Vaccination for COVID-19 for students in grades 7–10.

POLISH / POLSKI

ICELANDIC / ÍSLENSKA

This August, COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to children aged 12 to 15 years. The local healthcare centre organises where and when vaccinations will be given. A guardian who requests vaccination for their child must accompany the child to the vaccination or send a substitute aged 18 or older with a letter of proxy. Children in 7th grade who turn 12 years old after 1 September will be offered vaccination later this autumn.

The vaccine that will be used is from Pfizer/BioNTech and is the vaccine that first received marketing authorisation, both for adults and later for children at this age. There is now considerable experience in its use for this age group abroad, which has been very successful.

As with other vaccines, the most common side effects are discomfort at the injection site and weakness/fatigue, fever and aches (headache or muscle aches and joint pain) for the first 24 hours after vaccination, sometimes for several days. Paracetamol or ibuprofen may be used in doses according to package leaflet for these side effects.

There are also rare side effects with swelling in the pericardium (bag around the heart) or in the heart muscle itself, 2 to 3 weeks after vaccination, usually after the second dose and is more common in boys than girls. Although these side effects can be uncomfortable and even frightening, the condition usually disappears with rest and anti-inflammatory painkillers. If a child develops chest pain, talks about a strange heartbeat or seems short of breath when resting after the vaccination, a doctor should be consulted.

It is being investigated whether changes in the menstrual cycle, both spotting, small and heavy bleeding, are related to vaccination with this vaccine. Some girls between the ages of 12 and 15 have already started menstruation, while others have not. Not all girls at this age may be aware of any changes, as menstruation is usually irregular in the first year after it starts. Many also find it uncomfortable to talk about and won’t necessarily tell if something is different than before. It is therefore important that they receive information that it is appropriate to discuss this and have the opportunity to do so, if not at home than possibly with a school nurse or other healthcare professionals.

More info:

Side-effects after COVID-19 vaccination

Icelandic Medicines Agency

The Chief Epidemiologst