A growing number of parents are against getting their children aged 5-11 to get jabbed with COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Week-End newspaper, many parents have refused to sign the consent form on the first day of the exercise and urged authorities to reconsider their position.
“We are for a democratic debate on inoculating our children with experimental vaccines. Many vaccinated parents have had serious side effects.
The group of parents said they have also noted incoherences in prevailing regulations, particularly regarding tourists.
“They are allowed to move freely after doing a rapid test while Mauritians are being forced to do PCR tests to get access to public areas. We have become second class citizens,” spokesperson Sonia Leung was cited as saying.
Defi Media reported that some 716 children were jabbed on Monday, Day 1. The total number of children in the 5-11 age bracket is around 95,000.
Linda Lam, spokesperson for the No Covidvax for kids’ told Defi Media the movement comprises over 200 members and growing.
“We met through word of mouth, WhatsApp, Facebook. More parents are joining us. We are against imposing vaccination on our kids. Adults, including myself, have had serious side -effects, including hair loss and joint pain.”
Dr Lormus Bundhun, a popular gynaecologist, has also joined the platform. “It’s a business,” he told Defi Media.
Authorities said unvaccinated children will not be refused access to their schools.
Which side-effects on children?
According to the American Mayo Clinic, children given the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (as in the case of Mauritius) had side effects similar to those experienced by people age 16 and older. The most commonly reported side effects include:
- Pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Feeling unwell
The globally-renown clinic added that, in the U.S., there has been an increase in reported cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination among all age groups. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the lining outside the heart.
Of the cases reported, the problem happened more often after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and typically within one week of COVID-19 vaccination. Most of the people who got care quickly felt better after receiving medicine and resting. Symptoms to watch for include:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart
If your child has any of these symptoms within a week of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, seek immediate medical care.
