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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

339 replies

Juniorpromdressqueen · 24/07/2020 22:28

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?

OP posts:
Dutchesss · 25/07/2020 15:39

No, I wouldn't. I've also had all the usual vaccines and paid to have some extras.

With the chance of becoming ill so low and the vaccine being new, the risk for us seems unnecessary.

vinoandbrie · 25/07/2020 15:40

No, neither for myself nor my children.

Wilkolampshade · 25/07/2020 15:42

Yep on both counts.

PinkDaffodil2 · 25/07/2020 15:46

Yes sorry should have been clearer! Those not well controlled on medication who are vulnerable to lots of infections unfortunately can’t have certain vaccines. As you point out however the vast majority of people in the UK living with HIV the virus is really well controlled.

ostinato · 25/07/2020 15:55

@Grumblyberries

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.
Yes, OK when I checked this before they were only for healthy people, but there has still not been enough time to test against all conditions and combinations of conditions, and also long-term impacts. It’s just too soon and taking a vaccine at this early stage is essentially experimental. Signing DC up for what is basically a population-wide trial is not ethical.
hahaboink · 25/07/2020 15:57

FYI to the posters who talked about Matt Hancock owning the vaccine company, that is complete rubbish. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN2291FM

hahaboink · 25/07/2020 15:58

I have a very close relative working on the oxford vaccine. And I will absolutely have it if it’s proven to work.

ChaoticCatling · 25/07/2020 16:02

@thepeopleversuswork

Hell yes. Why on earth wouldn’t you. Those of you talking about a “rushed through” vaccine: have you not been following the coverage of these huge trials underway at the moment? Trialling a vaccine on tens of thousands of people isn’t “rushing” anything.
What about potential longer term side effects?

I don't get the 'flu vaccine despite it being free through work because I'm not vulnerable. My child has has all his regular vaccinations though, including his year 9 ones though a community clinic even though I could have waited until the new school year (delayed due to COVID).

Cabinfever10 · 25/07/2020 16:05

Of course we will i have no problem with it and am looking forward to get it

MrsIceCream · 25/07/2020 16:08

@supadoopa

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.

AGREE WITH THIS

BeeTrees · 25/07/2020 16:10

Yes to both.
I would pay for it if needed.

You know the anti vaccine stuff coming if America is because they have to pay for cancer treatment and everything so assume doctors want you sick

OneForMeToo · 25/07/2020 16:14

My children have had all their vaccines however I will be treating this just like the rushed swine flu jab. My oldest didn’t have that as it was so new and nobody knew the future issues. I risk assessed his chances of catching it and he didn’t catch it.

I’ll do the same this time with my three children asses the risk vs the known issues with the vaccine including the known from its testing on animal subjects.

Grumblyberries · 25/07/2020 16:15

are your children really not affected by this? There are a lot of people who find life very different now and feel that it could have a detrimental effect on children in all sorts of ways. I'm not sure I agree that it's as bad as they say it is, but I certainly think there are huge effects on children in all kinds of ways. A vaccine is one way of reducing that. The effects on people goes well beyond the physical effects of catching the virus.

Why do people continue to think that there will be less testing for this vaccine? It won't have undergone any fewer safety or efficacy trials than any others, and it will be subject to the same risks as all vaccines (who do exist, always the possibility of extreme unpredictable effects no matter how long the vaccine has been in place or how safe it is for the majority of people). What other tests do you want there to be on vaccines that aren't being done, that normally are?

MissConductUS · 25/07/2020 16:19

Not only will I have it, I've volunteered to participate in clinical trials in the US.

KatieB55 · 25/07/2020 16:23

No - look up the swine flu rushed pandemic vaccine

Chocolate4me · 25/07/2020 16:24

I'd be more reassured if I could see everyone in parliament getting their jabs first! I'm a bit on edge about it, worried about any long term effects of the vaccine that haven't had time to be reported yet... But also worried about the long term and of course immediate dangers of covid. I will wait and see the outcomes of the vaccine trials, and see if the covid cases increase over Autumn. In our area we have only seen reported of about a rise of 2 cases in the last 5 weeks ish so I feel quite safe at the moment. But if that starts rapidly rising then I think my anxiety over it will return, and then I will be more inclined to vaccinate.
It's a really hard choice, this vaccine hasn't been around for years like all the childhood vaccinations so of course people will be worried. And we keep hearing how low risk people don't tend to suffer much from the covid so it does make you wonder what is best. Would be nice to personally know people who work on vaccines to get more knowledge. Will also be interesting to see how many Dr's and NHS workers have it done

Number3or4 · 25/07/2020 16:33

I would decline it for me and my children. I would rather wait and make a judgement next year. I may decide to wait longer then to. I’m diabetic which makes me clinically vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Grumblyberries · 25/07/2020 16:45

Loads of doctors and NHS workers have signed up for the trials so far - I think they have more volunteers than needed.

MissConductUS · 25/07/2020 17:04

@Grumblyberries

Loads of doctors and NHS workers have signed up for the trials so far - I think they have more volunteers than needed.
I'm an HCP. Trialing the vaccine is a lot less risky than being in close contact with dozens of COVID patients as I have been over the last few months. And the phase I trial results for all of the candidates now moving into subsequent trials have been excellent.

I think the trials will be oversubscribed here too.

sashagabadon · 25/07/2020 17:41

@Chocolate4me

I'd be more reassured if I could see everyone in parliament getting their jabs first! I'm a bit on edge about it, worried about any long term effects of the vaccine that haven't had time to be reported yet... But also worried about the long term and of course immediate dangers of covid. I will wait and see the outcomes of the vaccine trials, and see if the covid cases increase over Autumn. In our area we have only seen reported of about a rise of 2 cases in the last 5 weeks ish so I feel quite safe at the moment. But if that starts rapidly rising then I think my anxiety over it will return, and then I will be more inclined to vaccinate. It's a really hard choice, this vaccine hasn't been around for years like all the childhood vaccinations so of course people will be worried. And we keep hearing how low risk people don't tend to suffer much from the covid so it does make you wonder what is best. Would be nice to personally know people who work on vaccines to get more knowledge. Will also be interesting to see how many Dr's and NHS workers have it done
oh don;t worry, I am sure we'll see Matt Hancock, Boris and Keir all pictured having their jabs - and then everyone on social media will argue about why they get to have them when others can't - just like what happened with the testing when everyone was furious Prince Charles and Michael Gove had a test

And then the media will latch on to whether Boris is getting his new baby vaccinated and if not why not and we can all takes sides in that debate too. And then Stanley will be pro/ anti vaccination - not sure yet what side he will take - and he'll fly out to Greece and Piers Corbyn (Jeremy's brother) will get arrested in Hyde Park protesting complusory vaccinations (even though they won't be)
And we'll all look back fondly on the days when vaccinations were just theoretical Grin

I'm looking forward to it - it'll pass the time until socially distanced Strictly starts.

853690525d · 25/07/2020 17:48

Yes. It's not untested and the data will be there to show it's safe. This is not a normal time scale situation because the work is being done much more intensively.

Covid-19 is proven to leave long term damage not infrequently and can, data suggests, leave lung scarring in children who were asymptomatic. It sometimes causes death and serious or fatal immune reactions, even in children. With the world in lockdown, I'm impressed with a virus that has managed to cause that much damage, even on a relatively small scale.

The odds of being harmed by a tested vaccine are extremely low.

PablosHoney · 25/07/2020 17:51

I wouldn’t be first in line with my kids, There’s just something unsettling about the speed at which it’s being developed

PablosHoney · 25/07/2020 17:52

But then they probably won’t have enough to begin with in any event

KittyFantastico · 25/07/2020 18:22

As explained, it's being developed at speed due to the level of funding being thrown at it and the various stages of development being run concurrently. Plus they weren't starting at 'zero' as there was already existing research and development into coronavirus vaccines prior to all of this which was able to be applied to this particular strain.

mrpumblechook · 25/07/2020 18:30

My children will certainly be getting vaccinated. Seems odd that people are worried about long term side effects of the vaccine but not those of coronavirus itself. Children may apparently not be severely affected but who knows if they will suffer any long-term effects. For example they might get it more than once and the second time it could be worse. Certain viruses have been implicated in various autoimmune disease or even cancer. Who knows what Covid-19 will do long term.