Warning from pharmacist association Covid vaccines for children: demand may be greater than supply

Düsseldorf · Beginning on December 17, five to eleven-year-olds will be able to receive Covid vaccines in NRW. But medical practices have probably ordered more doses than can be delivered. The Pharmacists' Association appeals to doctors to give Moderna to those over 30.

 A band-aid on the arm of a 7-year-old girl after she was vaccinated against Covid-19.

A band-aid on the arm of a 7-year-old girl after she was vaccinated against Covid-19.

Foto: dpa/Jan Woitas

Many families are waiting for this day: On December 17, children between the ages of five and eleven can finally be vaccinated against the coronavirus. In North Rhine-Westphalia, 1.2 million children are eligible. But some of them may not be able to get a vaccine right away. "For next week, the vast majority of pediatric practices have ordered a large quantity of the first-available pediatric vaccine for five- to eleven-year-olds. Some primary care practices have also ordered small amounts of the pediatric vaccine. We fear that not all of the pediatricians' orders can be filled," Thomas Preis, head of the North Rhine Pharmacists Association, told our editorial team.

The Federal Ministry of Health expects to deliver 2.4 million doses throughout Germany before Christmas. In view of the 4.5 million children in this age group, it will probably be possible to meet a large part of the initial demand, former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had said. But the demand may now be greater than initially assumed. Doctors had to place their orders by December 7.

And those who don’t receive a vaccine from this initial round will have to be patient: The German Health Ministry (BMG) has announced that the next delivery will not take place until the second week of January. By then, the whole process should be simplified: "It is expected that the children's vaccine will then be ready for use and no longer need to be diluted before vaccination," says the head of the BMG.

Patients over 30 should get Moderna

Price appealed to physicians with patients over 30 to use Moderna for boosters. This vaccine is plentiful, but it should not be given to people under 30 or to pregnant women. "It can't be that pediatricians are left without Biontech/Pfizer because this vaccine is too often given to those over thirty," the head of the association said. In terms of efficacy, the two mRNA vaccines, Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna, are equivalent. With Moderna, heart muscle inflammation was a rare side effect in under-30s, but slightly more common than with Biontech/Pfizer. Children receive two doses of Biontech/Pfizer three weeks apart.

Meanwhile, families with older children are wondering if their children can already get a booster shot, too. Answer: not yet. Booster vaccinations are currently only available for ages 18 and older, because neither Biontech/Pfizer nor Moderna is licensed to give boosters to adolescents. "I imagine we'll see booster vaccinations for adolescents over the next year," Preis says. The North Rhine Association of Family Physicians expressed a similar view.

(Orig. text: Antje Hönig / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)

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