Offered vaccine for my 13 YO

Aduckandachick · 2021-08-20T19:39:25+00:00

She is booked in fir next week but it’s come sooner than I expected (she has SEN but isn’t what I’d deem to be vulnerable.) Not sure why I’m feeling a bit uncertain about it - I’m double jabbed and will take her to get it. Has anyone else taken their young teen for their vaccination?

wonderstuff123 · 20/08/2021 20:54

I haven't but my 12 year old got offered it today,totally out of the blue. Got a text saying he was clinically vulnerable and could book in for the jab.

He has very very slight asthma in the winter (uses his inhaler maybe 3 times a year),never been on steroids or hospitalised,and has dyspraxia. I can't understand how he's clinically vulnerable.

Original poster

Aduckandachick · 20/08/2021 20:56

Ah - my daughter had an inhaler a few winters ago but hasn’t used it since.

OP posts:

wonderstuff123 · 20/08/2021 21:01

Do you think that's it then? Seems really odd there offering it to kids with a seemingly tenuous asthma link when back at the start of the year,adults (who are at far greater risk) with asthma had to be on certain medications/been hospitalised to be considered clinically vulnerable!

Makes no sense in my mind

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 20/08/2021 21:13

Personally, if it was my child I'd got for it.

NightmareLoon · 20/08/2021 21:33

Hundreds of thousands of children ages 12+ have gotten it in America and Europe (including some in my own family) and I would grab the opportunity with both hands!

kowari · 20/08/2021 21:39

DS hasn't been offered yet (not vulnerable) but has decided not to have it if he is. There's a tiny chance he hasn't already had covid as I have antibodies and he has been in school almost throughout.

ollyollyoxenfree · 20/08/2021 21:39

@wonderstuff123

Do you think that's it then? Seems really odd there offering it to kids with a seemingly tenuous asthma link when back at the start of the year,adults (who are at far greater risk) with asthma had to be on certain medications/been hospitalised to be considered clinically vulnerable!

Makes no sense in my mind

There's a much smaller number of children in England when compared to the entire adult population, this means, purely on numbers, the threshold for eligible children can be a lot lower.

It's an offer, not something you have to take up, so I'd talk it through with their HCP if you're unsure.

Lico · 20/08/2021 21:45

Took my 15 year old to Europe just to get her vaccinated. She had her first jab two days ago. Second jab will be end of September.
Vaccinating all the over 12s in the UK would have saved us a lot of money and aggro...

Zandathepanda · 20/08/2021 21:53

My 16Dd medically vulnerable is double jabbed. She was fine.

Gladioli23 · 20/08/2021 22:05

I think the current stance is that it's only for children with learning or neuro disabilities, not asthma or even most things that make you CEV. So I don't think the inhaler should be the reason.

TurquoiseBaubles · 20/08/2021 22:44

Ireland is offering vaccinations to all children aged 12 to 15 now that pretty much everyone over 16 is vaccinated.

If you follow what is going on there it might put your mind at rest? There seem to be no issues so far.

Blackbird2020 · 20/08/2021 22:54

Do any of you question the possible longer term, yet unknown effects of the vaccine on developing children?

I can see that there are no issues with the short term side effects but there’s no safety data for the long term yet. That does worry me, especially regarding the new mRNA vaccines.

Wellbythebloodyhell · 20/08/2021 22:57

If you are unsure you can wait a little while don't feel rushed to make a decision you was expecting to make just yet. I wouldn't vaccinate my dc if there was the tiniest bit of doubt or uncertainty, I'd take more time to figure it out until we were sure

herecomesthsun · 20/08/2021 22:59

Yes and I also question what will be the long term effects of a massive viral load of an unknown pathogen on a developing child.

Personally, I think the small dose of vaccine is less likely to be harmful, and presumably so do the MHRA who approved the vaccine, the JCVI who gave to go ahead& our GP/CCG who is organising this.

You might note that several other countries are well ahead of us in scheduling vaccines for children though.

Thanks for your concern

herecomesthsun · 20/08/2021 23:01

sorry that was @Blackbird2020

If anyone with a potentially vulnerable child is uncertain, you could always wait a bit and have a think about it?

ollyollyoxenfree · 20/08/2021 23:03

@Blackbird2020

Do any of you question the possible longer term, yet unknown effects of the vaccine on developing children?

I can see that there are no issues with the short term side effects but there’s no safety data for the long term yet. That does worry me, especially regarding the new mRNA vaccines.

Personally, this isn't something this I'm worried about. There isn't a plausible mechanism by which a vaccine (mRNA or otherwise) would cause adverse effects that only emerge in the long term.

In contrast, viral infection can be associated with long term effects, and we know very little about the impact of coronavirus infection of developing children. I'm not saying that is something to be worried about either, but on a balance of risks, there is more evidence for vaccination being the better option.

Spongeboob · 20/08/2021 23:04

@Blackbird2020

Do any of you question the possible longer term, yet unknown effects of the vaccine on developing children?

I can see that there are no issues with the short term side effects but there’s no safety data for the long term yet. That does worry me, especially regarding the new mRNA vaccines.

I've wondered the same but then all the pregnant women who've been vaccinated?

Blackbird2020 · 20/08/2021 23:04

I didn’t mean to come across condescending. I literally meant “Do any of you have these concerns, whilst coming to the decisions that you’ve made?”

I’m thinking things through as I have an 11 year old who will be in that age bracket in a few months....

Lockdowndramaqueen · 20/08/2021 23:25

Been offered it for teen DC because I am CEV. Not sure how I feel about it.

ollyollyoxenfree · 21/08/2021 00:11

@Blackbird2020

I didn’t mean to come across condescending. I literally meant “Do any of you have these concerns, whilst coming to the decisions that you’ve made?”

I’m thinking things through as I have an 11 year old who will be in that age bracket in a few months....

As said above ^

In addition, experts and advisory bodies including CHMP, MHRA and the JCVI are confident in the long term safety of the vaccines for use in children and advise that the benefits outweigh any potential harms when compared to coronavirus infection. Personally, I trust the opinion of people with decades of experience and expertise in vaccinology.

SophieGiroux · 21/08/2021 01:29

How can "experts" possibly know the long term side effects when not enough time has passed? The mRNA ones have never been used before. There is absolutely no way my children will be having the vaccine, the risk of covid is so low but no doubt we will be forced to in the not-so distant future if we want them to be allowed to attend school 😠

ollyollyoxenfree · 21/08/2021 01:40

@SophieGiroux

How can "experts" possibly know the long term side effects when not enough time has passed? The mRNA ones have never been used before. There is absolutely no way my children will be having the vaccine, the risk of covid is so low but no doubt we will be forced to in the not-so distant future if we want them to be allowed to attend school 😠

As I said;

Personally, this isn't something this I'm worried about. There isn't a plausible mechanism by which a vaccine (mRNA or otherwise) would cause adverse effects that only emerge in the long term.

In contrast, viral infection can be associated with long term effects, and we know very little about the impact of coronavirus infection of developing children. I'm not saying that is something to be worried about either, but on a balance of risks, there is more evidence for vaccination being the better option.

It's about balance of risks, and I'm not sure why you're posting on this particular thread? It's great that CEV/CV children, who are more at risk, are now being offered the vaccine, and it would be good if other children could take it up if they want it, in line with most other Western countries.

there is absolutely no way my children will be having the vaccine
No one has ever said they need to be so not sure who you're arguing with? It is a choice, something you can turn down if offered, and I don't see the point in scaremongering about being "forced into it", when at risk kids are still struggling to get appointments.

Driftingblue · 21/08/2021 01:51

Yes, my 12 year old was vaccinated in April/may. It was a huge relief.

I didn’t hesitate for a second. She has a medical condition that can trigger coughing fits so bad her oxygen levels drop. A simple cold can mean trips to a&e. I had that needle in her arm literally within hours of being offered the opportunity.

workwoes123 · 21/08/2021 06:45

@Blackbird2020 and the OP

M’y 13 yr old gets his second Pfizer jab on Monday. We’re in France, where vaccination stations will likely be set up at schools for la rentrée (back to school) for 12+yrs.

I trust the scientists, the advisory boards, the experts who have been working in this field for many years. I find it laughable that random people with no expertise would go up against them, scientifically. I definitely don’t trust a novel virus which we still know very very little about. So I will protect my child from that.

lannistunut · 21/08/2021 06:50

It is awful the UK won't vaccinate children, our children have been so let down.

The only country with high rates, no mitigations in schools AND no vaccines

Obviously worst in England, our kids are so let down.