Parent group protests mandatory vaccination for under-12s

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While Government has not approved COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 12 years old, a group of people calling themselves the Responsible Parents Group is protesting against mandatory vaccination for this age group.

The current State of Emergency and COVID-19 regulations prohibit protests and large gatherings in public spaces.

However, more than 40 adults and children held a demonstration at Palmiste Park, San Fernando, under police watch.

Dr Rajiv Seereeram, a physician and parent, said the protest was in silent solidarity against mandatory vaccination in children. He said parents were disturbed at the news this week that the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use in children ages five-11.

Seereeram said the vaccines remain investigational as a proper clinical trial for a vaccine for children requires three to five years of test conduct in humans. He said the latest information published in the British Medical Journal revealed the Pfizer trial in adults showed the researchers compromised the study.

Seereeram said authorities should not administer any COVID-19 vaccination or agent to children at this time as data does not show a COVID-19 emergency in children.

He said according to the American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 600,000 COVID-19 deaths in adults and 500 accounts for children. The AAP website states that since the pandemic began, children represented 16.6 per cent of total cumulated cases.

For the week ending October 28, children were 24.2 per cent of reported weekly COVID-19 cases. Up to yesterday, the US had 774,956 COVID-19 related deaths.

“Unless you have a very compelling reason, clinical, a rationale for use of a particular pharmaceutical agent in a human being, you do not expose that person. The risks are indeterminate. Unless you have a pediatric COVID-19 emergency, you do not expose your children to a novel biological, pharmacological agent. It is absolutely bad medicine. It is unconscionable, and it is unjustifiable, clinically and unscientific,” Seereeram said.

He believes the US Food and Drug Administration lost its credibility. He said the group supports making COVID-19 vaccines available to all but under voluntary and informed consent.

It includes a breakdown of the vaccine’s risk and benefits to the potential recipients and a statement of liability or indemnity on the part of the administering body. Thereby, if someone suffers an adverse event, there must be protocols for monitoring. However, he said T&T does not have facilities to monitor adverse events and does not have a proper Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

Secondary school student Cassarina Moodie, 16, believes her peers should not take the vaccine because of limited testing. Moodie is the daughter of highway activist Edward Moodie.

She said when students go for the vaccine, parents have to sign a waiver against claims for adverse events.

“I know children personally who experienced side effects such as blood clots and paralysis,” Moodie said.

She said some of the children in her class only took the vaccine to attend school. She said her class has both vaccinated and unvaccinated students.