If you have young adult children, what are they thinking about the vaccine?

[VanCleefArpels]

Just reading that uptake among the young is flattening and so wondering what your young adults and friends are thinking about taking the vaccine? Mine are early twenties and have both had a first jab and desperate to get the second. Both will go to a walk up as soon as possible. On the whole their friends have the same attitude so I’m wondering if they are unusual given the stats?

DS1 is 22 and had his 1st Pfizer about a month ago.

All these young people rushing for it..I hope for their sakes there are no long term side effects. Alot of young lives at stake here. If my kids were at that age I would be telling them to not have it as so much unknown.

I’d never tell my kids once they were in their teens not to have it but there are certainly reasons to be cautious.

DS2 23, got his in January and April as he works for NHS. DS1,25 got it the first day it was available to 25 year olds. DS1 is a teacher and was desperate for it. He is also now trying to get his 2nd dose early but has been turned away at walk in centre as not yet 8 weeks.

In both their extended circles there is only one who hasn't had the vaccine yet and she had covid 3 months ago.

Far from being sceptical about having the jab they are very judgemental about those anti vaxxers who refuse the vaccine as they see them as delaying the day when their lives go back to normal.

DD is fully vaccinated with AZ. All of her friends are too - although some took longer to make the decision.

DS is in Sydney and has just had his first AZ. Pfizer is not yet available for under 30s there, but they have a surplus of AZ which he was happy to receive. He did have a serious talking to from the nurse, who told him there is a real possibility of clots or death. Fortunately he understands stats, and was able to reassure her that he'd done the calculations, and felt certain this was the correct route for him. But to answer your question......his friends are very reluctant to have AZ and are waiting for Pfizer, although no-one knows when it will be available to their age group.

Volunteering at a Vax clinic - we are getting lots of young people coming along, particularly now that it will have an impact on entertainment and travel.

The one that had the virus might have antibodies so can still travel etc without having the vaccine. This seems to get overlooked a lot when subjects like holidays come up.

We have a big split.

DSS 17 and would be jabbed today if he could, he lives with us, seen news coverage, debated various stand points through out pandemic. Widen view point as he has seen first hand pressure in care environment (Dh works in care home)

DS 21 had 1st jab as soon as it got to his age group, his GF is weeks away from having baby, not had it - didn't want whist still pregnant but plans to have it when she has given birth.

DSD 20 - no chance of her having it, was offered it early on as a carer for DGS, convinced it is not safe and we who have all had it are going to die or something. Pregnant again so wont have it now. Her DP also anti-vaxxer to a point and convinced all the government and scientists are lying to us. Have asked him what now though - if scientists and government aren't agreeing - who is he going to believe?

1 DN, 24 teacher had both jabs, other DN (her sister) not had it and won't (sure it is something to do with wanting another baby as she has no other reason and her DP has had first jab - this is causing trouble as their other Dsis is CEV but had 2 jabs - their mom doesn't want the unvaxxed seeing her sister.

Everyone else in our immediate family has had jabs with exception of my DBro (41) who won't be taking it either.

I am sort of going on the basis that these are people I love, I am trying to encourage and support and re-educate but I will not not see them if they are not vaccinated as I am so surely reduces my risk of being seriously ill/passing it to them.

My friends in the 'middle-class' area I currently live in have all had their first vaccine.

However my friends from school, in a deprived area of London, are probably split about 50/50. The ones that are against it are VERY verbal about it on social media. Most of the ones who have had it seemed apprehensive.

They are all really nice people, not selfish or crazy, they just have little trust in the government/corporations. I would put money on vaccine passports just eroding their trust more rather than encouraging them to get the vaccinated.

@ajandjjmum

DD is fully vaccinated with AZ. All of her friends are too - although some took longer to make the decision.

DS is in Sydney and has just had his first AZ. Pfizer is not yet available for under 30s there, but they have a surplus of AZ which he was happy to receive. He did have a serious talking to from the nurse, who told him there is a real possibility of clots or death. Fortunately he understands stats, and was able to reassure her that he'd done the calculations, and felt certain this was the correct route for him. But to answer your question......his friends are very reluctant to have AZ and are waiting for Pfizer, although no-one knows when it will be available to their age group.

Volunteering at a Vax clinic - we are getting lots of young people coming along, particularly now that it will have an impact on entertainment and travel.

“A real possibility of clots or death” - seriously, a health professional said this?? Obviously no concept of statistical analysis then. Such a very tiny number of such incidents amongst the very many millions of people across the world who have had the vaccine. Definitely dies not outweigh the risks of catching/passing on/ long Covid in my view

Mine, 19 and 22, both desperate for 2nd now. DD1 trying various walk ins this week to try her luck as still a couple of weeks early.

@VanCleefArpels He was horrified! Fortunately he was able to stand his ground and had done his research, but it's perhaps no wonder that so many Aussies are not happy to have the jab when they're faced with this.

@Wilkolampshade The contract with the NHS is that they cannot give second jabs before 8 weeks - I'm pretty sure that applies to all vaccination centres. I'm told they have absolutely no flexibility.

The contract with the NHS is that they cannot give second jabs before 8 weeks - I'm pretty sure that applies to all vaccination centres. I'm told they have absolutely no flexibility.
I vaccinated 25 people on Monday, I don't think any had a gap of more than 6 weeks. I think some centres go their own way! Where I live there are quite high levels of virus & low uptake of the vaccine so they are keen to jab anyone who comes along.

@loulouljh I think I am more pro vaccine for them because as a young adult I caught a virus that left me with serious post viral symptoms for a good year, plus long term effects are more likely as I age. Wish I'd had a vaccine for that.

A relative suffered disability after surviving polio. Again that gave bad effects in the latter stages of life.

I'm just not convinced the Russian roulette of wild Covid is something great for them to face either, though I do appreciate your different point of view.

PaulaPetunia: appreciate your polite response. My aunty had polio-prior to vaccines-and grew up profoundly disabled. I absolutely see the value in vaccines...BUT I remain very cautious about these current ones especially for the young. I of course hope those fears are unfounded!

@Cookerhood: are you worried about your position personally, being a vaccinator (I think that's what you are saying)? I am aware of lawyers seeking to serve liability notices on vaccinators personally to the effect that you will be held liable for any side effects etc. Have you seen this in practice?

There are several reasons youngsters may not be getting the jab and that's

(a) some walk in centres are saying you have to be local, so if you see a walk in centre a few miles away you can't necessarily go there.

(b) after having an online booking system all year, my GP dumped it and says you have to call them. After spamming us with texts all year telling us not to call them about vaccines.

(c) the NHS walk in website needs to be kept up to date and say what walk in centres are available when and for what vaccine.

But you can always use the NHS website to book both doses and that's what ds did and had his first in early July in our local centre.

I only know one person who's not had the vaccine and he's 50.

I suppose I'm thinking that although right now it seems covid is low risk disease for young people there still may be more of an upside to their vaccination to be revealed as time goes on.

Too many unknowns at the moment.

I do try and get mine to think about what's in their control: diet , exercise, sunshine (vitamin D) but I think I may as well be talking to brick walls!

DC 18 double jabbed with AZ as had it early due to a local centre running a free for all as a lot of vaccine running out of date. DC17 really keen to have it and cross that 16+can't make the decision for themselves. I don't know a single one of their friends and classmates who is over 18 and hasn't had it.

I volunteer at 2 vaccine centres and spend most of my days telling young people that they need to wait until the 8 weeks is up before they can have their second jab. Interestingly, since the double jabbed can benefit from lesser quarantine rules on returning from overseas we have also seen a marked increase in older people who had their 1st AZ months ago walking in for the second.

Well having been turned away yesterday DS tried again at a different centre today and got it. It's a 5 week gap. Not ideal, but with the massive increase in covid all around he feels safer.
I'm conflicted on this. There is plenty of evidence that a longer gap gives greater immunity and I would have counselled strongly in favour of waiting the full 8 weeks, but cases are so high now the risk / benefit ratio has changed.

@loulouljh

All these young people rushing for it..I hope for their sakes there are no long term side effects. Alot of young lives at stake here. If my kids were at that age I would be telling them to not have it as so much unknown.

I would much rather suffer long term side effects than go through another winter like the one we’ve just had. And I’m not even in the UK, our lockdown wasn’t as strict but it was still one of the worst things I’ve had to endure mentally.

I really mean what I’ve just said, so that’s why I’m taking it. Not to mention being able to travel again, which is the most important element of my job, and I really want to keep my job.

I could be run by a car tomorrow, so I really try not to be scared about all the horrible things that could happen in the ‘long term’.

@MikeHat

Well having been turned away yesterday DS tried again at a different centre today and got it. It's a 5 week gap. Not ideal, but with the massive increase in covid all around he feels safer. I'm conflicted on this. There is plenty of evidence that a longer gap gives greater immunity and I would have counselled strongly in favour of waiting the full 8 weeks, but cases are so high now the risk / benefit ratio has changed.

Which vaccine is this? Every other country is spacing out Pfizer and Moderna for max. 4-6 weeks, as the guidelines still say 21 days. It’s only the UK that isn’t following the trial process and official guidelines, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.

I would much rather suffer long term side effects than go through another winter like the one we’ve just had

Wow. Well I would rather my healthy, 19 year old son didn’t take a chance on long term side effects. And not would be. But hey, we are all different.

I don’t know where the random middle sentence came from

You see I could not wish unknown side effects on my kids. Me, maybe. But my kids with years and years to live. No. I would not go for a short term gain at the cost of longer term.

This "long term side effects" is a fallacy. Side effects occur in the days and weeks after vaccination.

@MRex

This "long term side effects" is a fallacy. Side effects occur in the days and weeks after vaccination.

Exactly. I gave my daughter the HPV vaccine at a time when there was so much scaremongering about it, and lost not a day of sleep.