To ask whether you would have and give your DC the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available?

[Juniorpromdressqueen]

Apologies if this has been asked before.

I’m very pro-vax, but the thought of such a new vaccine makes me feel a bit nervous. Then again, so does the thought of coronavirus.

I was reading an article in The Atlantic about the vaccine today, and it said 21% of Americans say they won’t have the vaccine and another 30% are undecided, and it made me think about it, because my initial reaction was, “idiots!!” and then I realised that made me hypocritical, as I am nervous myself.

What would you do, if you and your family could have the vaccine at Boots tomorrow?

No. Same reasons as @supadoopa

Yes, I'll be getting it and so will DH and our DC. I've also signed up for clinical trials for the next stage of testing.

I probably would but am less inclined to give it to my children. Shall have to see how/when it is offered and what restrictions are placed on the unvaccinated. My kids/me have all the other vaccines on the schedule though and I am generally very supportive of vaccination.

There are some strange comments on here from both the people pro and against the vaccine. It isn't a black or white decision.

Coronavirus has proved to be a big threat, with a high death rate and potential future morbidity. For adults I suspect the risk of vaccination will be alot lower than getting it.

Equally, the level of testing that will have been done, means rare long term side effects may be hard to identify. Things like this happen with rushed vaccines:

www.narcolepsy.org.uk/resources/pandemrix-narcolepsy

Absolutely lot. They can’t even get the testing right for a start it’s very inaccurate to diagnose weather you have a pos or beg result for a start. I know they are doing their best.... but I wouldn’t fancy it in all honesty!

I am so pro-vax I’ve lost friends because of it. However, I won’t be jumping for dd and I to get the new vaccine until I’ve properly looked into it. I don’t particularly want to use my kid as a guinea pig.

@Hardbackwriter

I'd have it myself without hesitation but it's a tough one whether I'd want DS (age 2) to have it. The risks to him from coronavirus are so low that the reason to have it would essentially be altruistic, and I don't feel that comfortable about the idea of making the decision that he should take that risk for others on his behalf, but obviously he can't make that choice for himself.

This. It's nuanced. Everything is a cost:benefit analysis. There is such a low risk to children that the possible cost of a vaccine may be higher. Statistics are our friends.

I wouldn’t give the vaccine nor have it myself. We’re highly likely to have a mild reaction to Covid so I don’t see the point of risking a vaccine for a virus that presents such a tiny risk.

I’d rather just take our chances with the real thing.

Nope. My dc are fully vaccinated but they won't be having a new, rushed vaccine for an illness that barely affects them.

I would as an NHS worker.
I don't know about my DD though as she is 17,no underlying health issues.She might insist herself though.

Yes, without a doubt. They get the flu vaccine so will be offered it.

Yes I will get my kids vaccinated, as soon as a vaccine is made available.

Nope
Dd is fully vaccinated to the Australian schedule BUT no way in hell will I put a rushed through, not long term tested vaccine in her.

Do you as a human make mistakes when you rush? I know I do, so why would I think a rushed vaccine will be mistake free? Scientists are human afteral
Once there is significant, long term data on the vaccine, I will reconsider.

I'm same as the OP. I have had no reservations in giving all the standard vaccinations so for to my two children but I'm cautious about this one. I worry about the potential long term affects that we don't know about yet. It's odd for me because I'm really against people who refuse vaccines for their children.

I'm also very nervous about an untested vaccine but since I'm in a very vulnerable group (I was initially shielding but then taken off the list) I have decided the risk of the virus is higher than the risk for the vaccine.

My DD has a kidney disorder, it has been shown Covid 19 can attack the kidneys so although she is currently well she will have the vaccine too.

I would never shop in Boots again - not a chance! :)
Swine Flu vaccine was rushed and they are still paying out damages for that.
Why on earth would you take the chance with an "RNA type" vaccine that has never been licensed in humans before - if the government can lie over case figures and deaths, they will definitely lie again over safety just to make money for Big Pharma that incidentally Matt Hancock owns 75% of the shares in the vaccine company - conflict of interest, shouldn't be allowed to own them in his job. Let all the politicians, WHO, Bill Gates, Dr. Fauci etc, line up for it first, then if they're still alive with no long term damage in a few years people might consider it.
They can't find a vaccine for common cold after decades of research, but they can rush this through and if it works in only 50% of trial volunteers for a few months they'll consider it safe and license it to give us a shot of it multiple times. Horrifying!
I don't think anyone can trust a word that comes out of their mouths at the minute - pushing flu vaccines for all today, but previously there were plenty of reports of deaths in people who had a flu vaccine with Covid as it makes you 5 times more likely to pick up a respiratory infection!
Again, no point and madness if that's what happens when you pick up Covid after having a flu jab - loads of people will now be scared, there'll be a massive marketing campaign to tell us we "must do our civic duty" and "shame us" into getting vaccinated, even though over 99% of people either only get Covid mildly / won't get it at all as Chris Whitty said live on TV, you wouldn't even know you had it and will recover withing 7 days mostly.
They can piss off - let those who want the damn shots get them and let the rightly suspicious ones have a peaceful life relying on our natural immune systems. If they worked 100% permanently after one dose with no side effects whatsoever then I don't think anyone would have a problem.
I'm not "antivax" - I'm "anti unsafe-vax"!!

Yes i will have it. But not my DS who can't cope with the flu snort up his nose.

I had the swine flu jab when pregnant and that took some careful thinking, but as an asthmatic this is a no brainer.

Yes. They have several vaccines and they have testing for months now because behind the scenes, Coronaviruses and flu viruses have been studied intensely for years. Anyone who knows only a tiny amount of biology knows that the biggest threat we face is a virus pandemic and scientists and governments have been expecting a big one for ages. Before the numpties on here who say it's been rushed had even heard of Covid, there were several teams who had figured out what vaccine they wanted to develop for it based on other viruses and other vaccines they had developed before. Saying we don't know enough is like saying 'I've painted the bathroom before but the kitchen is a whole different ballgame'.

Every year the flu vac is different. The controls on producing vacs are well established. This isn't rushed in the sense that it's botched: you can produce a drug much more quickly by throwing resources at it, which is likely what has happened here.

By the time my child is offered it, it will have been had by millions of other people.

@supadoopa

Really shocked at these answers.

Absolutely no chance!

My children have had and will have all their vaccinations as per the current schedule but no they will not be getting a rushed through, unproven vaccine any time soon for an illness that they have very little chance of catching or being affected by in any way.

This absolutely. When it's mandatory or my child needs it to attend school or to travel I'd consider it. When there's long term data from the people who are more vulnerable to the virus I'd consider it. As we are at minimal risk I certainly won't be first in line.

Yes I would have it and so would my children. I want our old life back and I believe a vaccine is the way to achieve that.

Yes I would. My children too.

I'm a participant in one of the Covid vaccine trials. I'm confident enough in their safety protocol; as somebody points out above, these things have actually been in the background for years. SARS and MERS are both coronaviruses, and they started vaccine study with them. I'm also a respiratory nurse, so pretty familiar with the side effects 🙄 of infection with the wild virus.

My family will be vaccinated.

I would get the vaccine. I think I’ll fine it a harder call for deciding about my 5 year old. His risk of becoming seriously ill is basically zero. I suppose I’ll wait and see the lay of the land if/ when it’s a thing.

It’s strange for me to be hesitating as not only did he get all the standard ones I paid a few hundred pounds for chicken pox and meningitis to be done privately.

No, I don’t think I would, but then we’re in NZ so it’s a bit different.
Vaccines usually take 10-15 years to develop, so the chances of them knowing really how effective and safe the vaccines are will be compromised. In the US they will approve a vaccine for covid even if it’s only effective in 50% of people, so you might be risking adverse effects for no benefit.
Also, there are many vaccines being developed and some of them use approaches that have never before been used in people. There are so many things we don’t know - we still don’t even know how long immunity will even last. Just one bad covid vaccine could really damage people’s perception of vaccine use too leading to a resurgence of other diseases.

It’s strange for me to be hesitating as not only did he get all the standard ones I paid a few hundred pounds for chicken pox and meningitis to be done privately.

Me too - but this feels so different because he'd essentially be getting it almost entirely for others. Chicken pox is the total opposite - the official government reason it isn't offered is that children getting chickenpox and so it being in circulation reduces shingles in the elderly (I actually think it's cost, but that's what they say). I paid for it because I didn't want DS to get a pretty unpleasant illness so that adults don't get shingles, which is arguably selfish.