Kathleen Logan
From:
Peter McIntyre <[email address]>
Sent:
Tuesday, 6 July 2021 11:58 AM
To:
Kathleen Logan; Emma Best
Subject:
Re: spike protein effects less risky than Covid infection in children
Thanks Emma and apologies that I missed your e mail Kathleen
the only addition I would make to Emma's excel ent summary is to recommend
communicating directly with Dr Ian Town regarding the CVTAG considerations - a subgroup
is currently considering issues relating to use in children and it would be good for the group
to be informed of this communication and to include the Commissioner in its responses
Peter
Peter McIntyre | AO, PhD, FRACP, FAFPHM
Professor
Womens and Childrens Health
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
Tel/Waea + XXXXXXXXXX | Mobile/Waea pūkoro + XXXXXXXXXX
ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5808-7450
From: Kathleen Logan
Sent: Tuesday, July 6, 2021 11:51 AM
To: Emma Best ; Peter McIntyre
Subject: spike protein effects less risky than Covid infection in children
Thank you for the prompt reply, Emma.
Another writer has pointed out that a trial of only two thousand won’t find out the riskier, rarer
effects, of the spike protein expression in cardiovasculature tissues, (eg myocarditis and pericarditis),
organs and lung tissue that can cause death or long term il health. (They pointed to another example
where population vaccination resulted in deaths when it can be claimed the original Sars epidemic
wasn’t so deadly).
(This person was a medic, so I need to tread careful y in my advice to Judge Becroft).
If significant adverse effects of Comirnaty are less than risks from actual covid infection in children
(who general y don’t suffer much from covid), then that warrants the vaccine rol out.
But even if we are not sure of that - if the vaccination of children is about population protection, that
is also a valid argument, because children must be seen in the context of their families. We can frame
a positive response in light of benefits to families.
Thanks again.
Ngā mihi
Kathleen
From: Emma Best
Sent: Tuesday, 6 July 2021 11:26 AM
To: Kathleen Logan ; Peter McIntyre
Subject: RE: are children more vulnerable to Covid vaccine side-effects?
Thanks for the email - I am not sure of the exact question but if the person is asking about side
effects and the mRNA vaccine (COVID vaccine being used in NZ. I am unsure what the Q exactly is -
side effects are more common in younger people and children however children are not ‘more
vulnerable’ to side effects - ie these effects are expected and self resolving
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The common side effects of the mRNA COVID vaccine used in NZ are arm pain, fever, fatigue, and
body aches/chil s.
These common side effects last 1-2 days after the vaccine. These are more common in younger
people 55 yrs)
This vaccine is now licensed for use in the US and other countries for use in children aged 12-15 yrs -
the safety and effectiveness information is from a large trial on this age group (details below). It is
not an experiemental vaccine and this vaccine had been used in mil ions of people before and along
with being used in a trial involving children and now being more widely used in age groups aged 12
years and above overseas.
Vaccinations in children are not experimental and have been done with al of our vaccines which
continue to be commonly used in our schedule every day (influenza, meningitis and whooping cough
vaccines).
In NZ Medsafe has preliminarily also approved this COVID vaccine for this age group 12-15 yrs based
on evaluatig the safety and efficacy information.
Detail
The large randomized trial which led vaccine for 12-15 yrs being approved for broader use in the
United states (early May 2021) had approx. 2,200 children/young people aged 12–15 years receiving
either vaccine or saline (salt water). They were fol owed up at least 2 months after vaccine (although
that would be longer now).
The short term minor side effects after the vaccine were common (arm pain, redness on arm) seen in
90%.
The generalised or systemic side effects (fever, fatigue, headache, chil s) were also common but at
about the same rates as for people aged 18-55 yrs. The general effects were more common after the
second dose than first dose
Side effects occur within 1–4 days after vaccine and resolving within median of 1–2 days.
In children the severe local/systemic side effects (defined as interfering with daily activity) were in
about 10% reported - the most common symptoms were fatigue (3.5%), fever (3.0%), headache
(2.7%), chil s (2.1%), and injection-site pain (1.5%). only one person had a symptoms that meant they
needed to see a Dr (fever >40)
There were no serious adverse events considered to be related to vaccination. No specific safety
concerns were seen
Thanks
Emma Best
Emma Best
Senior Lecturer, Department of Paediatrics: child and Youth Health
Medical Advisor to Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
The University of Auckland
Paediatric Infectious Diseases consultant, Starship
Auckland District Health Board
From: Kathleen Logan <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 5 July 2021 9:54 am
To: Peter McIntyre <[email address]>
Cc: Emma Best <[email address]>
Subject: are children more vulnerable to Covid vaccine side-effects?
Morena Peter (if I may)
I have a question: Are children more vulnerable to the side effects of the Covid19 vaccine? If there
is no evidence of that, I can say so in my response to a writer:
We have received a letter asking that the Children’s Commissioner oppose children’s participation in
Covid19 vaccines due to them stil being ‘experimental’ and keeping children (who can’t consent to
research participation) out of it. I disagree to the latter, and our position on vaccines is to fol ow the
official advice of the Director General of Health (and the government, which is to quash any anti-
vaccine rhetoric).
Sorry to keep bothering you, but we appreciate your expertise. I would like to reply to her by the
12th July, if you can get back to me before then. Thank you very much.
Ngā mihi nui
Dr Kathleen Logan
Senior Advisor, Strategy Rights & Advice
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Office of the Children’s Commissioner www.occ.org.nz
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