Do 18yr olds really need to have the jab?

[In2mindsaaarrgghh]

My 18yr old DS hasn’t had his first jab and keeps putting it off. We have discussed this with him, however he says it’s not something he’s worried about. He also tested positive a few months ago, despite being completely asymptomatic, so hasn’t experienced any negative Covid effects, including Long Covid. I guess there is a feeling of invincibility. He does have mild asthma, however no other underlying health conditions. So pretty fit and healthy generally. The thing is I can see things from his point of view. So I’m not pushing him to have the jab, despite being double jabbed myself. My main issue is with the incidences of Pericarditis and Myocarditis in young men who’ve had the Pfizer jab. The MHRA and the JCVI have confirmed that there is a small risk in this group. So, I’m not keen on him having the jab until we have further information, neither is he but for different reasons. I know it may limit him socially but to be honest there are ways round it. Travel abroad may be the main issue, but that doesn’t really matter this year. Is anyone else in the same situation or have concerns about the Pfizer jab in the young?

DD1 is 18 and has had her first jab and caught covid after.

She was concerned that universities might take the approach that you cannot be on site unless you are double jabbed and she is due to start in September.

If we want the virus to be slowed properly and stop mutating like crazy we need vaccinated people. It's not and never has been about individual protection.

One of the reasons DD1 got vaccinated was because her 18yo college friends had a heart transplant recently, and for her the Covid vaccine probably won't work. It's not just the older population you're protecting by getting vaccinated.

Dd has some vulnerable friends, CEV and CV, and it was one of the main reasons she wanted her vaccination ASAP. She also saw how ill I was with covid, I'm CV and this was just a moderate case of covid, and didn't want to take that risk with her friends or any of her vulnerable family.

And she also wanted to reduce the risk to herself too. In the same way she asks me to pay for her to have a flu vaccine each year, she wanted the covid jab. She's had one bad case of flu which made her really poorly over mock exams and didn't want to risk that for other exams hence the flu jab. And she felt the same re covid. She'd rather reduce her own risk.

Plus she really wants life to get back to normal more quickly and knows that one of our best chances of doing that is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. She wants to travel, go to festivals, go to clubs etc - so yes, partly it's a selfish reason as she knows she has a greater chance of doing those things if fully jabbed and if more and more,people are fully jabbed.

Every single one of her friends, at home and at university, have had at least one vaccine and due to have second soon. She doesn't know any who hasn't. Even the needle phobic friend has had her first - it took her a while, she got support from her friends and boyfriend to get her there, they spoke to the vaccine centre on arrival, they got her a laid down cubicle as she has been known to faint with needles, and she got it done and out of the way. So in my experience most young people are keen to be vaccinated against covid for a wide range of reasons.

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

There has recently been an outbreak of covid at dd's college. Dd is 19 and double vaccinated. About two thirds of the class caught it (new Delta variant). These are fit, healthy 18-21 year olds who take part in physical activity daily as part of their course.

Most were really poorly and several are not back to full fitness. Dd is double vaccinated and was virtually asymptomatic (sore throat and a bit tired) . The single vaccinated girl got what felt like a bad cold. The outbreak began the same week as they announced 18 year olds could be vaccinated so most hadn't been done or had been less than 2 weeks.

@summersflowers

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

Why?

Never mind nightclubs, I second the point that vast numbers of 18-year-olds will be going to university this autumn.

Frankly I’m for a no jab, no come (without a watertight excuse). Why should some have the right to infect other students and staff because they are “uncomfortable” protecting others? Ok, so the jab’s not 100%, but it seems those contracting covid after being jabbed fare better than the unjabbed.

Even thinking selfishly, surely a young person would want to ensure their best chance of having a good experience, which means playing their part in keeping the virus out of their university.

I was looking at US universities, and you aren’t getting in those without a whole raft of compulsory vaccinations. Freedom only extends as far as not causing harm to others. If you want to sit at home and do Open University, fine to have no jab. If you want to mix with hundreds of other people, don’t you dare pull some “my body my choice” crap.

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

It's called altruism.

@summersflowers

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

It does inadvertently protect you individually by life getting back to normal quicker?

Ultimately vaccination is a choice and I have to say I’m a little uncomfortable about forcing it on people going to night clubs instead of testing. Having said that, I am a mother of a vulnerable child who has been shielding and although this has been paused we are advised not to mix with unvaccinated people and to only meet outside.
He is 6 and doesn’t yet qualify for the vaccine yet, he has missed friends, family, holidays, a lot of schooling and parties while mass events have gone ahead and numbers are rising.
The higher numbers rise the more some people have to shut themselves away.
I obviously have a very one sided view but I feel we have to work together to achieve a bit of freedom for all.

If we want the virus to be slowed properly and stop mutating like crazy we need vaccinated people. It's not and never has been about individual protection.

Exactly this. If the younger generation want their lives back to pre pandemic then we need high levels of that age group to be vaccinated. They are more socially active so, therefore, more likely to spread it and infect older age groups. Older age groups are more likely to need hospitalisation and once the NHS gets overwhelmed we are all back to restrictions and lockdowns.

Everyone has a choice and no one should be forced. I don't agree with vaccine passports for clubs.

Unless there is a very good reason they need to think about the consequences of not having the vaccine. No point complaining about restrictions and lockdowns if they can't join the collective effort to beat this virus.

If he’s had it already then he’ll have immunity. Proof of a previous positive test can be counted for travel etc as it is considered proof of immunity.

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

If we want the virus to be slowed properly and stop mutating like crazy we need vaccinated people. It's not and never has been about individual protection.

This!

Quite often we need to do (or not do) things that are not of any direct benefit to us but contribute to the best outcomes for the whole society here and in the wider world. Unless someone is willing to live completely isolated and away from other people, then they play a part in covid transmission and mutation.

@CoastalWave

Surely, you can see that if there is a lower take up in that age group there is a domino effect across the country. More infections, more hospitalisations equals restrictions and lockdowns. Remote learning and a massive impact on the economy. All that is going to have a massive impact on that age group.

The risk of myocarditis with the vaccine is lower than the risk of myocarditis with Covid in this age group.
So not a valid reason to avoid vaccination.
Free choice, but choices come with consequences. Don't moan when the voluntarily unvaccinated have to behave differently to the fully vaccinated.

He’s 18, so an adult. If he doesn’t want it, especially as you have already discussed it with him, you need to leave him to it. He may change his mind as it looks like the government are going to try to make life less ‘interesting’ for unvaccinated people, not that I agree with that. I have a son who is almost 18, he’s capable of making an informed decision.

@aldkj

The risk of myocarditis with the vaccine is lower than the risk of myocarditis with Covid in this age group. So not a valid reason to avoid vaccination. Free choice, but choices come with consequences. Don't moan when the voluntarily unvaccinated have to behave differently to the fully vaccinated.

Do you have a link to a source for this please? What is the incidence of myocarditis in this age group?

@In2mindsaaarrgghh
That’s how I feel. They’ve given up so much already to their detriment. Johnson is now trying to blackmail the young by telling them that they won’t be able to go to nightclubs unless they have been fully vaccinated, so who knows.

To be honest, I'm quite speechless. Do you or your DS not realise that without a high proportion of that age group being vaccinated there is a possibility that we will be back in restrictions and lockdowns and his life will be put on hold again and could impact his future prospects. Please don't complain about his life being ruined if we do end up back in lockdown.

Or, are you just hoping that enough people in that age group do the sensible thing and have the vaccine so your DS doesn't have to!!

@summersflowers

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

It's the main reason we vaccinate children from flu each year. Yes it helps protect them too but the people most at risk from flu are the elderly and the vulnerable, but children are one of the biggest group to transmit it iirr.

@summersflowers

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the attitude that we should have a vaccine that is of no benefit to us to protect others.

You need to educate yourself, you've totally missed that point of the vaccination programme.

Basically, look after your own immune system.

How do I prevent myself from getting the arthritis I began with in my 30s? The one that affects my immune system and the one where the medication saps my immune system too? My arthritis is linked to psoriasis which I started with when I was a young healthy 13-14 year old girl.

Or how do I prevent the hypertension I now have, and likely to have for ever requiring two forms of medication, which began as a complication of having Covid last year? My form of hypertension - which untreated was dangerously high and resulted in me being rushed to a and e due to a severe risk of heart attack or stroke - isn't caused by weight, poor diet, too much salt, etc. It was triggered by an infection - Covid related.

But yes, fine - I'll continue to eat my greens and take vitamins and I'm sure it'll be fine

Not all vulnerable people are morbidly obese or not looking after themselves.

I caught Covid because of my job but because of not taking care of myself. Like for almost other people it was bad luck.

And some of those vulnerable people
Can't have the vaccine or, if they do, it won't be as effective due to their poor immune system. So they remain vulnerable despite being jabbed. But yeah, again, I'm sure it's their fault not eating healthy or exercising enough if they end up ill with Covid. Sure.

[quote Thiscantreallybehappening]**@In2mindsaaarrgghh
That’s how I feel. They’ve given up so much already to their detriment. Johnson is now trying to blackmail the young by telling them that they won’t be able to go to nightclubs unless they have been fully vaccinated, so who knows.

To be honest, I'm quite speechless. Do you or your DS not realise that without a high proportion of that age group being vaccinated there is a possibility that we will be back in restrictions and lockdowns and his life will be put on hold again and could impact his future prospects. Please don't complain about his life being ruined if we do end up back in lockdown.

Or, are you just hoping that enough people in that age group do the sensible thing and have the vaccine so your DS doesn't have to!![/quote]
What do you think restrictions and lockdowns were actually for? You realise that children and young people weren’t the ones filling up the hospitals right?