To NOT get ‘CEV’ son vaccinated against COVID?

[Muuummm]

Just been asked by his GP to book him an appointment for his jab. He’s an adult but as he has a learning disability, I am his advocate.

He’s classed as CEV due solely to his LD as far as I can tell. He has no physical medical issues and is very fit and healthy so hasn’t shielded.

He had CV in November very mildly with only loss of taste and smell as symptoms. I’m aware there are rare cases of reinfection but I think the risk is small this side of the summer and we don’t know how long antibodies last yet so I’d rather wait for more info on the efficiency the jab in real life data.

He had the flu jab for the first time ever in December and had quite a bad reaction to it with sore throat, headaches and fatigue for a few weeks. Not sure if that was because his immune system had been fucked around by CV.

I’m definitely not an anti vaxxer but I’m more concerned about the side effects of the CV jab than him actually getting it again at the moment.

Slightly worried that if he doesn’t get the jab, I may be questioned about it as his carer.

WIBU to not let him have it at the moment (he won’t care either way)?

My adult dc had the jab the other week, they have lds and cp, but are healthy.
They didn't have any side affects.

I know a young, healthy lad in his twenties who recently ended up in ICU with COVID. A temporary reaction to the vaccine is far more preferable than long-COVID.

The concern I would have with refusing it would be when you might get an opportunity in future to access it. Especially if they are going to pause vaccination after the top 9 groups are seen to. It would concern me that your son would be classed as “done” or relegated to a non-CEV vaccine allocation and would then potentially have to wait a very, very long time for it to be available again. Aside of the arguments about immunity from previous infections I would be concerned that if they do pause vaccination and share stocks out that those of us classed as “normal” will be waiting well over a year to receive it.

I have a very health child with LD. It's a tough call. However if he is at college it might be better to get the vax sooner rather than later. Otherwise he is going to pick it again at some point due to the nature of SEN settings and the unavoidable close contacts.

Have you got POA or whatever it's called for younger people?

If my son was a adult I'd be more worried by the talk earlier last year about people with LD and DNR conversations that wasnt happening with NTs of the same age.

Ok got jab booked for tomorrow. Been advised to discuss concerns with staff when we get there.

Thanks all.

@ConeHat

I have a very health child with LD. It's a tough call. However if he is at college it might be better to get the vax sooner rather than later. Otherwise he is going to pick it again at some point due to the nature of SEN settings and the unavoidable close contacts.

Have you got POA or whatever it's called for younger people?

If my son was a adult I'd be more worried by the talk earlier last year about people with LD and DNR conversations that wasnt happening with NTs of the same age.

Yes this. My DN is 21 and has asd. Is very high functioning and working but when she was hospitalized due to covid it took a fight to get GPs to consider more aggressive treatments simply because of her LD.

They had a point in their own way too - because even less aggressive treatments than ventilation require intensive physical therapy for patients to make a full recovery and her LD meant she would struggle to cope with it.

In the end it was decided that because of her age and high functioning LD she was given full treatment options. She ended up needing ventilation and was put in a medically induced coma. Months later she’s still in hospital and actually dealing with physio amazingly because they managed to get her one who specialises with asd patients.

However her MH has really, really suffered to the point where doctors are saying she might not be able to live independantly or work again. Hopefully as she’s young she can prove them wrong. But if there was a way we could have prevented all of this with a vaccine her dp would definitely have advocated for it.

What what it is worth op I am cev and before I got my shielding letter I was of the opinion I wasn't going to have it. I got the letter and it made think I either have the vaccine or I take my chance with the virus .I had a bad reaction to the flu jab years ago not to the point it was life threatening just not pleasant .But I would rather the side effects for say 48hrs from the Jab then risk my DC's losing their mum. I just read your decided to go for the Jab for your son .

Well done OP, I think you made the right choice. A potential reaction isn’t great but the alternative possibility—no matter how small—of him ending up in hospital and not getting what is going on is just too awful. Have heard really heartbreaking tales about those with learning disabilities during the pandemic.

my beloved SIL had profound LD's and died of covid in May - it was a horrible lonely death - so from my own experience I would let him have it.

I had covid in Oct - my flu jab had no impact at all although my covid jab did give me mild covidy symptoms (mainly a sore throat)

sorry I missed your update

Good choice op :) Hope it goes well.

Why is he classed as CEV if he has no medical issues that are listed ?

@SakuraEdenSwan1

Why is he classed as CEV if he has no medical issues that are listed ?

A serious learning disability is classified as cev.

@SakuraEdenSwan1

Why is he classed as CEV if he has no medical issues that are listed ?

My child’s consultant said it was purely because they don’t understand how to be socially distant.

Good choice and thank you.

@GrumpyHoonMain wishing your dd all the best

Does he, normally, mix with others who are cev? It remains possible to transmit the virus without knowing and some cev patients cannot be vaccinated so will continue to be vulnerable and rely on others taking up the vaccine.

If he's already had a mild dose of cv and has some antibody immunity then I wonder if
1: He's less likely to react strongly to the vaccine
2: If he was to catch covid a second time, it's likely to be a more virulent strain.

The best person to have this conversation with his your GP.

Sorry missed the update. Hope it goes ok for you.