Will the vaccine be mandatory?

[CathyandHeathcliff]

When and if there’s a vaccine, will we all be instructed to have it?
I don’t get the flu jab and never have.

[CountFosco]

I work as a scientist in the pharma industry. I have previously worked on vaccine development. I am very pro vaccines and always encourage people to have vaccines (although agree with the point about chicken pox vaccine vs shingles risk).

But we have no compulsary medical treatments. The right to refuse treatment is a fundamental right. We do not live in a totalitarian state and we believe in the right to privacy.

[awkwardbuttons]

CountFosco, what do you mean about shingles?

[goldpartyhat]

No of course not, this is a democracy

[CountFosco]

The NHS don't vaccinate children against chicken pox despite there being a vaccine available. The immunity conferred by the vaccine doesn't last a lifetime. Chickenpox is generally a mild disease in childhood but shingles (caused by the same virus) is a more serious disease in adulthood. Therefore it is better (at a community level) to have a constant low level of children getting chickenpox and exposing adults to boost their immunity so fewer people get shingles. NHS website explaining.

[BighouseLittlemouse]

Re shingles - as I understand it the risk to the individual who had the vaccine isn’t greater ( infact I think there is some early research that the vaccine may also confer some immunity against shingles )but that children getting chicken pox assists at a community level against adults getting shingles.

There is now however a shingles vaccination.

I’m not sure the evidence on the chicken pox vaccine fading is conclusive yet? Partly because chicken pox is still circulating in countries who have vaccinated the longest ( Japan).

[oralengineer]

This pandemic is likely to see globally mandatory health certificates in order to travel. Since travel appears to have spread Coronavirus so rapidly with such dramatic economical effects no country is going to allow travellers to cross borders without proof of vaccination or immunity.
I suspect the USA may be the first. And you may find some countries operating quarantine at point of entry as this situation clears. The eco warriors will be delighted.
I’m interested to see how the climate is reacting, whether air quality is improving in the big cities. I’m not a big climate change geek but have a curious scientific brain. Will this blip cause a significant change in climate statistics to show whether a reduction in the use of fossil fuels registers.

[byvirtue]

No it won’t be mandatory under a Conservative government. I suspect when available it will be rolled out to nhs staff and the vulnerable before filtering into other groups of society.

[OhCrumbsWhereNow]

Yes I would have it.

I hope it is mandatory for anyone without a valid medical reason not to have it.

I would restrict services to those who decline vaccination for non-medical reasons in a heartbeat. Unvaccinated children (for non-medical reasons) should not be entitled to use state school provisions - their parents are unbelievably selfish and ignorant.

[sadpapercourtesan]

No, it won't be mandatory. This isn't a fascist state (yet).

[OhCrumbsWhereNow]

My DD is vaccinated against everything possible including chicken pox - I have an immuno-compromised DH and a close relative (child) who can't be immunised due to treatment for a brain tumour.

Also grew up in a country where children regularly died of diseases that we are lucky enough to be offered protection against.

[MitziK]

I would imagine that once the anti vaxxers start losing their children's grandparents, they might feel slightly differently. At present, whilst they've mostly been vaccinated and their parents have either been vaccinated or have survived the other childhood diseases, they've got survivor bias. Start losing grandparents in the thousands and a significant proportion will secretly change their mind.

Or they'll just demand that their parents have the vaccine do they don't have to 'risk' their child being contaminated.

[awkwardbuttons]

BighouseLittlemouse that's what I read too. The decision not to vaccinate in the UK is mostly cost based - you can actually find the minutes of the meeting online where this is discussed and decided. They could just vaccinate children against chicken pox and give adults the varicella vaccine for shingles. They don't because it costs too much. Also, children who are vaccinated against chicken pox are very unlikely to get shingles later in life (barring get chicken pox and then later shingles). We chose to vaccinate.

[Frequency]

Do they think they've just a) thrown together a heap of untested ingredients in the hope it makes us immune to a previously unknown virus or b) taken a known, working and safe vaccine or one near to completion and already in the stages of testing and modified it slightly before putting it through rigorous tests?

Considering there were already universal flu vaccines in the late stages of development, I'm gonna go with B.

[PeppaisaBitch]

I'm not anti vaccine and myself and children are up to date. But I will not be taking this vaccine. It has already skipped many steps to rush it out so quickly. There are no telling what the long term effects will be. What about thalidomide? What about the six men whose organs failed trialing a drug. Rushing drugs out is not a gamble I will take.

[Snoooozzze]

I understand that everyone has their own opinions on this subject but there's a difference between an opinion (which can be ignored) and wilful ignorance of facts (which can result in widespread illness and death)

I think a vaccine for such a fast spreading and infection virus should be mandatory but we're a long way off a vaccine at the minute.

When we have a viable vaccine I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect anyone unwilling to accept this should be made to wear medic alert bracelet stating their unvaccinated status and (similar to non compliance to vaccinating your pets) any illness contracted as a result of a preventable/vaccinatable disease would be chargeable for any treatment needed - signing a disclaimer if necessary.

Just my opinion though

[Frequency]

Wasn't thalidomide a completely new drug? and iirc that trail in which the men got sick was illegal and not supported by proper medical staff or insurers.

flu vaccines have been around for ages. They haven't created something totally new. They've modified what they already had as they do every year to cover the most common flu strains that season.

[LastTrainEast]

CathyandHeathcliff if I had my way it would not be mandatory, but are you currently being careful not to get the virus? and when WE have all been vaccinated will you go out freely knowing we have taken the risk for you? Was that your plan?

[littlemixarerubbish]

I don't think the OP said that she wouldn't have it, and in her second post she says she wasn't anti-vax, she was just asking a question. Not having the flu jab doesn't mean anything. Most people don't have it unless they are in a high risk group or are healthcare workers.

Can we give the OP a break?!

[PeppaisaBitch]

and when WE have all been vaccinated will you go out freely knowing we have taken the risk for you?

So you agree there's a risk?

[safariboot]

Many instances of the medical profession making serious mistakes. Thalidomide, hernia mesh, etc etc.

I actually think mandatory vaccination creates a moral hazard. The vaccine producers no longer need to convince the people that it's safe, which means they have less incentive to ensure it is safe.

[lyralalala]

If there is any attempt to make a vaccine mandatory then the Vaccine Damage fund needs to be overhauled and we need to stop putting people through years of fighting for deserved compensation.

The hoops those who developed Narcolepsy from the swine flu vaccination were put through (and are still jumping through) are ridiculous. Especially considering it was a known issue.

[penisbeakers]

I bloody hope so.

[CrunchyCarrot]

My two penneth on this subject is that no, the vaccine should not be mandatory. I think it will be as with the 'flu, since it mainly kills those who are over 60, it'll be strongly recommended along with the flu jab. Whether that becomes a seasonal thing will depend on whether this virus mutates readily. I think the current experiences we are having will be enough for many people to queue up to have it.

We should always be given a choice. Vaccinations do not suit everyone for a variety of reasons. I am not an anti-vaxxer, but I have seen people adversely affected by the flu jab, for example, and as a result they have not had it again.

[teainthetardis]

I don’t understand people who proudly announce that they don’t get the flu jab. Just why

[CrunchyCarrot]

I don’t understand people who proudly announce that they don’t get the flu jab. Just why

I don't have the jab. It's because I have an autoimmune disease and I know quite a few folk who also have the same autoimmune disease and have reacted badly to the jab. I don't want that to happen to me. Also I have had the flu 4 times in my life so maybe have less fear of it.