Cayman needs UK nod for kids COVID shots
(CNS): As the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreads rapidly through the community, including children, the government here must wait for the green light from the UK to begin administering paediatric formulations to children under 12 years old. The US Food and Drug Administration authorised the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for this age group at the end of last month and the CDC recommended its use just last week.
But the Medicines Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency (MRHA) of the UK has not yet cleared the shots for kids. The UK has also been slow off the mark to administer the shots to over 12s, which means approval for for children even younger is unlikely to happen quickly.
A statement from the governor’s office at the weekend said that the chief medical officer has reconfirmed the the commitment of the Cayman Islands Government to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations for children between the ages of five and 12.
“However, the vaccination programme is overseen by the UK Government, which has donated and transported both the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines for use in the Cayman Islands,” Governor Martyn Roper noted, explaining that administering the Pfizer vaccine for this age group must first be approved by the MRHA.
“Following this, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office would need to send the special paediatric formulations to our Islands. Government is working closely with the Governor’s Office towards this end.”
The vaccine continues to be available to all children 12 and over.
In the statement the governor’s office also said that it is now working with Cayman Islands Ministry of Health, the UK Health Security Agency, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the UK’s Department for Health and Social Care to confirm when molnupiravir might be made available to the British Overseas Territories.
This recently approved anti-viral pill can be used to reduce serious illness in COVID-19 patients if deployed early in the course of the infection.
Pfizer has also developed a COVID pill that in clinical trials have shown cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89% in vulnerable adults. Paxlovid is also intended for use soon after symptoms develop in people at high risk of severe disease. This pill has not yet been approved by any agency for use but the UK has said it has already ordered 250,000 courses and the regulator is assessing the trial results.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
When I see the Cabinet members vaccinate their kids then I will follow their example but not before – sorry but the PACT Govt waited until they got elected to take the jab, shows me that they only did it because its now politically expedient. Lead from the front PACT!!!
What is the obsession with vaccinating children, who aren’t even at risk of Covid?
Even if and when the UK authorities approve the pediatric vaccine, does that mean that the UK authorities will actually have the vaccine to send to Cayman? Or will we have to wait until it (a) approves AND (b) orders it? Will the UK order it before making a decision to roll the vaccine out?
Cayman was able to use the existing Pfizer stock to vaccinate the 12-18 year olds once the vaccine had been approved for that age group, several months ahead of the UK authorities doing the same. In the case of the vaccine for the 5-11 year old age group, it’s a different dose and has other differences in terms of how it is stored and mixed.
What do I know, but this suggests to me we could be some way from seeing it here. I accept all the arguments about whether it is actually necessary to protect the wellbeing of that age group, but for those families with kids in that age group the vaccine is hugely important for travel, as long as unvaccinated kids and their households are subject to the full 14+ day quarantine on return.
Thank you mother in London.
There IS NO keeping Covid out. This is a fool’s errand. The world has learned this, the time has come for us to learn it as well.
It’s not like they’d be given Agent Orange, drinkable bleach, or a can of 345. Many, many vaccinations are given to young children.
Pearl clutchers, whatever. You don’t want your kid vaccinated, that’s cool.
Those that do, make it available.
This is the world’s first mRNA “vaccine”, so you probably need to qualify that statement.
It is a totally different technology to traditional vaccines.
Apples to apples and all that.
12 – 17s can’t even have a 2nd jab yet in the UK, it will be a long time before we get to under 12s!
Currently we are doing booster jabs for the over 50s, then after that it’ll probably be time for more boosters …
Wrong on 12 to 17 year olds in UK.
“The NHS is offering COVID-19 vaccine to children and young people. All young people aged 12 to 17 years will be offered a first dose of vaccine”
Exactly. First jab. If you (can) read the original poster said no second jab…
Not my children – sorry
Hope you plan on home-schooling them
Then keep them home. Your loss.
And the kids, but some parents don’t see that…
You scared? You stay home and hide. I will live free and so will my kids. May God put the chains you have for me on you.
Enjoy two weeks of quarantine on every trip – sorry.
We should allow the private sector to import it from the US and administer it to those who want it for their children under the FDA approval. It is an important element to curtail the transmission.
Pfizer wouldnt ship this to private enterprises in Cayman. They have only, and will only, ship COVID vaccines to official foreign government agencies, and only when the respective foreign government has approved. So we will have to wait until the UK MRHA approves and UK government purchases.
This isnt Walmart shipping bedsheets to Cayman; things are a bit stricter and more formal with medications, especially vaccines.
For the governments who hand out legal waivers
If it would be important to curtail transmission then we would not have a pandemic anymore. How hard for people to accept reality.
The authorities in the UK says that the vaccination of children is “not a priority” in their context, citing the greater need to get many more people vaccinated that are in demographics that are more at risk of severe illness.
That’s surely sound logic.
But the Cayman Islands is not in the same position as the UK.
Writing a comment here is unlikely to change the minds of regulators in the UK, but this will read by our authorities that we entrust to argue our case. Please fight hard! Thanks.
Always question authority.
shots for kids who a miniscule chance of getting seriously sick?
then what about under 5’s?
then what about boosters for 12-18’s & under 12’s….?
this is a cycle of madness….
Like that pesky annual flu jab I get each year — endless cycle of madness. Every year I have to give up 15 minutes of my precious time for that damn free jab.
You are right, this cycle has to end! Don’t even get me started on that annual dentist visit….
Stupid is as stupid does.
Your body. Your choice.
Says buck tooth billy with no eye tests or annual obgyn exams or medicals…. Darwin is struggling to keep up… you guys really got him running…. Lol…