Will your teens be getting the covid vaccine

[Bowdown]

Just that really I also posted this on Aibu but posted here as well to maximise traffic?

@PiccalilliChilli

My daughter will decide for herself at 16, when our consent isn't necessary. She currently 14 and 3/4.

It might not be necessary now assuming she has mental capacity

When we have had vaccine consent letters home from high school (not for Covid ) they state very clearly that even if parents refuse consent your child will still be asked and they will be able to override your wishes.

@Watapalava I thought Israel were beginning to vaccinate children from 12yo

Yes without hesitation. My 17 year old has already had it so questions about my 15 year old

Israel are vaccinating vulnerable kids

Children from 13 can consent without parental permission, assuming they are NT.
The main reasons to vaccinate teens aren't really about their individual risk of getting covid - that isn't the only benefit to them. There are of course societal benefits by protecting others (including family, vulnerable other teens and teachers, some of whom the vaccine won't have worked for), but there are personal benefits too, like preventing further disruption to education by bubbles bursting, teachers being off with long covid (can still happen even if they are vaccinated themselves) or preventing family members becoming very ill.
It's really far too simplistic to say 'they arent high risk so no benefit to them'.
Also, for those specifying vaccines, it's only pfizer approved for under 18s so it wouldn't be AZ anyway.

Dd is 19y and had said from the start she will and that's not changed.

Some of the 18y we know have already had their first dose.

Hell yes

@Watapalava

I don’t care if kids pass it on

It’s adults who suffer serious and moderate infection and they can take the vaccine like I have

Not all vulnerable people, or children, can have the vaccine due to specific health conditions.

For vulnerable people often vaccines aren't as effective as they are for others.

It's partly why we vaccinate healthy younger children for flu each year.

So you might not care about your children transmitting Covid to others but don't hide behind everyone else is vaccinated so it's not an issue. That isn't quite the case.

My 13 year old is keen. My problem is with the ethics of vaccinating young people who have a vanishingly small chance of becoming seriously ill, when vulnerable populations and healthcare workers remain unvaccinated in many areas of the world.

Yes I absolutely want my teen to get it- mostly for selfish reasons (less schooling interruptions hopefully if they are all vaccinated and less interruptions to the sport he loves and has missed 18months of) but also if we reduce circulation in high schools that reduces outbreaks generally.

But I absolutely also agree with @HelenaJustina above about the worldwide ethics. Getting as many of the vulnerable vaccinated worldwide should still be priority.

No. DS is 13 and doesn't want it anyway. I hope they're not 'encouraged' in school to have it, as apparently that's where they want the vaccinations to take place.

No idea. As they are both over 18 it's entirely their choice.

The other issue is that the more we limit the virus’ opportunity to circulate (and we know that vaccination reduces transmission rates) the more we reduce the opportunity for it to mutate. By vaccinating healthy young people, like we do with flu every year, we reduce the potential for mutations. We also reduce the continuing huge disruption to their education.

Mine are saying they prob won’t. Their choice entirely and I wouldn’t dream of trying to sway them.

@LimeAndLemons it’s quite normal for vaccinations to be done actually in the school for Secondary age children

@HelenaJustina

My 13 year old is keen. My problem is with the ethics of vaccinating young people who have a vanishingly small chance of becoming seriously ill, when vulnerable populations and healthcare workers remain unvaccinated in many areas of the world.

It doesn't need to be a zero sum game and shouldn't be made into one for political reasons. There are many vaccines available, with growing capacity, and only one currently approved for children. What's needed is for more donations to be given to covax / gavi to buy more doses for those countries that can't afford it, as well as for countries like Canada and New Zealand who can buy their own vaccines to remove themselves from the Covax scheme. There also needs to be a halt on scare stories around Astrazeneca and Janssen when these are highly effective vaccines, because it is preventing usage by those whose only alternative is to catch covid; countries also need help with their planning BEFORE they get sent doses. Malawi destroyed 18000 doses because they let them go out of date, they shouldn't have arrived with no plan to immediately vaccinate!

I am genuinely surprised so many people are against it. The benefits seem clear to me - for the kids they are reducing the risk of an illness that is unlikely to be serious but can have long lasting effects, reducing the risk of educational disruption, reducing risk of further lockdowns and the social implications of that, reducing the risk of cancellation of sporting activities with the benefits those bring. Plus for society we reduce the amount of families having to isolate, we reduce the risk of local lockdowns around schools, we reduce the risk of mutations and we reduce the risk of infection to the vulnerable/immunocompromised who may not respond well to their own vaccinations. To me it seems an obvious choice

Yes.

Mine will. Because we want to travel and are sick to the back teeth of this shit.

@northernlightsea

I am genuinely surprised so many people are against it. The benefits seem clear to me - for the kids they are reducing the risk of an illness that is unlikely to be serious but can have long lasting effects, reducing the risk of educational disruption, reducing risk of further lockdowns and the social implications of that, reducing the risk of cancellation of sporting activities with the benefits those bring. Plus for society we reduce the amount of families having to isolate, we reduce the risk of local lockdowns around schools, we reduce the risk of mutations and we reduce the risk of infection to the vulnerable/immunocompromised who may not respond well to their own vaccinations. To me it seems an obvious choice

I think it's all WAY too OTT personally, even though mine will have it so we can go on a cruise. Funny how we never reacted like this to any other disease. I think this is all fucking ridiculous.

@Greenbriar
Currently only CEV, CV, under 18s who live with vulnerable adults and of course care and health and care workers can have the vaccine as they are group 6. You won't be able to book a vaccine unless your child is in one of these categories.

Mine will. Because we want to travel and are sick to the back teeth of this shit.

I was wondering about the travel implications.

@osbertthesyrianhamster do you think we should have carried on as normal then right from the beginning?

Yes. Because the only way we are getting out of this is if we get more people vaccinated. I'm a teacher and have watched Covid spread in school, and the disruption it causes, let alone the risk to vulnerable family members. I've also had the Pfizer jab myself, x2, with no ill effects, so I am happy with that.