To not get DS vaccinated

[Florence282]

I think this probably not allowed but I'm very interested to see what the general population thinks about vaccinating our DC. DS is 12 and after a tonne of research we've decided not to vaccinate. Other mums in the school are struggling to make a decision.

Yanbu=no to the vaccine
Yabu=yes to the vaccine

Mine are young adults and so far only one has been vaxed as their risk profile is different due to medical issues. It doesn’t stack up for the others and yes, they have caught Covid and only knew it because of testing positive, no symptoms whereas DH and I were sick as dogs (pre vax availability). My kids have always been fully vaxed, believe in vax but at this point it’s at starting to take the piss a little for young healthy people to keep making sacrifice after sacrifice for those in care homes or vulnerable, there has to be a limit at some point. Their vulnerable sibling has been double jabbed and we are all happy and comfortable with that living under the same roof.

@Sprayedwithdettol

The OP has since clarified she has a science background. Which makes her confusion over the vaccine all the more astonishing.
As does the fact she neglected to mention her scientific credentials in her OP.

One might almost sense a faint whiff of Eau de Agenda.

@Incognito22333

I was on the fence regarding my 13 year old. However, having spoken to a number of friends who are GPs and whose children 12-15 will not be having the vaccine, we are not getting it either now. That tells me enough.

What were their reasons for not getting them done? Did they have different reasons or was it one main one?

I have a few medical friends (mainly nursing staff) who jumped at getting their kids vaccinated, but I don't personally know any GPs.

@millymolls

It’s not selfish

I hate this narrative about protecting others

Of course there is varying Information but scientific data published ( not just media reports) show that a vaccinated person and unvaccinated person chance of catching and passing are astonishingly similar. There is very little difference.

This vaccine ( which is not a vaccine in its traditional sense) was designed to reduce severity of illness not to prevent catching or transmission. Therefore vaccinating teens is not going to prevent them catching it, passing it, or protecting anyone who is vulnerable and it is naive of anyone who thinks that their vaccinated teen is now ‘safe’ to be around their medically vulnerable grandparent.

And based on statistics which even jvci stated for most teens it’s not necessary. Politics is pushing it, not scientific evidence

Mine won’t be having it, for reasons as above and simply because I want to see long term effects first. Maybe in a few years I’ll feel different

Link to the statistics please? Because most of us have seen the JCVI statement about benefits outweighing risks, but oddly, not the opposite.

I have a teenage son and we've said no for now, my son doesn't want to yet either.

Another parent in the school rang to cancel her daughters appointment for the vaccine and the receptionist mentioned that the reason she couldn't get through was because the majority of calls that morning were vaccination cancellations for teens.

My son had covid and had no symptoms whatsoever, so when I weighed up how I know he has reacted to covid against how I don't know he'll react to the jab, we're going with a delay.

If you say no now, you can always change your mind

Ive been very unsure. I've been vaccinated. I haven't consented for my teenage son to be though. I am concerned after hearing what the JCVI said. My feeling is he can always have it in the future but once it's done, it's done

@edwinbear

YANBU OP. DS turned 12 end of August so only just 12 as well. DH and I are double jabbed, DS will have HPV and flu vaccines, DD (9) will have flu. Both have had all childhood immunisations.

I've just declined consent for DS to have the Covid vaccine because of the increased risk of myocarditis in boys - I would make a different decision for DD if she was old enough to have it. DS is an elite athlete in a CV intensive sport, his training/competitive schedule is between 15-20 hours a week and I'm not prepared to take any risks with his heart. He's had 3 periods of self isolation due to close contact so far, there are a number of his close school friends who have tested positive over the last few weeks. None of his peers have had any symptoms other than a slight sore throat and runny nose, and given he plays a full contact sport with many of them, I suspect he's probably already had it and been asymptomatic (despite regularly testing negative with LFT's which clearly aren't terribly accurate).

For him, personally, the risks outweigh the benefits. I don't think it's black and white with children and it's a situation where families need to be allowed and respected to take a decision in their DC's best interests.

The risk of myocarditis in your son is 3-6 cases every 1 million doses. He's more than 100 times more likely to spontaneously develop myocarditis.

@Comedycook

Ive been very unsure. I've been vaccinated. I haven't consented for my teenage son to be though. I am concerned after hearing what the JCVI said. My feeling is he can always have it in the future but once it's done, it's done

It concerned you that they said benefits outweighed risks? Really? How bizarre.

No it was not aimed at transmission
All the research on mRNA technology is about limiting the effect and outcome of the illness To those vaccinated
And based on the fact that teens typically have mild symptoms ( even mr whitty states this fir those that respect him), the virus statistically to this age group is less dangerous than flu ( and we don’t all vaccinate teens each year for that ) therefore each parent should weigh up the risks and benefits for their own children without this hysteria and pressure out on them

My preteen and teenager aren't being vaccinated for now.
We all agree.
In my opinion it is unnecessary.
Adults are all fully vaccinated.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study

This is what concerns me, as such, we'll be waiting until there is more information available.

@millymolls

No it was not aimed at transmission All the research on mRNA technology is about limiting the effect and outcome of the illness To those vaccinated And based on the fact that teens typically have mild symptoms ( even mr whitty states this fir those that respect him), the virus statistically to this age group is less dangerous than flu ( and we don’t all vaccinate teens each year for that ) therefore each parent should weigh up the risks and benefits for their own children without this hysteria and pressure out on them

Obviously severe infection was the primary outcomes in the initial clinical trials but that doesn't mean they only hoped to reduce severe outcomes. The trials would have had to be much larger and longer if they wanted to demonstrate reduced transmission. Studies have looked at whether vaccines reduce transmission since though and they do.

@edwinbear

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study

This is what concerns me, as such, we'll be waiting until there is more information available.

Just be aware that while waiting he may catch covid and that also carrys a risk of myocarditis which may be more severe. There's no risk free option.

www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133462-800-myocarditis-is-more-common-after-covid-19-infection-than-vaccination/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58772671

@edwinbear

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study

This is what concerns me, as such, we'll be waiting until there is more information available.

This is a bit of a false equivalence though, isn't it?

The article states;

"Their analysis of medical data suggests that boys aged 12 to 15, with no underlying medical conditions, are four to six times more likely to be diagnosed with vaccine-related myocarditis than ending up in hospital with Covid over a four-month period."

But vaccine-related myocarditis is usually very mild and treated with ibuprofen. Ending up in hospital with covid is obviously not a comparable outcome.

Surely it obviously makes more sense to compare myocarditis with the vaccine against myocarditis with covid, and to compare hospitalisation with vaccine side effects with hospitalisation with covid?

It's a bit like saying "you're more likely to have an achey arm after the flu vaccine than you are to die after getting the flu, therefore I won't get the flu vaccine".

@pureofmind

Do not get your children vaccinated! It's a new drug that hasn't had enough time and research done for little bodies to handle ! It messes up adults imagine what it can do to little people ! I agree you totally OP

You could say the same thing about covid.

@Geamhradh

Did the JCVI recommend vaccinating all children aged 12-15 or not?

Assuming you mean for Covid, your decision.
We would foremost because it would help our personal circumstances, though I think we probably still would anyway.

Do personal medical decisions really belong on AIBU?

I'm not going to vote because your family are free to make their own choices.

DD 12 has had her vaccination. DS 13 will have his next week. I'm very comfortable with our choice. No votes required.

@Notonthestairs

Do personal medical decisions really belong on AIBU?

I'm not going to vote because your family are free to make their own choices.

DD 12 has had her vaccination. DS 13 will have his next week. I'm very comfortable with our choice. No votes required.

What a weird post. People discuss all sorts of personal things on these boards.

@WouldBeGood

I’m torn about it *@Florence282*.

Double jagged and pro vaccine. But it wasn’t recommended by the JCVI, who are the experts, and there are risks to teenage boys. I am happier that it’s now one dose for them, but still think really that it’s unnecessary.

There are also the way it’s messed with menstrual cycles so clearly has effects on hormones in some cases. It’s a worry!

And the fact that having Covid gives better immunity. So I’m thinking on it, for all these reasons.

The messing with menstrual cycles is thought to be down to inflammation from the immune response, not hormonal.

www.bbc.com/news/health-56901353

@minatrina but the article also states:

Healthy boys may be more likely to be admitted to hospital with a rare side-effect of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine that causes inflammation of the heart than with Covid itself, US researchers claim.

Their analysis of medical data suggests that boys aged 12 to 15, with no underlying medical conditions, are four to six times more likely to be diagnosed with vaccine-related myocarditis than ending up in hospital with Covid over a four-month period.

Most children who experienced the rare side-effect had symptoms within days of the second shot of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, though a similar side-effect is seen with the Moderna jab. About 86% of the boys affected required some hospital care, the authors said.

Ds14 has COVID now and has been unable to do anything other than lie on the sofa for 2 weeks. I am like many, and find the issues around the vaccine confusing. I do not know if he would have been less ill with the jab. However I do think if he had been offered it earlier then he would have wanted to have it.

I really dislike the tone of some posters on here. Anyone with any hesitancy or concern is basically viewed as being a bit thick and less enlightened than them. Or they must be a nutty conspiracy theorist.

Nobody should be having their children vaccinated because of peer or media pressure. It should be a well thought out decision for more legitimate reasons than - 'cos my mates had it' which is, I fear, why many will.

DH and I in our forties have had our Covid jabs but our children will not be unless it's decided otherwise at some point.