The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approves this November 25, 2021 the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years. A “crazy decision” for many scientists. Who will be legally responsible ?
In his opening remarks at the press conference on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, mentioned the possibility of vaccinating children from 5 to 11 years of age, just as those over 12 years of age can be vaccinated, provided that the European health authorities and the Haute Autorité de Santé agree. This is well underway, since in the afternoon the European Health Agency (EHA) recommended the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years with the Pfizer/BoiNTech vaccine.
Of course, the dose will have to be diluted (10 µg versus 30 µg). A study was conducted on 2,000 children. Of 1,350 children who received the vaccine, three developed Covid compared to 16 for the 663 who received a placebo. “This means that the vaccine was 90.7% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 (although the actual rate may be between 67.7% and 98.3%),” the AEM explains.
As for side effects, they are similar to those of adults (minor pain in the arm, fatigue, headaches, etc.).
Legal and health risks
Even for the uninitiated, this study seems a little light. It is also for many scientists (see below the numerous articles devoted to this issue). Because children are less sensitive than adults to SARS-CoV-2 infections and the lethality is almost zero.
Let’s remember that the WHO (World Health Organization) advised last May “not to vaccinate children” to give doses to countries lacking vaccines. And that the European Commission was already questioning the legal risks of a third dose administered to adults.
Indeed, it now seems that vaccines do not protect against a new infection (see Jean Castex) nor do they prevent the transmission of the virus. And we don’t know their medium and long term consequences.
Hence the questions that this raises, especially for children.
Who will assume legal responsibility in the event of a health catastrophe (like that of contaminated blood) occurring ten, fifteen or twenty years after the inoculation of the vaccine?
For the moment, no one can answer this question. But the question must be asked.