Vaccination of adolescents against COVID: grounds for withdrawal and complications

Vaccination against CORONAVIRUS infection for adolescents 12-17 years old was included in the national vaccination schedule at the end of December last year.

“Vaccination will be carried out voluntarily if there is a written application from one of the parents,” explained Natalya Ilyinykh, deputy HEAD of the regional department of Rospotrebnadzor. “Senior students aged 15-17 have the right to issue consent for vaccination themselves.”

Vaccination is carried out with the Gam-COVID-Vac-M vaccine. The drug is two-component, each dose consists of two ampoules, the contents of which are introduced in stages, with an interval of three weeks. The concentration of the main active substance is reduced by 5 times. The vaccine was developed at the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya.

Sputnik M was obtained by biotechnological means, which does not use the SARS-CoV-2 virus pathogenic for humans and represents neutralized particles of adenoviruses (vector) from which the genetic material was removed and the gene responsible for encoding the coronavirus protein was implanted.

“Since the vector is deprived of the possibility of reproduction, it is not capable of causing a disease in a vaccinated person, its task is to deliver the genetic material of the coronavirus against which the vaccine is being vaccinated into the body,” the regional Ministry of HEALTH said. “After entering the cell, the S-protein of the coronavirus is synthesized, which leads to an immune response and the production of specific antibodies.”