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.

It's a pity they aren't going to open it up to teens who want it. I would probably be happy for mine to have it.

I'm relieved to hear this. DD is 12 and in the balance of probability, we very much feel the jab is riskier than Covid for her. We're NOT anti-vaxxers, all my kids are fully vaccinated with recommended childhood vaccines and have the flu spray each year, but I just feel that not enough is known about the long term issues with these Covid vaccines to declare them 'safe'. DH and I have had both doses of our Covid vaccine as we felt it was the right thing to do but I wouldn't want my kids having them yet.

@Wtfdoipick

Looking forward to reading the report but I don't think across the board vaccination of children should be happening while other countries are struggling to vaccinate adults who are higher risk. To me that doesn't feel right, covid needs dealing with on a global scale.

Ordinarily I’d agree, but very few other governments in the world are dumb enough to be pursuing a policy of deliberately infecting all their teens instead of vaccinating them.

a policy of deliberately infecting all their teens instead of vaccinating them.

Yes, I'm not sure when the penny will drop with parents that this is the plan.

The impact on children's lives has been huge, some round here are on their 4th isolation this year. The constant threat of being essentially grounded for 10 days, let out only to repeat the experience a few days later is awful. Constant testing takes a toll as well. If the consensus is that the minuscule risks from the vaccine outweigh the risks of covid for under 18s then they have to also be exempt from isolating as a close contact and not be asked to regularly test.

I have a couple of friends who despite being double vaccinated have been quite unwell with covid, not in hospital but taking weeks to recover.

I'm also confused about the medicines agency deciding the benefits outweigh risks but vaccines committee deciding the opposite. I guess it shows how finely balanced the whole thing is.

@noblegiraffe

This decision pleases me, as I was unhappy about my dc receiving the vaccine

I don’t understand this viewpoint as you could have opted out? This decision would therefore make no difference to you?

Because if it is offered to all dc then we are more likely to end up in a vaccine passport situation where those who choose not to vaccinate their dc are excluded from basic activities. It is not really a choice in those circumstances. It will soon already be the case that the double vaccinated will not have to isolate following contact - it seems likely that more rules like this will follow. If this sort of thinking is applied to vaccinated vs non-vaccinated dc then we will end up with a 2 tier set up or else those of us who are uncomfortable with vaccinating their dc will eventually be coerced.

also be exempt from isolating as a close contact

This is what will be happening from August 16th. Children will not be required to self isolate and there will be no mitigation measures in schools.

@noblegiraffe

also be exempt from isolating as a close contact

This is what will be happening from August 16th. Children will not be required to self isolate and there will be no mitigation measures in schools.

Should correct that to 'Children will not be required to self isolate as a close contact, they will still have to isolate if they test positive'.

@careerchangeperhaps

I'm relieved to hear this. DD is 12 and in the balance of probability, we very much feel the jab is riskier than Covid for her. We're NOT anti-vaxxers, all my kids are fully vaccinated with recommended childhood vaccines and have the flu spray each year, but I just feel that not enough is known about the long term issues with these Covid vaccines to declare them 'safe'. DH and I have had both doses of our Covid vaccine as we felt it was the right thing to do but I wouldn't want my kids having them yet.

Your relieved that I don't get a choice? You still have your choice.

Our children will be infected with a novel virus because the government has chosen (on its own, other governments have not) to restrict parental choice.

And this is apparently from the great 'Libertarian '

And some teachers will be saying that unvaccinated children shouldn’t be allowed in school.

There’s no need to vaccinate kids routinely in this instance.

I do think it would be fairer for parents to choose to pay privately for vaccines for their dc if they strongly prefer that they have it. I suppose issues with supply make this impossible at the moment.

And some teachers will be saying that unvaccinated children shouldn’t be allowed in school.

That would have zero impact on policy, so why would you worry about it?

@careerchangeperhaps

I'm relieved to hear this. DD is 12 and in the balance of probability, we very much feel the jab is riskier than Covid for her. We're NOT anti-vaxxers, all my kids are fully vaccinated with recommended childhood vaccines and have the flu spray each year, but I just feel that not enough is known about the long term issues with these Covid vaccines to declare them 'safe'. DH and I have had both doses of our Covid vaccine as we felt it was the right thing to do but I wouldn't want my kids having them yet.

It does not need to be made manditory though. Just open it up to those who want it.

With the delta variant I don't think we stand a chance of getting back to anything resembling normal without vaccinating at least a proportion of the over12s.

@noblegiraffe

And some teachers will be saying that unvaccinated children shouldn’t be allowed in school.

That would have zero impact on policy, so why would you worry about it?

I think it’s bound to worry people that teachers wouldn’t want their child in their classroom due to their vaccination status.

noblegiraffe

This decision pleases me, as I was unhappy about my dc receiving the vaccine

I don’t understand this viewpoint as you could have opted out? This decision would therefore make no difference to you?

Because if it is offered to all dc then we are more likely to end up in a vaccine passport situation where those who choose not to vaccinate their dc are excluded from basic activities. It is not really a choice in those circumstances. It will soon already be the case that the double vaccinated will not have to isolate following contact - it seems likely that more rules like this will follow. If this sort of thinking is applied to vaccinated vs non-vaccinated dc then we will end up with a 2 tier set up or else those of us who are uncomfortable with vaccinating their dc will eventually be coerced.

I agree so much with this with regards to future coercion to vaccinate children.

Apparently there's some evidence that a majority of children have already been infected, without symptoms or a positive PCR test.
Also, the flu vaccine will also offer some protection against covid-19 in younger people.

@littlepeas
I'd be concerned about a vaccine passport two tier system as well.

How can it? It’s a completely different virus?

I'd be concerned about a vaccine passport two tier system as well.

Not in schools there wouldn't be. We couldn't even mandate that they wear a mask, let alone have a jab!

Also, the flu vaccine will also offer some protection against covid-19 in younger people.
Who will be offered it this year? My 15 year old never has been.

Great decision. The benefits for children clearly didn’t outweigh the risks.

Given how everyone is mixing and going on holiday all summer I doubt school mixing will be a problem come September.

Why are flu jabs only being offered up to Y11?

Kowari
The flu vaccine is being offered to all secondary school pupils this year so your 15yo will be eligible.

@Marguerite2000

Apparently there's some evidence that a majority of children have already been infected, without symptoms or a positive PCR test. Also, the flu vaccine will also offer some protection against covid-19 in younger people.

No it won't.

A lot of the children with parents worrying about them contracting it have probably already had it. We’ve only been doing asymptomatic testing for a few months.