Factcheck: no, in Belgium, “five children under twelve” did not die of Covid – Belgium
In Knack, pediatric immunologist Isabelle Meyts said last month that “five children under the age of twelve have died of Covid in Belgium”. The Sciensano health institute qualifies this figure as “not correct” but cannot give further details for reasons of confidentiality.
The health institute, on the other hand, confirms the declaration of a report by the RTBF according to which, in Belgium, two children under the age of 5 and two children aged 12 died of Covid. This means that not five but two children under the age of 12 died from Covid-19. On January 19, an interview with pediatric immunologist Isabelle Meyts (UZ Leuven) about our immune system, corona and the impact of Covid-19 on children was published in Knack. In this article, Meyts states: “Children must be vaccinated first to be protected themselves. Some children may develop serious inflammatory reactions after an infection, which can lead them to the intensive care unit. This has a huge effect on a child. You can’t put it in numbers, but you shouldn’t underestimate it. In Belgium, five children under the age of 12 have also died from covid. You can say that this n’ is only five, but for me it’s five too many”.
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The health institute, on the other hand, confirms the declaration of a report by the RTBF according to which, in Belgium, two children under the age of 5 and two children aged 12 died of Covid. This means that not five but two children under the age of 12 died from Covid-19. On January 19, an interview with pediatric immunologist Isabelle Meyts (UZ Leuven) about our immune system, corona and the impact of Covid-19 on children was published in Knack. In this article, Meyts states: “Children must be vaccinated first to be protected themselves. Some children may develop serious inflammatory reactions after an infection, which can lead them to the intensive care unit. This has a huge effect on a child. You can’t put it in numbers, but you shouldn’t underestimate it. In Belgium, five children under the age of 12 have also died from covid. You can say that this n’ is only five, but for me it’s five too many”. A reader asked to check if this last figure was correct, as she could not find confirmation in public digital databases. In response to our question, Ms Meyts said she based her statement “on the numbers that were available from paediatricians”. According to her, for more information on these figures, it is necessary to contact the biostatistician Tom Wenseleers (KU Leuven). CSS: “Confusing paragraph”. on vaccination against Covid-19 for children aged 5 to 11 in Belgium. In this document, published on December 17, 2021, we can read on page 9: “Mortality due to Covid-19 in children is very rare. In total, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have observed
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