Would you have your infant/toddler vaccinated?

[doireallyneedaname]

Partner and I have both had our first Covid jabs. Our toddler has had all his immunisations so far too.

I’ve been thinking about what I’d have done had there been a Covid vaccine available for a baby of our age (1)

Honestly, I don’t think I would have gone ahead with it. The risk to babies and small children is so minuscule but they’ve got their whole lives ahead of them. I don’t believe the Covid vaccines to be unsafe at all but there is still that “what if” in the back of my mind regarding long term effects, though everything I’ve read suggests it’s highly unlikely.

I feel quite torn about this decision and I’m curious to know how others feel as I’m sure we’ll have something available for this age group in the near future.

@bumbleymummy he has had his first vaccine but as the reason he is vulnerable is because he has a suppressed immune system we don’t know how effect the vaccine will be for him.

I wonder how the government will encourage vaccines for this age group after spending all this time saying kids are fine?

@titchy

Does anyone bat an eyelid at primary aged children being given the flu vaccine which isn't for their benefit? No, so they won't for covid either in a year or two because it'll be normal.

Flu actually kills children!

No, children get this extremely mildly or with no symptoms at all.

If it's approved for use in children and there is an annual rollout, I'd be happy for my children to have it. They always get their flu vaccination when it's offered too.

Fair enough @Thatwentbadly. Hopefully he will have enough of a response to it. I know there was a study recently showing that vaccine immunity waned faster in older populations due to immunosenescence but Iirc this just meant a recommendation for more regular boosters. It may be the same for those with suppressed immune responses for other reasons.

But it may become necessary for children otherwise we may all have to be in and out of lockdowns forever.

No, I really don’t think we will be using lockdowns once the more vulnerable populations have been vaccinated.

I’m not 100% but that’s mainly because the risk to my child is not Covid, it’s our response to Covid. If vaccinating her age group is the only way to get us back to a full and proper life, without restrictions, then I would. If it’s not, I’m not yet convinced.

Yes, once it is licensed for children I have no issue with them being vaccinated against COVID, in the same way as they receive their other childhood vaccines.

Just adding that flu kills hundreds of children in America alone, it’s nothing like COVID which simply isn’t as lethal for children.

I would want to see babies being born to people that have been vaccinated before I was 100% comfortable. I’m massively pro vaccines and actually almost embarrassed to be anything but completely gung ho, it’s just something I have had in the back of my mind.

Yes 100%. For one, if it stops all this bloody isolation shit. But mainly because I’ll vaccinate my kids against anything to protect them. Yep, covid seems extremely low risk but any illness can turn nasty. Lovely little boy in my village lost both legs to sepsis that started from an ear infection 😭 we obviously can’t wrap them in cotton wool & shit happens but any protection I can offer them then I will.

Also, if it continues to be proven to help stop the spread, I’d also vaccinate them to protect their grandparents as much as possible.

100%
We have been shielding our 6 year old for a year now. No school or anything.
We need our lives back.

No

“ Babies aren't vaccinated for flu I assume because the cost benefit isn't there - given that the flu vaccine is cheap as chips I therefore assume there aren't large numbers of babies being so ill from flu they are hospitalised - so I'm wondering where OP gets the idea from that flu is this big dangerous thing for babies (horrible for an individual baby of course, but I didn't think it was particularly dangerous to the baby population as a whole).

Children are vaccinated against flu solely to prevent them spreading to the vulnerable. Does that clarify?”

No, you’re still contradicting yourself. So why not vaccinate the babies too then, if children are only vaccinated to avoid spreading to the vulnerable? Why are babies different?

I really don’t think we will be using lockdowns once the more vulnerable populations have been vaccinated.

I wish that was true, and it might possibly be, but it's not guaranteed. Not at all.

The trouble is that if Covid spreads among children, who don't get physically ill but can still catch it and spread it, then we could have infected children exposing vaccinated adults to the virus. And if many vaccinated people are exposed to the virus many times, over many months, then that creates the conditions for breeding and spreading virus mutations that can overcome the vaccines. Vaccinating everyone including children is likely to be necessary so that doesn't happen.

Scientists don't yet know what ages need to be vaccinated to stop that happening. It may not be necessary for little children and babies. But Covid's a moving target so who knows.

Not a chance in hell.

My children have and will sacrifice enough for the benefit of the over 80s as it is, when there is minimal risks to them from Covid.

I will happily have the vaccine as society expects it from me even though my risk is also very low. Plus in the unlikely event if it goes horribly wrong then I've had at least half my life expectancy. But not a chance for my children.

Yes, I would have my two year old vaccinated once it's passed the third stage trials and been approved. I feel a bit selfish that I wouldn't put him up for a trial, I would just worry so much just in case. Same reason I didn't volunteer myself.

He'll have the flu vaccine next autumn and I'll pleased, it worries me as it's quite dangerous for young children.

There was an informal study on long-covid in children. Informal because it was based on questionnaires sent out to the parents of children who'd had covid, so there was likely a bias towards those still seeing problems, however, the extent of long-term symptoms was quite shocking, with a large % reporting multiple symptoms (headache, stomach problems, fatigue etc) in their children months later! Most parents reported a long term drop in their child's energy levels.

I'd say this is enough of a concern to want to protect kids from the virus - PROVIDING the vaccine is proven safe for this age range.

Just because kids aren't dying, it doesn't mean we shouldn't still be concerned about them.

A report on long-covid in children here:
www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/02/long-covid-uk-children-date-cause-concern-scientists-say

One issue, she said, is the sizeable gap between acute infection and long Covid kicking off. Some children are initially asymptomatic or have mild symptoms but then it might be six or seven weeks before they start experiencing long Covid symptoms, which can range from standard post-viral fatigue and headaches to neuropsychiatric symptoms such as seizures, or even skin lesions.

Twitter thread here:
twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1363473889951637504

Still a lot of unknowns, but it's certain to say that there's plenty to be concerned about.

Probably not, I have had both of my vaccines 21 days apart (HCP) and my DS age 2 still breastfeeds so any antibodies will be passed onto him anyway. Plus the risk to children is very low. Never say never though

No, I wouldn't.

Yes, once it's approved.

Both for their own protection & for the protection of others, especially for the protection of other unable to be vaccinated.

Yes.

Whilst covid doesn’t seem to cause serious illness in children I’m nervous of reports of internal damage in adults with otherwise asymptomatic infections. It’s not a massive leap (for me at least) that the same could be occurring in children. Whilst this is unknown I’m eager for a children’s version to be approved.

Yes, it is important for everyone that we leave as few gaps for virus mutations as possible and I've no particular desire for him to be ill unnecessarily. I've had the vaccine while breastfeeding, so he'll be getting a free hit of antibodies now anyway, it'd be more of a booster for him.

I think we’re a long way off small children being vaccinated.I’d be interested to see if it becomes something that children have when they hit 11 or 12.