COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Taiwan, which has recently seen some serious cases among young children for the first time. Now, authorities are proposing to extend vaccination to children as young as six years old, raising parental concerns.
Health officials are making plans to vaccinate children ages six to eleven with two 25 microgram doses of the Moderna vaccine. In many other countries, medical workers are only vaccinating young children with the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine. Now, many parents worry whether using Moderna will be safe and effective for their children.
Academia Sinica researcher Ho Mei-hsiang says that the BNT-Pfizer vaccine for young children is only 10 micrograms and that its infection prevention effectiveness drops quickly. Ho says this is because the BNT-Pfizer vaccine's original strain is not well-equipped to fight off the Omicron variant.
Ho says that an American study shows that the BNT-Pfizer vaccine is only effective for half of children ages five to twelve. Three weeks after getting the vaccine, that number dropped to 12%. Ho says the results for Moderna vaccines in children are much better.
However, netizens say that these are only the results of one new study that hasn't been peer reviewed yet. Since other reputable sources haven't proven the study, some people say its results are still questionable.
Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen says that many other countries are using Moderna to vaccinate children, and Taiwan's CDC is taking the proper precautions.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Vice Director Chiu Cheng-hsun says that Taiwan has already run tests on the Moderna vaccine with children ages six to eleven. He said the tests show that children in this age group have a strong immune response and few side effects from this vaccine.
Within the past few months, the US, Europe, South Korea, Japan, and others have started vaccinating children ages five to eleven with the BNT-Pfizer vaccine. However, it looks like Taiwan's health ministry is pursuing other options.