Teens will not be routinely vaccinated, JCVI recommends

[noblegiraffe]

Their report isn't out till tomorrow, but continuing with the govt tradition of making big announcements via favoured news outlets, the Telegraph reports that the guidance will be that children aged 12+ will not be offered routine covid vaccinations.

"Instead, under guidance due to be issued on Monday, jabs will be offered to children between 12 and 15 who are deemed vulnerable to Covid or who live with adults who are immunosuppressed or otherwise vulnerable to the virus. They will also now be offered to all 17-year-olds within three months of their 18th birthday."

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/07/17/children-will-get-covid-vaccines-vulnerable/

So from September, there will be literally nothing stopping covid spreading around schools bar the odd open window.

I’m confused. Why are people so afraid of their kids catching Covid?

Thinking they should get the chance of a vaccine isn't the same as being so afraid. Although some teenagers will end up in hospital and ICU.

There's also a mental health factor. I know that I felt better for getting a vaccine even though my chances of dying from covid might not have been particularly high. I preferred taking the risk of the vaccine -v- the risk of covid. 16 and 17 year olds are old enough to make that choice

I’m not particularly afraid of DS catching Covid but we have a history of autoimmune disease in the family. My friend’s really fit DD now barely gets through a school day, has had a thyroid condition triggered that needs monitoring and will result in meds amd her paediatrician says Covid has left her with what he describes as ‘sticky blood’.

So in balance I would prefer he is vaccinated, which is what he would like.

Not in the least bit afraid of DS getting covid. Would prefer not to have him miss school and university admission tests in the most crucial year of his education. He has missed enough due to isolations. He would prefer it too.

BoPeeple for families with an immune suppressed or CEV person at home, the vaccine is another block in the wall around them. It reduces transmission to the person at risk.

@JacquelineCarlyle

A health centre near me is offering Pfizer to anyone over 16 on a drop in basis. It's all over social media and lots are taking them up on the offer so not sure how that fits with what the JCVI have said?! (All NHS and totally legitimate, not a private clinic).

Same here.

Where is this??

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57766717.amp

Just going by the statistics the chance of death in the UK of an under 16 is one in 500k, by comparison chance of death of an under 16 from Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is 1in 140k and 1 in 150k from norovirus. Suicide however is one of the main causes of death with the chance of death being 1 in 2,600.

Although vaccines have been developed for both RSV and norovirus they have not yet been licensed. The RSV vaccine by GlaxoSmithclineBeecham (GSK) for example is in the final Phase 3 testing which means it should become fully licensed in 10 years.

So let's try and keep the risk of Covid to under 16s in perspective and it is a lot more logical to be worried about your children's mental health and suicide than it ever is about Covid.

amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/21/uk-17-year-olds-mental-health-crisis

I’ve tried my local centre with a 6ft2 very hairy 17.5yo DS but were turned away

Bbc data is disengenuous.
Those figures are bassed on per total uk kids.
Onky say 20% of kids have had it so i think 3x that more
So 75 more deaths
So total 100 deaths/10m.
10/1m
1 per hundered thousand.

I cannot understand why people are saying they are glad it isn’t being offered as surely if it was, they could make the choice not to vaccinate their child. Why are you glad it isn’t being offered to the parents who want their children vaccinated? Is it because you don’t want to make the decision yourselves not to vaccinate?

If more children have had it then the death rate is even lower.

@1dayatatime I agree children's mental health is really important. It is very closely linked with covid though. Some children may be very anxious and find their mental health is vastly improved by access to the vaccine. Others may be anxious about family members being ill or having their activities curtailed as a result of covid. Getting more people vaccinated, including over 12s, is the best way of getting things as close as normal as possible and improving everyone's mental health.

I don't think the death rate is the issue for under 18s, but Long Covid. I would MUCH rather take the vaccine risk than deal with the impact of another disrupted year and potentially the fatigue and brain fog, which follows Covid for so many, especially in Y13.

@Monkey2001

I don't think the death rate is the issue for under 18s, but Long Covid. I would MUCH rather take the vaccine risk than deal with the impact of another disrupted year and potentially the fatigue and brain fog, which follows Covid for so many, especially in Y13.

Agreed in toto. Also, I have a father in law who refuses the vaccine. No talking to him will work (amongst other things, because he’s 90% deaf and refuses to use a hearing aid. Yes I know, it’s a pattern!). But he’s 84 and I don’t want to completely prevent him from seeing his only grandchildren. If there’s anything he could do to make things safer, DS would do it…

Yes my DD1 would far rather be vaccinated purely for the fact it would then mean fewer concerns about catching and spreading covid and having to restrict activities when ill whilst waiting for a test.

I think a lot of adults would be surprised at the extent to which young people actually care about other people and want to do the right thing for EVERYONE. I think they're generally far less selfish than older generations.

(she'd also prefer to be vaccinated to prevent long covid - but even if that was out of the equation, her choice would be to take the vaccine).

@BetsyJameson

I cannot understand why people are saying they are glad it isn’t being offered as surely if it was, they could make the choice not to vaccinate their child. Why are you glad it isn’t being offered to the parents who want their children vaccinated? Is it because you don’t want to make the decision yourselves not to vaccinate?

Yes it seems very churlish to me too, like they don't want to have to actually come out and stand by what they think and refuse to vaccinate despite it being allowed. They would rather nobody have the choice.

I think it should be allowed for those who want it. You can still say no. If children are talking about who has it or who hasn't, then your children can say that they're not allowed or whatever - there are lots of areas of peer pressure where they have to learn this.

People who think parents should get to choose... do you think that with all medical interventions for their children, or do you think that should be guided by experts?
Our current childhood vaccination schedule is guided by scientists. We generally vaccinate with the ones they recommend, and not with the ones that they don’t. For example we don’t routinely vaccinate for chicken pox whereas other countries do.
The problem with giving the choice to the parents, with any medical procedure, is that they don’t have the information or expertise to make that call. That’s why we have organisations like the JCVI.

@Ifitquacks

People who think parents should get to choose... do you think that with all medical interventions for their children, or do you think that should be guided by experts? Our current childhood vaccination schedule is guided by scientists. We generally vaccinate with the ones they recommend, and not with the ones that they don’t. For example we don’t routinely vaccinate for chicken pox whereas other countries do. The problem with giving the choice to the parents, with any medical procedure, is that they don’t have the information or expertise to make that call. That’s why we have organisations like the JCVI.

And the MHRA… who have already approved the use of the vaccine in 12-17 year olds.

Parents do have the right to pay for vaccines like chicken pox, though, if it seems right for their family. I'd rather they didn't have to pay but I could understand it if the government decided not to provide it for free.

it's not a question of safety, as they are used in other countries. It's more of a political/health policy/finance decision I suspect - what do the government think will get them more votes - vaccinating children, giving boosters, giving vaccines to other countries etc, rather than what is best for the country or the world.

And the MHRA… who have already approved the use of the vaccine in 12-17 year olds

Ah ok, so we just pay attention to the ones we agree with then?

Not read the full thread but does anyone know if it!s the kids of the CEV (group4) or CV (group6) who will be offered the jab?

Ah ok, so we just pay attention to the ones we agree with then?

Yep-that seems to be pretty much what the government have been doing.

Yes, I've paid for a few extra vaccinations for DD1 - ones that are routinely given elsewhere but not here (for cost reasons). I'd like the same choice with the covid vaccine.

The whole lie about 'personal responsiblity' is so clearly impossible if you can't even choose to vaccinate your children.

@littlequestion

Not read the full thread but does anyone know if it!s the kids of the CEV (group4) or CV (group6) who will be offered the jab?

It's likely to be children with household members in group 4. But the guidelines haven't been issued yet.