UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 25
BUSINESS 26
Children & COVID-19: Advice on vaccination
TRAVEL 27
NEWS
SOCIAL 28 - 31
Mobinah Ahmad.
Dr Habib Bhurawala.
deed while any person of any age can get COVID. We saw more severe complications and infections in the older population than children, but they get COVID. We have had many cases of children getting infected with the COVID, especially in the recent outbreak in New South Wales and has been seen in Victoria. So they do get COVID, and indeed, we need to be mindful of that. Mobinah: Absolutely. Should children get the vaccine? Does the vaccine cause any harm, and does it have any side effects on children? Dr Habib: So I think children do get side effects of COVID vaccine like many other vaccines, and the side effects are again very similar to the other vaccines, and the commonest one which we know of is injection side pain, pain the way the vaccine has been given. And can occur in up to half of the children. Up to 50% of children can get that or one in five children. So up to 20% of children can get a fever, usually within 48 hours after receiving the vaccine, and generally responds well to the pain relief or fever medications, which they can get from the pharmacy or get their local doctors to advise and administer that. It’s no different to many other vaccines, and then they do have those complications. Serious complications are rare, very un-
common. And for example, there are some rare side effects been regularly reported, such as inflammation or the swelling of the muscle of the heart, which we call myocarditis and inflammation of the membrane or covering surrounding the heart, which we call pericarditis. These effects are much, much rare. There is ongoing monitoring of those effects in children worldwide, wherever it’s been given in children. It’s more commonly seen in male, young adults between 16 and 30 years of age, not as common in younger children under 16. So that’s reassuring, but it is something recommended that we keep an eye on, but it’s much rarer. Just coming back to your question around, should they get the vaccine? The health advice in Australia is that children up to the age of 12 years of age, all children should get the COVID vaccine. It has been recommended by the ATAGI, which is National Advisory Body on Immunisation for the Australian population and has also been approved by TGA. The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the regulatory body, approves any vaccine used in Australia as other medicines or devices and antibiotics. So it is recommended. Read full interview: https://tinyurl.com/3vht3j63
“We also have
had incidents of children requiring intensive care, which is, for severe illnesses condition due to COVID.
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Mobinah: Wow, that’s so hard to hear. Initially, the health advice said that children couldn’t get COVID, but now things have changed. Can you advise if that’s the case like that switch? Dr Habib: Yeah, so I think children do get COVID. It’s all evolving situation, and in-
Muslim wins 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Zia Ahmad A former African refugee Dr Abdulrazak Gurnah 73, a novelist residing in UK has won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature announced by the Nobel Committee on Thursday 7 October “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.” He arrived in UK as a teenager refugee in 1960’s from Zanzibar, Tanzania completing his graduate studies at the University of London, completing his PhD from the University of Kent where he taught as a professor of post colonial literature before his recent retirement. He has published 10 novels and several short stories where the theme of the refugee’s plight and disruption runs throughout his work. Dr Gurnah’s writings deal with migration and displacement that he explored in most of his novels, the settings range from East Africa under German colonialism to modern-day England. They explore the profound impact of migration both on uprooted people and the places they make their new homes. “People are dying, people are being hurt around the world. We must deal with these issues in the most kind way,” he said. NOVEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 192
The Alliance of Australian Muslims hold 4th National Summit AMUST Media
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Mobinah: If children do get COVID, how severely are they affected? Dr Habib: Up to half of the children don’t get any symptoms of COVID infection. That’s a good thing. So they do get COVID, but most of them do not suffer from serious illnesses as the adult population may suffer, which is good. The effects of the COVID infection persist in young children. They can have fever, cough, runny nose and other respiratory symptoms. They also may have diarrhoea and vomiting, and also abdominal pain. They may start to feel unwell, not eating and drinking as well and maybe at risk of dehydration. All of this may sound like other viral infections or illnesses. Still, we need to be mindful that it can affect some children. A small number of children can also need hospital admission and hospitalisation. We also have had incidents of children requiring intensive care, which is, for severe illnesses condition due to COVID. This is more common in children who have already pre-existing medical conditions. So they may have other health conditions which may make them predisposed to more severe illness because of COVID. For example, having conditions such as cancer, or having some other chronic disease treatment, may have diabetes, obesity, other health conditions, genetic conditions, delayed development, autism, all of these children are particularly more at risk of developing severe complications COVID.
AMUST
Dr Gurnah’s native language is Swahili but who writes in English, and he is the sixth Africa-born author to be awarded the Nobel for literature. Commenting on his writings, Mr Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for literature said, “His work gives us a vivid and very precise picture of another Africa not so well known for many readers, a coastal area in and around the Indian Ocean marked by slavery and shifting forms of repression under different regimes and colonial powers:
Portuguese, Indian, Arab, German and the British.” He further added that Gurnah’s characters “find themselves in the gulf between cultures … between the life left behind and the life to come, confronting racism and prejudice, but also compelling themselves to silence the truth or reinventing a biography to avoid conflict with reality.” Zia Ahmad is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.
WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
The Alliance of Australian Muslims (AAM) held its 4th National Summit online on Sunday 31 October 2021 via ZOOM. Prominent Muslim organisations and community leaders from around Australia attended the National Summit to discuss important issues of concern to Australian Muslims and the future of the community in Australia. The AAM is currently comprised of over 200 mainstream Muslim organisations from all Australian States and Territories. It is open to all mainstream and representative Muslim organisations and individuals who are active in the Australian Muslim community. The AAM aims to serve as a collaborative platform to coordinate and enhance efforts of common benefit for the Australian Muslim community. Further, the AAM continue to stand with and contribute to the Australian community. The delegates at the National Summit focused on the key areas of promoting an Australian Muslim identity, enhancing media and political engagement, strengthening public relations, and advocating for the protection of civil rights of minority groups. This includes the serious concern in relation to the rise of Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim sentiment. The member organisations had reviewed and re-endorsed the AAM Covenant, which outlines the importance of the AAM and the Muslim organisations working together, including the positive role that Australian Muslims contribute to their country. The 4th AAM National Summit focused on: 1. Preservation of Islamic Identity discussed the National survey to gain a better understanding of the sentiment of the Muslim community in Australia and to better cater to the Muslim community’s needs, in particular the Muslim youth. 2. Media Representation reinforced on Religious freedom, the rise of Islamophobia (Anti- Muslim sentiment) and the real threat of right-wing extremism. 3. Defence of Muslim Rights, addressed Civil rights Awareness campaigns and dealing with the threat of Islamophobia. 4. Public Relations aimed to hold a National Mosque Open Day and National Community Ramadan Iftaar to expand on the community engagement with the wider Australian society. 5. Lobby and Political Advocacy planned for the next Federal Elections 2022, raise awareness on the importance of political activism and involvement. As part of the 4th National Summit, member organisations from different states across Australia made a presentation on their current activities and programs to exchange benefit and experience with other organisations. Despite the limitations of using an online platform for the summit, the presentations were of a high calibre, with robust engagement and discussion resulting in a successful event overall. The Alliance of Australian Muslims aims to meet onsite in Sydney for the 5th National Summit on 30 October 2022. All Muslim organisations and community leaders are invited to attend and support this initiative. All nominations and expressions of interest to join AAM can directly apply online: australianmuslims.org.au/join/
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