A Seminar on Covid-19 Vaccines and Their Effect on Children at KSU
Under the patronage of King Saud University Presedent Prof. Badran bin Abdulrahman Al-Omar, the Research Chair of Infectious Disease Vaccination held a seminar entitled "Covid-19 Vaccines and Children: a Scientific, Medico-legal Perspective” on Monday, May 30th, 2022 in the Female Student Campus’s main theater.
The seminar began with a speech given by the Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Khaled bin Ibrahim Al-Hamizi, on behalf of KSU’s president, in which he clarified that KSU makes a determined effort to develop scientific research as a fundamental part of the science and technology system, which in turn contributes effectively to building a knowledge community. He indicated that such events are in line with the government's attention to Covid-19, and emphasized the importance of raising public awareness of childhood health and immunization. He also stressed the imperativeness of relying on scientific research as a source of information.
The first dialogue session was about the effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine among children. The session was chaired by Prof. Sara Tariq Alrashood, an Associate Professor of Drug Designing at the College of Pharmacy. The Vice President for Female Student Affairs, Prof. Ghada bin Saif, the Professor and Consultant of Pediatric Infectious Disease at College of Medicine, Prof. Fahad Al-Zamil, and the Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at College of Pharmacy, Dr. Mashal M. Al-Shazzi, participated in the discussion session. The session addressed the importance of vaccines among children and the importance of relying on medical studies as credible sources of information. During the session, Monkeypox vs. Covid-19 was discussed, and how unlikely it is to cause a nationwide pandemic like Covid, especially with the growing health awareness and compliance with precautionary measures. In addition, several future initiatives were announced related to vaccine development, as well as several supporting programs for the health sector from the Ministry of Education. Finally, the session was concluded with thorough answers to the audience's queries and a tribute to the speakers for their efforts.
The second session was chaired by Dr. Abdulaziz Alouffi, a Researcher in Infectious Diseases at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, with the participation of Dr. Sara Al-Abdulkarim, a Member of the Human Rights Commission, and Ms. Israa Al Saeed, the General Chairman of School Health in The Ministry of Health. They discussed the role of the Ministry of Education in children's safe return to schools, its efforts against the pandemic, and how to turn threats into opportunities. They also discussed the role of human rights organizations, represented by the Human Rights Commission, and their effort to protect children and their health during the pandemic which is essential in government policies since its ratification on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1995.
