As a public university hospital in Indonesia, Universitas Indonesia Hospital has the best facilities and services for satisfying patient and visitor. Universitas Indonesia Hospital is appointed as a referral center for Covid-19 patients and is part of the national vaccination center. The emergence of new Covid-19 variants, such as Delta and Omicron, made Universitas Indonesia Hospital feel the need to provide education that vaccination is not only important for adults, but also for children.
Through a live broadcast on the @RS.UI Instagram account, Universitas Indonesia Hospital held a seminar with the theme “Omicron Alert: The Importance of Covid-19 Vaccination in Children”. One of the pediatricians at RSUI, dr. Nina Dwi Putri, Sp.A.(K.), said that based on the reference from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), children aged 6-11 years can be vaccinated. This is done to prevent inflammation after recovering from Covid-19.
“Pity our children, they have been having an online school for a long time. If they are not vaccinated, it will be difficult for them to travel because their immune system is not as good as those who have been vaccinated,” she said. Furthermore, Dr. Nina said children can also transmit Covid-19.
According to Dr. Nina, parents do not need to worry if their children get routine immunization and Covid-19 immunization. Both can be done in the span of two weeks. Regarding which one is prioritized, parents have the right to choose. “The most important thing is that the distance is more than two weeks, ladies and gentlemen,” he explained.
In Indonesia, the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 6-11 years is Sinovac or Coronavac. In administering the vaccine, the health condition of the individual must be considered. If the child has a specific disease and is not recommended by a doctor, the child may not be vaccinated. Children who have symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose, respiratory infection, or are currently infected with Covid-19 may delay vaccination. If the illness is mild, it can be postponed for one month. In case of severe illness, such as cancer, it can be postponed for three months. However, if a child has a chronic but controllable illness, vaccination is allowed.
Before vaccination, parents need to inform the child about the health benefits of vaccines. In addition, the child’s nutritional intake before vaccination also needs to be considered. During vaccination, parents are also expected to accompany their children to avoid panic. After giving the vaccine, if the child experiences post-immunization adverse events (AEFIs), such as pain in the area of the injected arm, aches, drowsiness, cough, runny nose, and fever, parents do not need to panic. However, if the post-immunization adverse events (AEFIs) does not disappear after more than seven days, you should check with the facility for further treatment.
In the final session of the talk show, Dr. Nina invited parents to participate in breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmission through vaccination for children. It is hoped that vaccination can be carried out evenly, both in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. “May we all stay healthy and avoid exposure to any type of Covid-19 virus, including Omicron,” he concluded.
