Would you let your 4yo choose whether to be vaccinated?

[Dramatic]

I'm talking about the flu vaccine not the infant vaccines.

Talking to a mum outside school this morning, our kids are both in reception and we were talking about them getting the flu vaccine at school in a couple of days. She then said her daughter won't be getting it because she asked her if she wanted it and her daughter said no. Is this a normal thing to do? I hadn't even thought to ask my daughter, surely they're far too young to understand the decision they're making? Would you put that choice on a child this young?

It’s not clear which option means what so I haven’t voted.

I wonder if the stupid woman allows her dearest to decide whether or not to stop when crossing the road? It's a form a neglect to let a child make decisions which could affect their lives. No doubt when her nutty ideas cause problems it will be down everyone else to sort it out.

It's because people don't actually see the consequences of flu in children. They think it's bad cold. So many people claim they have flu, when they actually just have a bad cold and cough.

They don't ponder for a moment why the government spends £££££££ every single year on immunisation of young, vulnerable and elderly population.

Ofc it's not normal.

Children who can give informed consent have a right to refuse vaccinations.

However a child of four is not old enough to do so.

They're not that bad, neither were blood tests without local anaesthetic cream or spray (I had plenty of those as a child, too). Seeing as this one is just a puff of stuff up the nose, there's not even learned reluctance from others being wallies about 'Ohh, aren't you brave having horrible needles?' and suchlike.

WTAF? I'm more concerned about the mum being competent never mind the 4 year old. She sounds like a complete nutjob and totally unfit to be a parent.

Ludicrous. We are doomed.

These sorts of things are easy to say today

If you'd lived through the era of children in iron lungs with polio

Children dying of diphtheria, TB, measles, typhoid, suffering badly with German measles and Chicken pox, even smallpox, you might think differently.

A tiny little needle prick in the arm is NOTHING

(and the needles back then weren't tiny - but our parents didn't care. They just wanted us alive and healthy)

No. Vaccines, seatbelts and toothbrushing are non negotiable.

I have known similar stupid parents though who won't lay the law down with their children.

Nope - as their legal guardian and parent, I make the call until they are an adult in relation to their immunisation programme - including getting the flu vaccine and Covid vaccines and any other new vaccines that may come out because of requirements to be vaccinated.

The flu vaccine for a 4 yr old is as far as I'm aware, a nasal spray and not a needle, and as such I'd be wondering if the 4 yr old would even be aware of that.

No because if I put a lot of choices to my 4 year old we would be living in the midst of 100% complete and utter chaos.

Any 4 year old would disagree with what I'm about to say... But sometimes they don't know it all and they aren't always right.

I "force" my 11 year old but let my 14 year old choose for the flu vaccination this year. They are healthy so they don't really "need" it but I prefer to avoid them getting really ill. I explained it to my 14 year old and he said he wanted it 🙏 but I would never ask a 4 year old that question because he has no way of understanding what a vaccine is and how it works. Also a bad habit because some vaccinations have to be taken and he might throw a fit. Not very nice to burden a child with taking decisions he doesn't have the maturity for.

It's like asking a child if they want to go to the dentist, of course they'll say no!!

I can't remember how old DD was when I started asking her if she wants it, but I started at some point in primary school. She's in secondary now and still says yes , as long as it's the one up her nose.

Not so much intelligence as common sense testing!

Of course not. If I'd be allowed to make my own decisions when I was 4, I'd be living on chocolate pudding, dancing my way into busy roads pretending to be a ballerina, and wearing filthy shoes to bed.
Parent your damn child.

Of course children would say no

Have any of you had the ACTUAL FLU ?? as opposed to a. It of a virus !?

If you did then you would NEVER be asking this question and would be doing EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO PREVENT YOIR CHILDREN FROM FACING DEATH...!!

Don't be so ridiculous as to chance the odds

Most 14 year olds are considered competent enough to make their own medical decision. Like it or not, she could legally override your decision.

From what my children tell me less than half the pupils in their classes had flu spray when they were done in school a fortnight ago. It’s interesting how strongly Mumsnet posters feel about flu vaccines when almost every parent I speak to is pretty apathetic about them at best. I think national take up is only fractionally over half of school age kids.

Mine are vaccinated, but really only because it’s offered at school and I figure they might as well. I’m not sure I’d take them to a specific clinic for it - I am absolutely committed to most vaccinations but flu spray I’m less bothered about.

I wouldn’t ask a four year old, but I am bemused by the notion of forcing it on a teenager - I think by that point they’re old enough to decide minor medical things for themselves.

At 14 I would hope to have a reasoned discussion. At 4 - no way. At 4 years old my DC was still very much 'why, mummy, why' every 5 minutes and pretending to be a dog. That doesn't really fit in with decisions about their future health.

Yeah but how many 14 year olds can look after themselves if they become really poorly? At 14 my daughters choice to not have a vaccine would effect me and perhaps others in the family. (Well it would if I gave her the choice. There isn’t one! She’s having it.)

The chances of her ignoring me are pretty much slim to none as well so I’m pretty confident.

No, I wouldn't be giving them the choice until 18.

while I absoloutely agree that children should have it, how will you enforce it?