological situation, relatively calm, is no reason for citizens who have received the first dose of the vaccine to delay taking second doses, because it cannot afford effective protection and complete immunity. Furthermore, the vaccine continues to be the easiest, safer, and most efficient way to protect itself from COVID-19.