Would you vaccinate your children?

[mrsnw]

So children could possibly be vaccinated by the autumn term. I've had the vaccine and my children have had all the other available jabs including flu. I'm not sure where I stand with this one and I don't know why!

It's natural to feel a bit cautious OP, I can understand why it feels like a big ask. Realistically, it might not make a huge difference in terms of protecting others, but I will certainly offer your DC protection against the potential effects of COVID, and especially long COVID, which could be damaging to their future.

The risks of the vaccine are very, very low. My 19 year old daughter had it due to her clinical role and didn't feel a thing except a sore arm, and she has anaphylactic allergies, so was at more risk.

It may be important if the vaccine passports etc come in, but you can afford to take some time to think about it, it's not urgent. Personally, I would highly, highly recommend that they get it, as they have their other jabs, just because of the unknown effects COVID could have on them and their bodies. Please PM me if you want any more information, as said before, I work in biotech and specialised in immunology and have a daughter that has actually assisted the trials and done data analysis at Pfizer.

@babbaloushka The quoted point wasn’t mine but I responded to it upthread. I’d tentatively suggest that the poster meant older people responding at a societal/governmental level, not an individual one - older, wealthier generations accepting tax reform that favours the young; more government funding for Sure Start schemes, schools, child MH; potentially an end to the triple lock pension - measures that recognise the disproportionate sacrifice that young people have made and will make, and that go some way towards supporting them in what will be a very uncertain future.

Obviously many older people have individually been greatly affected too, and I’m very sorry for the loss of the lady you mentioned.

Absolutely- if it is approved.

[quote TempsPerdu]@babbaloushka The quoted point wasn’t mine but I responded to it upthread. I’d tentatively suggest that the poster meant older people responding at a societal/governmental level, not an individual one - older, wealthier generations accepting tax reform that favours the young; more government funding for Sure Start schemes, schools, child MH; potentially an end to the triple lock pension - measures that recognise the disproportionate sacrifice that young people have made and will make, and that go some way towards supporting them in what will be a very uncertain future.

Obviously many older people have individually been greatly affected too, and I’m very sorry for the loss of the lady you mentioned.[/quote]
Sorry, my mistake and I think you make an excellent point, to be honest. I would argue that vaccinating your kids isn't necessarily a sacrifice for the elderly, as it guards your children against the risks of COVID and long COVID too. Not all underlying conditions have been identified in kids, so there is still a potential threat to their health. It's not urgent though, and if you are reticent for you kids to get it, you likely have plenty of time to decide if it's something you are comfortable with, as they're not next in line.

You also can't predict if your children may become at risk in the future. A friend of mine's son has a form of leukaemia, his immune system is shot and COVID is a massive risk for him. He can't get the vaccine now, but if he had been able to get it prior to this, he would still have some protection. It's one of those things that everybody thinks will never happen to them, but it really, really could. You just can't know until it happens.

No, because the chances of covid being anything more than a mild illness for my child are minuscule. Also I gave in and had my first jab, despite me really feeling uncomfortable about it, and despite being perfectly well and healthy beforehand, I’ve not felt well since. I wish I could have the fucking thing sucked out of me.

People, if you have reservations, don’t have it. I wish I hadn’t.

@Whatisthisfuckery

No, because the chances of covid being anything more than a mild illness for my child are minuscule. Also I gave in and had my first jab, despite me really feeling uncomfortable about it, and despite being perfectly well and healthy beforehand, I’ve not felt well since. I wish I could have the fucking thing sucked out of me.

People, if you have reservations, don’t have it. I wish I hadn’t.

Make an appointment to speak to a doctor, don't warn people against getting it because of your anecdotal experience, which is contrary to the experience of nearly everyone else. I've had it and am absolutely fine, as is everyone else I know of.

By the time the vaccine is rolled out to young people a large proportion of them will already be immune after being exposed to the virus anyway. So they will have already had the risk of contracting the virus.

100% yes. I’ll protect them against everything I can. Covid is minor for children but it doesn’t mean it can’t turn nasty. A little lad in my village lost both legs from sepsis that stemmed from an ear infection & the cold that caused the ear infection. Most kids just get a sore ear & need antibiotics. This kid was horrendously unlucky.

You can’t protect them against everything but if there is something that lowers even a rare chance of something like sepsis stemming from minor illness, then I’ll give it to them like a shot.

@HamFisted

I don't know. We don't vaccinate against chickenpox, partly because it's not considered dangerous enough (though it killed 100 kids a year in America before they introduced the vaccine) and the vast majority of kids find this disease very mild, while chickenpox is often quite distressing for them, as are vaccinations in general. At the moment, I'm not sure I'd bother.

Not quite. We don’t vaccinate against chicken pox because the NHS can’t pay for it.

Yes I would. Although she’s 14 and perfectly Gillick-competent so it’s up to her.

But I know she’ll say yes. She wanted to participate in the current trials (as I am doing) but the local one wasn’t recruiting

@bumbleymummy

By the time the vaccine is rolled out to young people a large proportion of them will already be immune after being exposed to the virus anyway. So they will have already had the risk of contracting the virus.

Viral immunity doesn't last long, they may well contract it again, or a more dangerous variant.

Mine are 19 and 15, they've already said they will have it.

My DD (17) has had her first dose - no side effects and will get her 2nd when its due...

Yes

Yes, my DS has epilepsy and can get very ill with that from e.g. a virus. DD is younger and doesn't have any underlying conditions but if it would prevent her spreading it to us/her teachers then yes for her too.

I'd do it today if I could.

Definitely. Ds2 is 17 and CV, but doesn’t fit the categories for child vaccination.

His specialist made sure he gets the annual flu jab, as even a cold can make him ill enough to need inpatient care and leave him bedridden for months, but he still doesn’t qualify for the Covid vaccination.

Some teens with his conditions have been vaccinated, but only those who have a longstanding relationship with a really good specialist who was willing to stand up for them. Our GP will not even discuss it with us and ds has just, mid-pandemic, changed to adult services for his medical care, so his old specialist is no longer involved. It beggars belief that a child who, in 2019, missed an entire term of education and was bedridden for months, due to a cold and is vaccinated annually against flu, isn’t being protected from Covid.

Dh and I have had our first dose, due to age, but we have two other dc. One attending secondary school, the other on a work placement and I am so worried they will bring it home to ds2.

He/we won’t be able to return to some semblance of normality when the UK does start to open up again, as we will still need to protect him. He has only left the house three times in a year, once for his flu jab, once for a vital medical test and once for a hospital appointment.

He said to me the other day that he feels like the NHS/GOV don’t think his life is important enough to protect. He is usually the most upbeat, level headed, optimistic person you could meet, but it’s really getting to him now.

There are still questions unanswered and until then no thanks.

@PermanentlyDizzy am sorry your GP has been intransigent on this - we were fortunate that our GP accepted our views that DD was group 6 due to her eating disorder. Have adult services indicated they'd write in support of a move to group 6?

Yes absolutely

Yes 100%

@Roselilly36

No, can’t see why healthy children would need it.

Healthy children can still end up with long covid.

@millenialblush

No. The vaccines are on trial, even for adults, until 2023. Also, no vaccine is 'safe', they are deemed 'safe' when the risk is considered less than the overall reward, but every dose given comes with a risk, including risk of death. Why would anyone risk that when the risk from covid is so minimal? We have no data on long term effects. Yesterday there was a thread on here about women experiencing odd periods after having the vaccine, even that raised alarm bells for me.

I've no doubt that the long term goal is to vaccinate children and probably eventually mandatory vaccines. It's no longer a conspiracy theory.

Completely agree! I'm really surprised the amount of people that would get their children vaccinated tbh . If the child has known underlining conditions I get it though.

No, they don't need it.