No vaccines for healthy 12-15 Yr olds

[Wellbythebloodyhell]

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-vaccines-will-not-be-recommended-for-healthy-children-aged-12-to-15-government-advisers-say-12398444

Is anyone else glad this potential decision has been taken away? I was very much undecided about vaccinating my older dc and now feel a bit of a weight has been lifted now its not something I need to consider.

I was really hoping 12-15 year olds would be able to get vaccinated 😢.

God some parents .....

Health and vaccine experts have refused healthy jabs for kids yet parents still believe they are wrong!

If gov now agree to allow vaccines for kids then we know it’s purely 100% to protect others and not in their best interests

Uptake will defo be reduced now regardless

Strange parenting

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees

I want my DD to have the vaccine to protect herself and her education. I'm double jabbed and (apart from the pain in the arse of having to SI for 10 days) am not too fussed about catching Covid.

But she's 15 and so IMO the decision lies with her. And she wants it if it's available. Maybe we should actually start asking teenagers what they think about this?

We don't give health interventions on the basis of people's opinions. You get to choose from what your dr is willing to offer you based on the best medical advice available. You can't demand any other intervention, why would a vaccine be any different?

Would parents really decide to vaccinate when the scientific consensus is that the risks of the vaccine don’t outweigh the benefits to a healthy child, purely to avoid disrupted learning?

Except that this isn’t actually the case, or other countries wouldn’t be vaccinating children. Have you looked at what they have said? They looked at one “extremely rare” suspected side affect (60 per million) which even then is likely linked to a pre-existing condition. But one of the main reasons they are against it is because it would impact on the routine vaccination programmes, which they are already behind in.

It is important the Government makes clear the reasons rather than just saying JCVI said it was risky, otherwise parents will continue to insist the vaccine poses a real risk to their children.

Give it a couple of months of kids missing school & they will be begging parents to have their kids immunised.

Exactly the same number, the logical conclusion of which is this: parents of 12-15 year olds, your child's vaccine is now on a plane to that very wealthy low-Covid case and death rate country of Australia.

According to the leaked EU vaccine supply schedule, UK has got 22 (!) million of unused mRNA vaccines (primarily Pfizer). We also keep receiving ongoing weekly deliveries.

We have got enough vaccines to both vaccinate teenagers and offer boosters to older age groups. It is not a supply driven decision.

60 per million boys.8 per million girls.

Senseless decision

@Watapalava

God some parents .....

Health and vaccine experts have refused healthy jabs for kids yet parents still believe they are wrong!

If gov now agree to allow vaccines for kids then we know it’s purely 100% to protect others and not in their best interests

Uptake will defo be reduced now regardless

Strange parenting

the JCVI is in a minority position internationally

the onus is on them to explain their position to us

the whole point of evidence based decision making is that it should be open to enquiry and justifiable scientifically

though I agree that some parents might find the shilly shallying confusing and I suppose that could affect eventual vaccine uptake

@Watapalava

God some parents .....

Health and vaccine experts have refused healthy jabs for kids yet parents still believe they are wrong!

If gov now agree to allow vaccines for kids then we know it’s purely 100% to protect others and not in their best interests

Uptake will defo be reduced now regardless

Strange parenting

Except none of the parents on this thread said they want their children vaccinated to protect others. I want to get my dc vaccinated to protect him and not cause unnecessary disruption to his education or suffer lingering effects of covid after months.

People have different opinions about what's good for their children. Just because it's not the same for yours, it's not strange.

@BoredZelda

Would parents really decide to vaccinate when the scientific consensus is that the risks of the vaccine don’t outweigh the benefits to a healthy child, purely to avoid disrupted learning?

Except that this isn’t actually the case, or other countries wouldn’t be vaccinating children. Have you looked at what they have said? They looked at one “extremely rare” suspected side affect (60 per million) which even then is likely linked to a pre-existing condition. But one of the main reasons they are against it is because it would impact on the routine vaccination programmes, which they are already behind in.

It is important the Government makes clear the reasons rather than just saying JCVI said it was risky, otherwise parents will continue to insist the vaccine poses a real risk to their children.

No it’s not this. JCVI are transparent on why.

@BoredZelda

It's currently extremely difficult to get CEV children vaccinated despite it being open to them.

DD isn’t CEV, was never shielding, but has a disability that is on the list. Despite the fact that it is an umbrella term that captures very mild symptoms to severe disability and she is far from severe, she was called up for vaccination. I also got a letter saying records showed I was at risk from having an unvaccinated child, I checked with my GP who has no idea why I was flagged but thought it might be from a minor issue I had about 15 years ago. I know of several others who got the same and had no idea why. It seems they have cast the net very wide on this, and I understand today’s announcement casts it wider still. Perhaps there is a difference in how Scotland is doing it, but I find it hard to believe actual CEV children are not being able to get the vaccination.

In response to the OP, it’s all very well that you were unable to make up your mind, but many people want to be able to choose for themselves and by refusing to do what most other countries are doing, the government are putting our children at risk for no good reason.

I find it hard to believe actual CEV children are not being able to get the vaccination.

Believe it, the shielding children and the ones (like your and my child) getting offers of vaccination are different groups. Though doubtless there's some overlap.

But yes, it is hard to understand; poor families who have been shielding their kids for 18 months and are now told to send them back to school unvaxed.

Right decision from the jvci. One thing they were concerned about was the impact on other childhood vaccination programmes. The numbers for those are already down and a big tussle over vaccinating healthy children against covid could make things much worse. We are worrying about vaccinating healthy children against something most won't even really know they've got and taking our eye off the ball on vaccinating them against diseases much more likely to cause them harm.

Also I don't care what other countries are doing. They have different contexts. Most countries are not vaccinating teens and in some that are it remains controversial (e.g USA). Plus in the uk we have have probably had a lot more community spread of the delta variant than many other countries and your children may well have had it already.

I want my DD to have it (she is 13) she was offered it last week due to being vulnerable (coeliac)
She has decided against it. This no go has cemented her decision! I'm not ecstatic.

No it’s not this. JCVI are transparent on why.

Except they obviously aren’t, as many people here are saying JCVI have balanced the risk of Covid v risk of vaccine and decided the risk of vaccine is higher. That isn’t the case but that’s what the message from them is.

Believe it, the shielding children and the ones (like your and my child) getting offers of vaccination are different groups.

In the examples I’ve seen, it takes a phone call and an appointment is offered. The only issue there can be is logistics if it is difficult to get the child to a vaccination centre. But again, there may be an England/Scotland divide on this.

@Thislittlefinger123

Would parents really decide to vaccinate when the scientific consensus is that the risks of the vaccine don’t outweigh the benefits to a healthy child, purely to avoid disrupted learning? confused Particularly when many children are already immune so shouldn’t need to come out of school and isolate anyway.

This. People seem to scream to follow the science, but then when the science doesn't agree with them they scream the science is wrong...

The thing is that the JCVI are outliers internationally. Most countries who can are offering this age group the vaccine. In high transmission, the benefits outweigh the risks - e.g. 1 in 120 children who catch covid are hospitalised. 1 in 14,000 may experience mycarditis, of which around half may need hospital observation/treatment. So if transmission is low and only 1% of kids get covid in the next few months, the risks may outweigh the benefits. But given that we've been running at a much higher level of infection than that, it makes sense to vaccinate. And the risk of long covid is much higher than 1 in 120.

One thing they were concerned about was the impact on other childhood vaccination programmes. The numbers for those are already down and a big tussle over vaccinating healthy children against covid could make things much worse. We are worrying about vaccinating healthy children against something most won't even really know they've got and taking our eye off the ball on vaccinating them against diseases much more likely to cause them harm.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem if they had pulled their finger out of their arse and done it over the school holidays. It is also very blinkered and makes the assumption vaccination has to be carried out in schools. There are other options for doing it, but of course, that would cost money.

Except they obviously aren’t, as many people here are saying JCVI have balanced the risk of Covid v risk of vaccine and decided the risk of vaccine is higher. That isn’t the case but that’s what the message from them is.

They’ve said the margin is too small. And not that vaccine is higher in any case.

I think it is more than that. One child dying or being seriously harmed by a covid vaccine they probably didn't need could seriously undermine trust in the authorities and hit other childhood vaccination programmes.

The JCVI were also outliers on extending the vaccine dose. Turned out to be a good decision. Being an outlier is not a bad thing, it can be a good thing too.
I’m not sure we are an outlier anyway? There’s a few other countries doing the same. I think Germany and Sweden?
I think the government may probably overturn the decision anyway but for me I’ve made my mind up so whatever is decided eventually I’m happy with my decision

@sashagabadon

The JCVI were also outliers on extending the vaccine dose. Turned out to be a good decision. Being an outlier is not a bad thing, it can be a good thing too. I’m not sure we are an outlier anyway? There’s a few other countries doing the same. I think Germany and Sweden? I think the government may probably overturn the decision anyway but for me I’ve made my mind up so whatever is decided eventually I’m happy with my decision

extending the vaccine dose?

@Nappyvalley15

I think it is more than that. One child dying or being seriously harmed by a covid vaccine they probably didn't need could seriously undermine trust in the authorities and hit other childhood vaccination programmes.

also saying children shouldn't have the vaccine could well confuse parents if they then change their minds which, oh, I don't know, could conceivably happen.

I find it hard to believe actual CEV children are not being able to get the vaccination

CEV status was removed from children last week. No such thing any more. Now just GP/specialist discretion (which is why so many are finding it hard).

Vaccination was never going to be mandatory - if you didn't want your child vaccinated, you would never had had to do so.

By advocating against other children being vaccinated, you have jeopardised their health and their mental health, disrupted the education of millions unecessarily.

This is very bad for the education and mental health of our 12-15 year olds.

By advocating against other children being vaccinated, you have jeopardised their health and their mental health, disrupted the education of millions unecessarily

The general public haven’t made the decision though, the JCVI have.

After seeing Callum Semple all over the media today with no regard for young people's education and mental health, means I will not be letting my DC apply to study at Southampton Uni - he is a disgrace to that Uni and they should be ashamed to have someone who obviously blocked the vaccination of 12-15 year olds.