Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Would you vaccinate your child?

277 replies

rolloverrosie · 23/04/2021 11:28

Have just seen a post (in the daily Mail, sorry) suggesting that all over 12s could be offered a vaccine from September. It made mention of the AZ vaccine trials in children above 6 so I am unsure whether this vaccine is one of the ones planned for use?

This was along side the news that the az vaccine carries a 1 in 126000 chance of death.

Bearing in mind that 14 people under 20 have died of Covid.

How is this a sensible risk/benefit analysis?!

I am in my late 30s and when I did the Covid calculator my risk of dying if I caught Covid (which is obviously not a guaranteed thing) is 1 in 145000 so I am assuming the risk for a 12 year old is thousands of times less than that.

Who would vaccinate their children?

OP posts:
Mummabeary · 23/04/2021 20:45

I think it's quite natural that the "anti vax bridge are also the anti lockdown brigade" as you put it. Lockdown was a complete experiment, something never done before on this scale for a disease of this type with many many downsides so some people were rightly questioning this. Similarly, this vaccine is very very new and was never originally discussed with regards to children so the people are rightly questioning this. It's not about "not realising" anything, it's about asking sensible questions and weighing up risks/benefits instead of jumping into things.

VantiniLaBoop · 23/04/2021 20:54

There is a girl called Maddie who died of a different virus called CMV. Moderna are trying to develop a vaccine for this. Info on Moderna website. Modernatx.com/cytomegalovirus-cmv

VantiniLaBoop · 23/04/2021 20:56

Sorry that was in response to @wildswim saying ‘There is a little girl call Maddie who became very ill after taking the vaccine in the trial. Her family has posted on social media. However, it's not all over the news?’
That’s just not true.
If it was it would be all over the news.

Tomnooktoldmeto · 23/04/2021 21:10

Both DD 18 and DS 17 are being vaccinated tomorrow and they can’t wait

Both are CV and I’m ECV so this is going to protect all our family and finally help them feel less anxious (they both have anxiety disorders)

The risk for them is still higher unvaccinated due to a condition we all share, not all young people have no risk and I do wish people would stop spreading this myth

Even young at risk people walk among your kids and they deserve to be protected too not dismissed as irrelevant

MRex · 23/04/2021 21:22

@VantiniLaBoop

Sorry that was in response to *@wildswim* saying ‘There is a little girl call Maddie who became very ill after taking the vaccine in the trial. Her family has posted on social media. However, it's not all over the news?’ That’s just not true. If it was it would be all over the news.
Interesting choice of name "Maddie". There was an earlier hoax related to adult mRNA vaccines that had a Dr Madej too. Madej happens to be the surname of a man who speaks out loudly in political circles about Russian aggression against Poland. Perhaps he is getting more traction than he knows.
LynetteScavo · 23/04/2021 21:53

I'm certainly not anti-vaccines.

My DC have had all vaccines in the childhood vaccination program. Very year I encourage DH to get the flu vaccination.

But I'm not convinced the risk of children catching Covid is more than the risk of the side effects of the vaccine.

Superfoodie123 · 23/04/2021 21:59

No way and I think this is getting ridiculous now

DumplingsAndStew · 23/04/2021 22:08

I haven't read the whole thread. Can I ask the source and context of this statement?

This was along side the news that the az vaccine carries a 1 in 126000 chance of death.

RedcurrantPuff · 23/04/2021 22:44

I would let them decide, they are 12 and 15

findingschools4myboys · 23/04/2021 23:03

Definitely not now or anytime in the near future. Maybe in a few years once we know more about longer term side effects if COVID is still a problem that’s not controlled by then.
My kids already had covid and they were fine. It’s my belief that they probably won’t be catching it again anytime soon if at all again.

HSHorror · 23/04/2021 23:12

Reasons to vax kids
Long covid
Other consequences like
T1 diabetes
Asthma

Those 2 alone probably raise the risk of death for kids higher than the immediate direct risk of death from covid in kids.

Without vaxxing kids we need to take the numbers of kids thought to have had covid and scake up the deaths and long covid up to 80% of kids having had it.
So if 20% have had it then 4x as many will die in the long term

But there are other considerations
Loss of school time
Missing special /important days or exams
It going round class could lead to the teachers isolating.
Outbreaks causing closures of things that affect kids - soft play/clubs/swimming pools

I think the main against is obviously the clots.

The fertility is reather silly as a pp says
As covid could cause that
You cant know your kid is fertile anyway (both me an dp were infertile)
Obesity does cause infertility in both men and women so that is more likely.
And obviously the other issue is repeated boosters being needed.
Over time we may work out a cause of these clots so those adults and kids could avoid whichever vax.

If no vax for kids what happens if we need 80% immunity?
Kids might catch it every 3m. necessitating time off
What happens for any kid who is ecv but cant have a vax for whatever reason.
The other q is re chance of more severe illness after having had covid once.
If there are lots of LC in kids and adults who refuse, that will be a cost for that generation

sproutsandparsnips · 23/04/2021 23:14

Yes, I would.
They may not be affected by Covid per se but they will certainly be affected by any further lockdowns and disruption to their education. It's not their health I am concerned about but the health of their relatives and wider community plus the impact on their quality of life.

HedgePutty · 23/04/2021 23:14

Yes I would.

HedgePutty · 23/04/2021 23:15

Too many children missing school and life with long covid and really suffering, along with adults. It’s so unknown what lies in store for them.

boon · 23/04/2021 23:22

Yes definitely

B0yMama · 23/04/2021 23:24

Definitely not

butterry · 23/04/2021 23:26

Yes I think my teenager would want it, not sure about the younger child but I would be happy for them both to have it

confuseddotcom090 · 23/04/2021 23:36

I think it's highly unethical to ask someone to take a vaccine that puts them at greater risk of harm than the virus itself.

I understand that there is a "protect the vulnerable" argument, but I find this incredibly unethical and selfish. It's not "I'm alright Jack", it's the vulnerable (or those claiming to speak on their behalf) demanding human sacrifice to protect them (given that people have died from vaccine side effects). THAT to me is selfish. You KNOW some children might die from the vaccine, but hey....that's ok if it it's someone else's kid and it means great aunt Mildred lives another 5 years 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙄

gluteustothemaximus · 23/04/2021 23:39

No. Way.

DragonMamma · 23/04/2021 23:52

Pro vaccine here. My dc are fully vaccinated and all adults in our family have had Covid vaccines as and when they are offered.

But no, I won’t be vaccinating my DC for the time being (13 and 10)

AvaCallanach · 24/04/2021 00:01

My 16 year old recently had covid: he had 2 days of a runny nose. It was picked up on the ONS survey or we would never have known.

My younger child almost died a couple of years ago from severe thrombocytopenia triggered by a flu vaccine (probably) and so will not be having AZ, and I would prefer no vaccine for covid but also recognise that covid carries its own risk of thrombocytopenia. Every time a vaccine comes round - has just had the routine ones aged 14 - I have to control my panic and I search legs for the tell tale rash. It's a terrifying illness, thrombocytopenia.

GrumpyHoonMain · 24/04/2021 00:09

@AvaCallanach

My 16 year old recently had covid: he had 2 days of a runny nose. It was picked up on the ONS survey or we would never have known.

My younger child almost died a couple of years ago from severe thrombocytopenia triggered by a flu vaccine (probably) and so will not be having AZ, and I would prefer no vaccine for covid but also recognise that covid carries its own risk of thrombocytopenia. Every time a vaccine comes round - has just had the routine ones aged 14 - I have to control my panic and I search legs for the tell tale rash. It's a terrifying illness, thrombocytopenia.

ITP is most common after Pfizer.
AvaCallanach · 24/04/2021 00:11

Ah thanks Grumpyhoonmain.
Any source for that info?

My plan is that we avoid a jab for this kid for several years at least...

GrumpyHoonMain · 24/04/2021 00:16

@AvaCallanach

Ah thanks Grumpyhoonmain. Any source for that info?

My plan is that we avoid a jab for this kid for several years at least...

Mac n Chise on Twitter, but even then the risk is tiny. You could msg them directly with specifics for you dc. They’re a molecular biologist committed to reporting the facts behind the misleading headlines and fake news.
HSHorror · 24/04/2021 00:25

I also would not be doing it to save a few years for people in a care home.

But the younger cv and ecv who yes would be vaxxed themselves would also be protected by herd immunity.
That could be anyone as includes cancers.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.