HAS opinions are theoretically advisory, but the Ministry of Health follows them almost systematically.
Mo12345lemonde with AFP
This is the first time that a vaccine against the COVVI-19 has been approved in France for babies. The French health authorities recommended, Monday, December 19, a vaccine against the COVVI-19, that of Pfizer-BionTech, “to children aged 6 months to 4 years at risk of serious form of the disease and death”, but Without doing it for all this age group, as in the United States.
The opinions of the High Authority for Health (HAS) are theoretically advisory, but the Ministry of Health follows them almost systematically. The recommendation of the French health authorities is however much tightened than the opinion given by their European counterparts a few weeks ago.
These had recommended the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine for all babies from 6 months to 4 years old, judging that the profits won over the risks. They had also recommended another vaccine, that of Moderna, for all children aged 6 months to 5 years.
These opinions were going in the direction of decisions taken in the United States, where, for several months, all babies of more than 6 months can be vaccinated against the COVVI-19. The French authorities, for the time being, have not authorized that the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine, and above all, have limited it to very specific categories of babies. These are, essentially, those who run the risks of serious complications.
This includes “children who have one of these comorbidities: congenital heart disease, chronic liver disease, chronic heart and respiratory diseases – including severe asthma requiring continuous treatment, neurological diseases, primitive immunodeficiency Or induced by drugs, obesity, diabetes, malignant hemopathies, sickle cell anemia and trisomy 21 “, lists the has. To this are added the cases of “recent cancer, chronic kidney disease or neurological handicap”.
Finally, vaccination is also recommended for children whose entourage is at risk of serious form of the COVID-19. This opinion is part of a context where very few French children are vaccinated against COVVID, while vaccination has been open at least 12 years since the end of 2021.