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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you would put child forward for the vaccine trial?

340 replies

coulditbeanymorerubbish · 13/02/2021 09:30

So the Oxford vaccine is now to be tested in children as young as six. Would you put your child up for for children?

Everyone calling others stupid for not wanting it can now volunteer their kids! Because, you know... you're so confident that it's perfectly safe and the right thing to do.

OP posts:
JM10 · 13/02/2021 10:23

I would if after explaining it all to my children they were happy to do it. I wouldn't force them if they didn't want to though.

HazeyJaneII · 13/02/2021 10:23

A link to Sky News report on this
here
I have surprised myself by bursting into tears reading this! (In my defence, it's been a long year, and I am keeping everything crossed that ds will be able to start secondary school this year, as safely and as normally as possible!)

@Useruseruserusee
Hopefully, it will eventually be available for younger CEV children, and it won't be too much longer after the trials for 6 years+ startFlowers

Fembot123 · 13/02/2021 10:24

@MaLarkinn

Not a chance!

I can't believe people would volunteer their child to be a guinea pig.

You don't deserve them.

Hmm Yes all those disgusting parents who have ever allowed this in order for everyone’s children to be protected from catastrophic illnesses.
Mumski45 · 13/02/2021 10:25

@MaLarkinn
"Not a chance!

I can't believe people would volunteer their child to be a guinea pig.

You don't deserve them."

I despair at this attitude. There is need to be offensive to people who are better informed and prepared to take managed risks to protect society on everyone's behalf. How would children's medication exist if we all had this attitude. Your entitled to your opinion but to be so ridiculously critical of others is astoundingly short sighted.

Fembot123 · 13/02/2021 10:26

@HazeyJaneII

A link to Sky News report on this here I have surprised myself by bursting into tears reading this! (In my defence, it's been a long year, and I am keeping everything crossed that ds will be able to start secondary school this year, as safely and as normally as possible!)

@Useruseruserusee
Hopefully, it will eventually be available for younger CEV children, and it won't be too much longer after the trials for 6 years+ startFlowers

I’m not surprised you cried tears of relief Flowers
Ethelfromnumber73 · 13/02/2021 10:26

@Heronwatcher

Look every person with a brain knows that no vaccine is risk free. It’s all a matter of balance though, and personally I would much much much rather have the Covid vaccine than risk getting Covid, especially given how terrible long Covid is. My kids have had all of their vaccinations for diseases which affect children badly (meningitis etc) for the same reason. If I was asked to put my child forward I would ask sensible questions about the trial, the risks and the aims and make an educated decision. With respect OP it sounds like you are just trying to make a point about the vaccine as a whole which, given the amount of mis-information out there about it already, is really not helpful.
Exactly this
StrangerHereMyself · 13/02/2021 10:28

OP I’m not convinced of your ability to research and assess the risk yourself if you’re throwing around rumours of fertility risk in relation to the Oxford vaccine. Even if they were true (I assume not but haven’t looked into it because it’s irrelevant to me), those rumours related to the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and perhaps Moderna. They have no relation to the Oxford vaccine.

everybodysang · 13/02/2021 10:29

Yes, I would, though obviously she'd need to be on board!

MessAllOver · 13/02/2021 10:29

The slight uneasiness I have with the "we need people to take managed risks" argument is that it is our children, who can't really consent, who will be taking the risks not ourselves.

Having said that, if I had a child of an age where they could understand the risks and the issues, I would support their decision if they wanted to take part.

Nonamesavail · 13/02/2021 10:30

I wouldn't volunteer myself or a 6yr old. I have had the vacine.

Leakyradiator · 13/02/2021 10:33

If I was sure my kids understood the implications and wanted to then , yes, I would. I doubt that the myriad years experience collectively put into the vaccine would make it unsafe. I myself would do it. Someone has to check it’s safe.

Hetilia · 13/02/2021 10:34

I would for the Oxford vaccine yes.

iVampire · 13/02/2021 10:35

@SingingLoud

Obviously if DC objected, then it would not happen. But I doubt that would be the case

A 6 year old wouldn’t have the capacity to understand enough to object.

So would you make the decision for them and go ahead and have them participate in a trail?

My DC is not 6, and is capable of understanding

They will be recruiting across age groups, not just at the minimum

Cornettoninja · 13/02/2021 10:35

@coulditbeanymorerubbish

Why do you care who would allow their dc to be part of a trial or not? You wouldn’t so surely your interest in the matter ends there?

I’m getting whiffs of anti-Vaxxer propaganda too. Interesting you claim your dc are fully vaccinated with routine vaccinations yet use derisive language like ‘guinea pigs’ to refer to those who do participate. Who do you think initially trialled the routine vaccinations you and your family benefit from now?

Rather than be grateful to those who help medical advancement where you won’t, you choose to deride them and trot out scaremongering arguments about fertility with no basis in fact.

What were you thinking you would get from starting this discussion?

Scarlettpixie · 13/02/2021 10:36

@Suzi888

No, why vaccinate for something that an overwhelming majority of people recover from. Hmm
Oh ffs!
Ethelfromnumber73 · 13/02/2021 10:37

OP, this doesn't actually apply to you as your child is too young, so what this really is is an attempt at a 'gotcha' to validate your own decision not to be vaccinated.

As someone else upthread said, I think your own ability to assess risks and benefits appears to be highly questionable. 12 million people + have been vaccinated in the U.K. with no safety signals detected. You may have genuine concerns about the vaccine being trialled on children but you can now be confident that for most adults, the risks from Covid are higher than the risks from being vaccinated. Chris Whitty spoke about this last night, here is the transcript in case anyone is interested:

s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.gresham.ac.uk/data/binary/3477/2020-02-10-1800_WHITTY-Vaccines-T.pdf

Original poster
coulditbeanymorerubbish · 13/02/2021 10:39

@Cornettoninja I was just curious. Guinea pigs is a turn of phrase and exactly what trial participants are. I am categorically not an anti vaxxer.

OP posts:
flapjackfairy · 13/02/2021 10:40

@Useruseruserusee
Well hopefully it won't stop at age 6 and in time they will look to protect all CEV children. On top of the weight of all the usual stuff doing its best to harm our kids on a daily basis I have found the worry about covid on top to be an almost unbearable burden at times this last year esp during hospital admissions. I also feel a bit tearful at the thought of some light at the end of a v long tunnel. Thank God for the scientists and volunteer who are working so hard to try to protect us all I say .

Original poster
coulditbeanymorerubbish · 13/02/2021 10:41

@Ethelfromnumber73 geez can't even be curious these days. Also, I haven't said I won't be vaccinated I'm waiting for more evidence.

OP posts:
MillieEpple · 13/02/2021 10:42

I think so. Each year I watch my child catch a common cold and end up hospitilised as it aggravates his asthma. I know they keep saying its only mild for children and that is probably true but i cant help feeling there is a gap between before puberty where it seems to be mild and adult where people must get coughs that could aggravate asthma.

Original poster
coulditbeanymorerubbish · 13/02/2021 10:44

@StrangerHereMyself I'm not 'throwing around rumours' and I haven't said there IS a fertility risk, I've said they don't know and have no evidence either way and I want more evidence to say it doesn't before I have the vaccine.

OP posts:
Oysterbabe · 13/02/2021 10:47

I think I would. They wouldn't be doing it if they weren't pretty sure it was safe.

My DD had open heart surgery 2 years ago, when she was 2 years old. The hospital approached us and asked if we would be prepared to take part in some research. When they stop the heart during surgery they surround it with a fluid to protect it while it's stopped. They were looking into whether warm or cold fluid gave better results. They were certain both options were safe. We agreed. I still don't know whether she got warm or cold but they said they would send us the results of the study when it's complete.
I feel like if I want the benefits of research and scientific advances I should be prepared to help where I can and the risk is very low.

Inthevirtualwaitingroom · 13/02/2021 10:48

yes i would

StrangerHereMyself · 13/02/2021 10:49

You said you “want more information on the potential affects to fertility first”. Are you saying that’s something you spontaneously and independently decided for yourself might be a problem without reading anything on the internet?

unmarkedbythat · 13/02/2021 10:50

Yes. I have been vaccinated. Most of my colleagues have. Nothing suggests to me that my DC would be at risk.