How do vaccines work?
Vaccines contain a less harmful kind of virus or bacteria that cause dangerous diseases. When you’re injected with a vaccine, this non-dangerous virus/ bacteria is introduced into your body so that your immune system learns to recognise and fight it.
This way, if you ever get infected with the harmful version of the same virus or bacteria, your immune system will already be familiar with it and will be able to destroy it.
Vaccinating the population of a country is the best way to keep its people safe from a ton of diseases.
Why are children the last to receive COVID-19 vaccines?
The vaccines given to babies and small children are thoroughly tested and studied for many years before being considered safe for them. COVID-19 is a brand new disease and its vaccine is even newer.
Before children could be given the vaccine, it had to be properly tested on adults. Their reaction to the vaccine had to be analysed. Once it was clear that the vaccine was not harming adults in any way, children could get their doses of the vaccine.
Now that all this is done, countries are getting ready to vaccinate small kids against COVID-19.
What vaccine is the USA going to give to small children?
The two main vaccines being given to adults and older children in the USA are called Moderna and Pfizer. Now the Government has allowed babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to be eligible to receive them as well.
It’s important to remember that neither of these vaccines guarantees a hundred percent protection against catching COVID-19. It does ensure that even if you get the disease, you don’t get too sick or need to go to the hospital.
What vaccine is India going to give to small children?
The two main vaccines being given to adults and older children in India are Covishield and Covaxin.
Bharat Biotech, the company that makes Covaxin, recently discovered that Covaxin is safe for children as young as two years old. Bharat Biotech has readied fifty million doses of Covaxin for small children.
Let’s all get vaccinated!
