A rare but life-threatening COVID-19 side-effect is affecting children in Australia.
Australian health officials are warning parents of a dangerous inflammatory illness called paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS-TS).
PIMS-TS is a COVID complication that hosts a range of worrying symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, headaches, vomiting, bloodshot eyes, rashes, diarrhea, lymphadenopathy, sore throat, respiratory problems and swollen hands or feet.
The rare condition is most likely to occur in children often two to six weeks after a COVID infection and can happen in children with mild COVID symptoms.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said 96 cases of PIMS-TS have been reported across Australia.
"It is a serious condition in children, and one that is also prevented by vaccination," Spurrier said.
"When you look at our children's vaccine numbers, they are really lagging behind."
READ MORE
- Covid-19: Updated Vaccine Pass available soon as current ones due to expire shortly
- Shanghai reaffirms 'zero-Covid' strategy as WHO warns it is not sustainable
- Are Covid-resistant people healthier, or is it in their genes?
- What happens if you’ve got long Covid and can’t work?
In South Australia, nine children have developed PIMS-TS, while COVID vaccination rates for children aged five to 11 are just over 59 percent.
In a bid to boost these vaccination rates among children, primary schools across the state are hosting vaccine hubs as an initiative to help get children protected.
Spurrier said the COVID vaccine helps prevent children from developing the threatening illness.
Early recognition and prompt management are crucial to prevent the inflammatory response from escalating.
While there have been no reports of PIMS-TS in NZ, Starship has published a guideline on how to manage and treat possible PIMS-TS cases.
However, scientists are still working on understanding PIMS-TS and knowledge about the condition is developing rapidly.
