Ua small room bathed in multicolored lights, a coffee table with coloring pages and in the corner, a small Christmas tree. “As soon as a child is vaccinated, he can hang a ball on it”, explains Lisa, a nurse wearing a fancy headband. At the end of the day, the shrub thus has seventeen decorations, including that of Katell, 7 years old. Why did she come? “So as not to be sick or give it to others as a grandmother,” says the little girl. “She has asthma and I was afraid that she would develop a more serious form, so I didn’t ask myself any questions, adds her mother, Mélanie. Mainly, I haven’t done it now, because it’s the approach of the holidays, but it’s mostly to be quiet all the rest of the time. “
A peace that Lena, 11, who also suffers from asthma, also wanted. “Do you agree to do this vaccine?” Asks the nurse in a soft voice. “Yes”, the teenager articulates timidly. “It’s her body,” explains the professional, while the mother fills out and signs the parental authorization. If it’s a firm no, we don’t, but most of the time it’s apprehension about the sting, and the parents have already prepared the child. “
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Beside, Jean-Jacques, retired general practitioner, is pleased to see that in Le Mans, vaccination is open to the youngest. “It is essential, because it is mainly children who spread the virus, so they must also be vaccinated, there is no other solution! When we look at the risk-benefit ratio, there is no possible discussion here. In some cases, we did not vaccinate because it had no beneficial effect as with chickenpox. It vit’s better for children to catch it, because it’s much more dangerous in adults. “
Comorbidities
For the moment, the injection (of Pfizer, the dose of which is three times less important than for an adult) is reserved for 5-11 years old suffering from comorbidities, or whose close entourage presents a ground at risk. But, from Wednesday, the serum will be available to everyone. In Le Mans, in this vast center where a thousand arms can receive the serum per day from 12 years old, “we will then go from one to five pediatric vaccination lines”, specifies Françoise Laudière, the coordinator. “This virus mutates, and the more precaution we take, the better,” said Jean Castex on the sidelines of his visit to Le Mans this Saturday. That does not prevent everything, but it is still the best means at our disposal, the most effective to avoid the explosion of contamination, you have to see it that way. “
And many of them “see it like that”. This weekend, all the slots open for children were full. To new young people vaccinated, see you on January 8 for the reminder.