Malaga has the lowest percentage of vaccinated in the five to 11 age group in Andalucia

Of the eight provinces in Andalucia, Malaga has the lowest percentage of vaccinated children in the five to 11 age group.

As reported this Sunday, June 19, less than 40 per cent of children between the ages of five and 11 in Malaga province have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The campaign to innoculate the young ones was launched last December, but for whatever reasons, has not really reached the expected level in the community.

The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), the Ministry of Health, and the direction of the Andalucian Strategic Vaccination Plan (Andavac) recommend this action, but the percentage is still the lowest of all age groups. In addition, the province registers the lowest number of inoculations of this vaccine in the entire autonomous community.

In general, coverage between 5 and 11 years is low throughout Spain. In Andalucia, the average is 49.5 per cent. In Almeria, it stands at 48.6 per cent, in Cadiz 52.2 per cent, in Cordoba 56.4 per cent, in Granada 46.7 per cent, in Huelva at 53.7%, in Jaen it is 57.5 per cent, in Malaga 39.9 per cent, and in Sevilla 51.8 it is per cent.

Many children contracted Covid around the Christmas holidays, although most were asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Among those who have already recovered from the virus, in general, in childhood ages, the pathology does not appear to progress in a serious way.

Almost half of the parents (49.5 per cent) in Andalucia have decided not to vaccinate their children. In Malaga, this figure is even lower, with 60 per cent not immunised.

David Moreno, the director of the Andalucian Strategic Vaccination Plan (Andavac), insists that “the recommendation is that they get vaccinated, even if they have recovered from Covid”.

Despite the fact that he admits “it will be difficult” to raise the level of childhood anti-Covid vaccination, he pointed out that health centres are ‘actively recruiting’ through messages and the recommendation of paediatricians for inoculation.

By age groups, the greatest coverage is among the elderly. On average in the province, Covid immunisation is at 83.2 per cent. Among those over 80 years old, it is 112.6 per cent, between 70 and 79 103.8 per cent, from 60 to 69it stands at 97.7 per cent, from 50 to 59 at 94.3 per cent, from 40 to 49 it is 87.2per cent, from 30 to 39 at 79.7 per cent, from 20 to 29 at 82.8 per cent, and from 12 to 19, it stands at 85 per cent.

That is when the sharp decline in vaccination occurs. From 5 to 11 years it barely reaches 39.9 per cent. Below that age, no vaccine is yet authorized in Spain.

Manuel Baca, the head of Pediatrics at the Hospital Quironsalud Malaga, insists that even if the children have recovered from Covid, they must be vaccinated. “Not only to protect the grandfather by not transmitting it to him, but to all his relatives and the child himself”, he emphasized.

He added: “The Spanish Association of Pediatrics, and the Ministry of Health, have clearly stated that it is important that children from 5 to 11 years old are vaccinated”.

Baca also stresses that although most cases in children are mild or even asymptomatic, “there are also severe cases. The population has been left with the idea that it is always mild and many parents do not even bother to test when the child has some symptoms”, he concluded, as reported by malagahoy.es.

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