Will I be asked to vaccinate my young children?

[chickenbasket]

I have a 2year old and a 4year old, we're both double jabbed and I don't have any issues with being vaccinated at all, but I feel (perhaps unreasonably?) very strongly against having my small children vaccinated. I don't know why, I don't know if it's ever going to be a requirement to have them vaccinated? Any thoughts or opinions?

Do they have the other vaccines.? MMR etc

It's not authorised for anyone under 12 yet. If we haven't made other vaccinations compulsory in children I can't see this would be different.

@Kithic yes they have had all of the other vaccinations they've been offered.

My concerns over vaccinating them are due to a) the vaccine being new and the longer term effects being unknown and most importantly b) children (so far as I am aware) are at very little risk from COVID so from my POV it seems an unnecessary risk to vaccinate them.

its not licenced for young children, and even the over 12s that want it arent being offered it yet, plus even adults arent forced to vaccinate, so i do think youre worrying prematurely

If they are offered it, it will not be compulsory. We do not live in that kind of country.

Nothing like this for under 5s has even been suggested. You're either stirring up trouble, or getting yourself overly worked up about something very remote and unlikely. Put it out of your mind and enjoy your day with your kids.

Enforced vaccination isn’t going to be a thing, relax.

Yes the vaccines are new but they are based on decades and decades of research of other vaccines that work in the same way, using the same ingredients/ components. They have passed the same amount of clinical trials as other vaccines before distribution worldwide.
However, as you say children are at very little risk of covid, so I expect it won't be worth it financially to vaccinate all the young children. Usually most things are down to save money or reduce the strain on the NHS. If data over the next few months shows that young children are the main spreaders of the virus to the vulnerable and elderly then I think they may consider it. It will be interesting to see what decision they make.

I don’t think OP is stirring up trouble. They’re already vaccinating 12 year olds. I also have a 1yr and 4yr old and also don’t like the idea of them having the vaccine (I’m fully jabbed).
They have all the other vaccinations as the one are illnesses that kill children. They don’t have the flu jab because it doesn’t kill kids. Likewise that’s how I feel about the Covid one.

it's not authorised for that age group and even if it was no one is going to make you.

"They’re already vaccinating 12 year olds."

The vaccine is being offered to some 12 year olds. It is not compulsory. No childhood vaccines are compulsory.

OP isn't stirring she's wondering. I've been thinking the same.

@Sleepyblueocean I didn’t say it was compulsory.

If it not compulsory then I don't know what people are worried about. I know there is a train of thought about that offering to any children makes it more difficult for those who don't want theirs to have it but that is a pretty selfish way of thing in my opinion.

In the US maybe - I think they are testing and working out dosage for 5-12 year olds at the moment, moving on to younger children later. They also have precedents of compulsory vaccinations for schools and kindergarten etc and a significant percentage of anti Covid Vaxxers in their adult population. So there it is possible that kids will end up having to take the brunt essentially of refusing adults to get to some sort of population immunity level.
In U.K., very unlikely. Not even MMR, tetanus etc was compulsory for nursery/preschool etc. Interestingly though here most independent schools ask for full vaccination history before joining. So who knows what boarding schools will do for teenagers etc going forward in the U.K.

(As far as I know) There's NO mandatory vaccine for children in the UK. Even if they ever offer it to this age group, you can easily decline.

I would be first in the queue for my children is my contribution.

Well I’m here in Malta, the European country with the highest vaccination rate. They have vaccinated over 12’s and don’t seem to have had any issues. In fact, they have a far lower Covid case rate than the U.K.

I'd say in the future younger aged children will be offered the vaccine but I can't see this being compulsory in the UK.

I imagine it will eventually be like the flu vaccine and offered to young children but just like any other vaccine you don’t have to give then to your child.

@TuesdayRuby

I don’t think OP is stirring up trouble. They’re already vaccinating 12 year olds. I also have a 1yr and 4yr old and also don’t like the idea of them having the vaccine (I’m fully jabbed). They have all the other vaccinations as the one are illnesses that kill children. They don’t have the flu jab because it doesn’t kill kids. Likewise that’s how I feel about the Covid one.

Flu kills children according to the CDC in a typical flue season 40-200 children die each year of it.....

My children are also 2 and 4. Realistically they won't be offered any covid jab for many years yet. I suspect they will try to get it part of the school immunisation programme to ensure most people have a baseline protection.

If abs when they're offered, they will have it. They've had everything else including the annual flu vaccine.

The covid jab isn't really new. Most of the technology in it has been around for ages and is used for other vaccines.

Apart from the fact that no vaccines are authorised for under-12s in the UK at the moment, vaccination has never been compulsory for any age group.

Nevertheless, I would still vaccinate my children, but then I also got them the new MMR back when crazy Dr Wakefield was telling everyone it would damage all our DC - my DS survived and no doubt benefitted from not contracting measles, mumps or rubella.

Is this just a delibarete anti-vax nonsense thread?

Given it is not licensed for

[quote lannistunut]Is this just a delibarete anti-vax nonsense thread?

Given it is not licensed for