Schools should offer yearly Covid jab instead of flu

[SteakBakesAndHotTakes]

If we can have one, Covid is more common than flu, spreads more easily than flu, and although flu causes more severe illness at time of infection, repeated exposure to Covid increases the chance of long Covid for the child and the rest of the family.

I would rather both but if we had to pick one, my kids have brought home Covid four times and I would rather they be inoculated against it.

No, I'm suggesting that nobody should be making completely incorrect claims about the symptoms and duration associated with the flu virus, in any context. It's not a huge hurdle to clear...

Can you provide evidence to back up your own claims? That most flu is asymptomatic in the absence of flu vaccines?

Some CV people will be vaccinated. The category criteria has tightened. He was given food parcels every week by the Scottish government and now they don’t give a fuck about him.

Why are you asking people to back up things they've not said?

I didn't say 'most' flu was asymptomatic or even close to it, and there's good reason for that. There are wildly varying estimates for how much flu is asymptomatic, because it's so hard to get a handle on.

This gov.uk report, for example, states that estimates range from 30-50% but the proportion may depend on the strain.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6838317b5150d70c85aafab9/Green-book-chapter-19-influenza-28May2025.pdf

Other research with both higher and lower estimates exist too, which fits with what was said there. We don't know the proportion, only that it's very much a thing. This is why it's better not to use language that pretends we can be more accurate than we're actually able to be.

You'll note that it doesn't say flu 'knocks you out for two weeks and six weeks to really recover'. It also mentions fatalities, which are another example of influenza infections that don't fit within the description you provided earlier.

I didn't say 'most' flu was asymptomatic or even close to it, and there's good reason for that. There are wildly varying estimates for how much flu is asymptomatic, because it's so hard to get a handle on.

That hardly surprising, as people who are asymptomatic would surely hardly ever get tested, as from their point of view they’re not even ill. Even those who are symptomatic don’t usually take a test, they just stay in bed if they need to until they’ve recovered.

I now have chronic health conditions from the Covid vaccine. Just like thousands of others.

The doctors refuse to confirm the cause in writing so there is no evidence, and therefore no recourse to any benefits or compensation for those of us who can no longer work.

We are living a nightmare and it is being censored by the government and media.

I have always been very pro-vaccine, but please know that the data and information you are being fed is not accurate.

I think cost is a significant factor for Covid (mRNA) vaccines. I paid nearly £100 for mine.

Even frontline NHS staff entitled to flu jabs don't get COVID jabs this year !

I've wondered about this too. Considering that covid will be doing the rounds again this autumn and winter,and school age children are regarded as 'super spreaders' of anything,not just covid,it seems mad not to offer it in schools.

The Covid jab costs nearly £100 privately. I would imagine that is what is putting a lot of people off doing it privately.
DH is under 60 but entitled to free flu jab due to illness (heart disease). However, he is not entitled to Covid jab as it is much stricter. In his words, ‘if it’s dangerous for me to get flu, it’s dangerous for me to get Covid’. It’s all about money unfortunately.

People still getting them ? Clearly the most useless jab and with millions of side effects

vaccine does NOT stop you getting it. You are more likely to suffer side effects and maybe become infertile. Don’t give this to your children

Ridiculous

Eligibility for Covid jab has been vastly reduced. I was getting it last year alongside the flu jab due to having diabetes but this year the only people eligible are over 75s, in a care home or specific immune conditions.

The covid vaccine does not prevent you from getting or passing on covid, and has many drawbacks for children.

My teenage son got really ill from the Covid jab, it also messed up my periods (and that of other women I know). Also didn’t stop us getting covid multiple times. We’ve all had the flu jab at various times, including younger primary aged DD who gets the nasal spray and never had any ill side effects.

Is there any children you know that have become seriously ill through COVID ?

If not, we could start vaccinating against rhinovirus (the common cold ) ?

COVID vaccination can cause myocarditis and pericardial effusions in young males particularly.

I think I'd rather my child caught a cold , i.e COVID.

Agree

Not gonna happen. Covid jabs cost 4 to 5 times more than flu jabs.

No-one's partner/carer gets them anymore.

I also agree with the posters saying children are very unlikely to get very ill from covid. If you're an adult who is very likely to get very ill (or die) from covid, then it's sensible to have the jab. But why the heck would anyone want their child to have it?

The Covid vaccination does not prevent infection or transmission so there is no community benefit to children having it

iy offers some protection to an individual only ( short term ) hence if you’re vulnerable take it but do not expect children to have it !

Hardly. It would be unethical.

It’s not down to the schools

Doesn't mean that's not why they do it r though - its well established the children are a main transmission route and the flu vaccine is much more effective in children then the older population.
Similiar reasoning as to why they didn't roll out the chicken pox vaccine in the UK - they thought it was better for the kids to get it and circulate it around so older people would have repeated low level exposures to reduce the older people's risk of shingles. Despite the risk of complications in children and their own subsequent lifetime risk of shingles.