Under 50's won't receive the vaccination

[starfro]

Although this is entirely reasonable given that for this age group risks are similar to flu (in under 25s flu is actually more deadly, the slight reverse is true over 25), it does raise a number of points:

1. Herd immunity will not be achieved by vaccination alone, and will be achieved by a combination of vaccination and infection.

1. Anyone under 50 who has been negatively impacted by lockdowns (job loss etc) has done this entirely to protect the vulnerable/elderly.

1. Is it therefore reasonable as a compromise to isolate the over 50's and reopen the economy for under 50s? Most under 50's are going to get it anyway in the next few years, and this won't overload the NHS as the bulk of admissions come from the elderly.

1. There seems to be this ridiculous idea that we will re-emerge from restrictions next year all "safe" and vaccinated. This isn't the case. Any healthy under 50 that is worried is going to have to learn to live with the tiny risk the virus presents, in the same way they have to deal with other small risks (younger people aren't screened for certain cancers due to much lower risks for example).

I’m 54. I’m not staying at home indefinitely- I have 3 jobs!

I'm 51 and have a teenager with complex needs ( but not particularly clinically vulnerable). If I had to isolate he would go into residential care costing hundreds of thousands a year as would the thousands of other children and adults with similar needs. The system is not set up for this. How high taxes do you want to pay?

I'm 53 and am an academic in a university. Your post implies that society should just shut all these people away as they are over the hill. In fact they are probably running the country in one way or another. You need to revise your discriminatory views.

I am late 40s and don’t feel any older than I did in my 30s really and haven’t seen a doctor since I have birth to my youngest 14 years ago.
I don’t expect that this will change dramatically when I hit 50.
I also have a senior position at work and can’t leave the young once to fend for themselves 😂

Obviously cannot spell in old age😒

I'm a healthy 52 year old single parent (widow), with a 13 year old, a 15 year old and a job which I can't do from home. I definitely do not want to be locked away!

I would rather see half the population freely spending money and keeping the economy going, rather than everyone being locked down, which is where I fear things are going. 50% income for a business is much better than zero.

That will depend on the running costs of business. For many if they only have 50% of the customers they will be making a loss.

@samandpoppysmummy

I'm a healthy 52 year old single parent (widow), with a 13 year old, a 15 year old and a job which I can't do from home. I definitely do not want to be locked away!

And unless your 13 year old and 15-year-olds were locked away it would be pretty pointless.

Interestingly, there are a number of experts globally that support low risk individuals being released from lockdown. I'm in a local lockdown area where we're all locked away anyway so I support letting people who are happy to risk assess and choose to take the risk resume their normal lives.

They are not just assessing their own risk though . if they catch it they could pass it on to someone else. I'm not happy for some numpty to do their own risk assessment if that affects me.

The JCVI report fo 25 September on which all the recent publicity was based includes the u50s.

Healthy young people, who are not HCPs or care workers are the lowest priority (not excluded, just in the lowest criterion)

Seems like a good enough plan to me.

Especially as it's all caveatted anyhow that if the first type/s that become available are unsuitable for the elderly, they'll change the order (not wait for one which can be used for current priority list)

@lovelemoncurd

I'm 53 and am an academic in a university. Your post implies that society should just shut all these people away as they are over the hill. In fact they are probably running the country in one way or another. You need to revise your discriminatory views.

Not "over the hill", but rather what the medical experts deem at greater risk. It's not me discriminating, it's the virus.

What do you suggest as an alternative? All lockdown until every over 50 gets vaccinated, then open up (in the meantime millions lose their jobs)? This is what the current course of events looks like.

You'd rather see other people locked down for no good reason? People in secure jobs haven't had the 6 months of sleepless nights worrying about their business collapsing and how they are going to pay the mortgage. There are bigger worries out there for a lot or people than not being able to go to the pub for a few months.

You'd rather see other people locked down for no good reason? People in secure jobs haven't had the 6 months of sleepless nights worrying about their business collapsing and how they are going to pay the mortgage. There are bigger worries out there for a lot or people than not being able to go to the pub for a few months.

You talk as if only people at low risk have other worries .People over 50 and those with underlying conditions also have those worries too. They may also have worries about getting hospital treatment which will only be worse if there are a lot more Covid cases. It's not either/or. Many people have all those things to worry about. At least you don't have to worry about catching Covid and dying,

And unless your 13 year old and 15-year-olds were locked away it would be pretty pointless.

It would be the same for us if they decided to lock away DH (not that I can see him complying!) as I would still be going out and about.

Society will fall apart if everyone over 50 isolated. You might live in some fantasy world where everyone over 50 is retired and has no responsibilities but that is not the real world.

yabvvu to call over 50s elderly

plenty of over 50s in certain sectors now are still not working at all or very much in order to keep schools and unis open so lots are making sacrifices for others

hate all this Covid competitiveness stuff as though some are more important than others.

There are some seriously pissed off over 50's on this thread!!!
We economy will grind to a halt without them, so they won't be going anywhere is my best bet.

I do think it says something about the sacrifices the rest of society are making though...

All lockdown until every over 50 gets vaccinated, then open up (in the meantime millions lose their jobs)?

You can't vaccinate everyone over 50. As I've said before, I won't be having the vaccine!

There are some seriously pissed off over 50's on this thread!!!

You betcha

Slopes off to her bedroom with a cup of Horlicks. See ya next year

I mean I am kinda wishing I was over 50!! I could do with a mini lockdown so I could check out of life for a bit - what a lovely thought!!

@Friendsoftheearth

I mean I am kinda wishing I was over 50!! I could do with a mini lockdown so I could check out of life for a bit - what a lovely thought!!

I assume you don't have any children at home because it would be a bit difficult to check out of life for a bit whether or not you are over 50.

As a thirty something I really hate this notion of locking away older people. I mean if we are doing that then why not lock away anyone who is in the obese category as well? Or BAME people? They are shown to be at increased risk too.

Why can’t we all as a society take a bit of responsibility for our actions? Instead people seem to be taking the attitude of ‘nothing to do with me, I’m not at risk.’

Of course we have to keep the economy and life going but really we need to all work together to protect everyone. Let’s not forget that death is not the only awful outcome of Covid. Although younger people are at a much less risk of dying there is still the risk of becoming very very unwell and then the prospect of living with the consequences of this nasty virus. x

@Friendsoftheearth

I mean I am kinda wishing I was over 50!! I could do with a mini lockdown so I could check out of life for a bit - what a lovely thought!!

As well as assuming the over 50s are not home schooling, you're also assuming they won't be working from home.

The man in charge of the Birmingham and Solihull CCG said:

I understand the target groups will be the over 65s and vulnerable, the 50-64s who have some other feature than their age, and anyone of a BME background over the age of 18, so that's a pretty massive population for us to be thinking about

Which makes sense. But will the non-vulnerable under 50s just be released from restrictions when everyone else is vaccinated to spread infection between themselves? I really feel for the students and young adults.

Which makes sense. But will the non-vulnerable under 50s just be released from restrictions when everyone else is vaccinated to spread infection between themselves? I really feel for the students and young adults.

We will probably have herd immunity by then or be pretty close to it once you take into account those who have already been infected.

I'm 58, there's nothing wrong with me. There's no way I'm going to locked away. I work full time. And it amazes me that almost all the same people who are clamouring for society to be opened & the elderly & vulnerable shielded are those proclaiming loudly about people shut away in Care Homes & unable to see their loved ones. Think about that for a minute.