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?

I think there is an argument that it's also worth considering the effect it has on children's lives generally, rather than just saying it's altruistic because the virus only affects older people. Maybe it primarily affects them physically, but it still affects children's lives more generally - their lives are limited at the moment in so many ways because society is limited. The more people that get the vaccine, the more things will be able to go back to normal, which benefits everyone. So it's not totally altruistic for children to have the vaccine, even if they are low risk physically from the virus.

Definitely yes.

Not a chance. My DC have had everything except flu vaccines (routinely given in their prep school). They (boys) have even had HPV despite it not being offered to boys at the time.

BUT there is no way any vaccine can be proved to be safe so quickly. All they can prove is that it isn’t immediately toxic. Almost no info on long term effects, interaction with immune system over time etc. The whole subject of immunological imprinting is very immature.

I don’t let my DC have the flu vaccine because there is some evidence it could make exposure to other strains worse. This evidence is limited but given the very low efficacy of the flu vaccine (30-60%) the risk has never seemed worth it. I would be similarly concerned by a coronavirus vaccine and would not want to let DC have it when their risk from the virus is so small.

Also, all the trials are done on “healthy” people, so there is no data on how it interacts with other medical conditions eg auto-immune disorders, or on medications people might be taking.

Yes, if children don’t get vaccinated then it may be impossible to get schooling back to normal. If we get a vaccine which is really effective, say 95% immunity, then we might be happy to just make sure all the adults in schools are vaccinated and only vaccinate children if they’re be specifically vulnerable.

But if, as seems more likely at this stage, we get vaccines which are a better than nothing but far from foolproof, then schools won’t be able to offer full time education while protecting their adult employees unless most pupils are vaccinated.

NHS worker - absolutely would, and for DD 12 months if it means she can see her grandparents again and hug her great grandma without risking infecting her.
The vaccine will probably be less effective for older people so we all need to do our bit to keep them safe and get life back to normal when we can.
Depending on the type of vaccine there may be groups who can’t have it eg Immunocompromised, HIV, egg allergy so we need to get herd immunity so they can be safe too.

DC1-2 adults will probably require jab for their jobs.
DC3-4 can decide for selves.
DH & our parents probably should get it. All have risk factors. But their decision.
Me: won't get it probably. Because I am supposed to have patient autonomy. I'm the only person in Britain who still cares about that.

@PassingByAndThoughtIdDropIn

Yes, if children don’t get vaccinated then it may be impossible to get schooling back to normal. If we get a vaccine which is really effective, say 95% immunity, then we might be happy to just make sure all the adults in schools are vaccinated and only vaccinate children if they’re be specifically vulnerable.

But if, as seems more likely at this stage, we get vaccines which are a better than nothing but far from foolproof, then schools won’t be able to offer full time education while protecting their adult employees unless most pupils are vaccinated.

How about we get a hold on testing efficiently first, working out how long immunity lasts then I might consider a vax for this, but until they prove to me they actually know what they're dealing with there no chance I'm inflicting this vax on my kids

@ostinato Also, all the trials are done on “healthy” people, so there is no data on how it interacts with other medical conditions eg auto-immune disorders, or on medications people might be taking.

I thought trials were done on a range of people? Only the initial ones are done on 'healthy people.

No. I don’t get any unnecessary (imo and assessing my personal risk) vaccines.

those things are being done by very different scientists, and regulated in very different ways. There's no one 'they' trying to inflict things on you or your children; lots of different groups are working on things aiming to save as many lives as possible.

What would it take for it to be proved to you? What kind of evidence are you looking for? There are quite a lot of details in the published reports already - the Lancet report, for example, is openly available full text.

Vaccine immunity and how long it lasts will be different to immunity from getting the disease, and there's no real way to study that other than by giving the vaccine. They are now expanding into more populations for the next stage of the trials.

You still have autonomy; you're unlikely to be forced to have it. But things won't go back to normal until the majority of people do, and that in itself will have long term effects on children and society. Those risks are as important as risks from a vaccine.

Surely you meant IF not WHEN a vaccine become a available.

Unsure. My older kids were the first to have HPV and a new Men vaccine. I was nervous about that.

No, I won't be having it. I'm not in any way anti-vax but the indecent speed at which the vaccine will have been developed and tested does prompt my eyebrows to raise.

At the end of the day, I'm not at all fearful of the virus, so won't have a jab. I don't have a flu jab either.

Not immediately no. I would prefer to wait and see and then have it a little later on.

What is indecent about it? Do you think there are important steps that are being missed? I think it shows what can be done when researchers don't have to wait ages for funding, approval, materials, admin, personnel, etc. Imagine if science always had that sort of funding and interest!

@ostinato

Also, all the trials are done on “healthy” people, so there is no data on how it interacts with other medical conditions eg auto-immune disorders, or on medications people might be taking.

I believe they are currently looking for people with underlying health conditions (hence why I have put myself on the vaccine trial registry as I have asthma and wasn't able to participate originally.

yes, I know others with underlying health conditions that are either already participating (depending on the condition/severity) or might be able to participate in the next phase. Instead of have to do the trials on different conditions/groups/ages etc over a longer period of time, they have the resources to be able to run some of these trials in parallel.

No.

@Hardbackwriter

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.

It is cost. Shingles in the elderly costs the NHS significantly more than chickenpox in children.

Yes, I’ve had too much first hand experience of how badly covid-19 affects humans to risk it in my family and I want to minimise the risk (as herd immunity) to others.

Pro vax here but I wouldn't have it. Too early..

@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.

Couldn't agree more!

@PinkDaffodil2 Depending on the type of vaccine there may be groups who can’t have it eg Immunocompromised, HIV, egg allergy so we need to get herd immunity so they can be safe too.

People living with HIV for the vast majority - in the UK at least - should have no problem being given a vaccination.

Absolutely I would!

@ThatDamnScientist
She's 14 and has had every vaccination required in her lifetime. She isn't required or invited to get a flu jab because she's not in a vulnerable group. Why would I expect her to get the covid one when again she's not in a vulnerable group?
If the people who are vulnerable for whatever reason get the vaccination then they will be protected (if it works) - it doesn't matter if everyone else gets the jab or the virus. It is surely up to each person to decide for themselves what they feel is right for them.