All 12-15s to be offered single dose of Pfizer, CMOs decide

[bagofconkers]

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccines-to-be-offered-to-children-aged-12-to-15-chief-medical-officers-decide-12402855

@BewareTheLibrarians

Chris Whitty said in today’s press conference “Children do still have problems with covid. It is not a benign (harmless) disease even in children. It’s more likely to cause more problems in adults, especially older adults, but there are problems that some children get into (with COVID).”

Nice of them to finally admit this, after lying for so long - especially about long covid and young people

I haven't watched a press conference for a while but the sound quality is really poor for the fancy media room. The journalist's questions for hard to hear compared to when they were remote.

@Chardlettuce

I've just watched the whole press conference and at no point have they clarified how having the vaccine will reduce disruption to education. Most of the disruption to education has been lockdowns and bubbles being sent home. The closest they got was Chris Whitty said vaccination reduces a child's chance of catching covid by 50-55%.

So they did actually spell it out and you are just being pedantic and trying to misconstrue what was said!

A reduction of catching by 50 - 55% is the entire point!

It's the final decision being given to children which I'm most surprised about. I assume this is to circumvent anti-vacc parents but it may well bite them on the arse. Have they considered how many kids will refuse, against their parents wishes, now they've been given the choice?

But it took 45 minutes to get there and was lost in an answer about something else.
I don't think it was clear at all.
And that's not much benefit either is it?

[quote trumpisagit]@jumpbounce As far as I understood Chris Whitty said earlier nobody should be disadvantaged by a decision not to, as the benefit is minimal. [/quote]
And everything the government has said so far, in this pandemic,they have stood by and never gone back on their word?

The closest they got was Chris Whitty said vaccination reduces a child's chance of catching covid by 50-55%.

If it halves the chance of them having to isolate this academic year then that is a pretty big plus tbh. Especially for kids in exam years.

That said, I completely agree with Whitty that each family has to make a decision which works for them.

A year ago when d have jumped at the chance of vaccinating my child. Having since had hearing loss and tinnitus from my vaccine I’m now less sure. Of course DS could get those from covid infection and he might be fine with the vaccine but equally he might just have covid asymptomatically but react to the vaccine. Luckily I don’t have to make that decision as he’s not 12 yet and so he will probably get covid before he is.

Delighted...but does anyone know if Year 7 pupils who've just turned 12 or are about to will be offered the vaccine in school? Or will it be Year 8 upwards? My daughter turns 12 end of September, I'm keen for her to have it and she is too.

Yes, if you don't catch Covid, you don't test positive and therefore you don't have close contacts. I don't get why people struggle with this so much.

Nice of them to finally admit this, after lying for so long - especially about long covid and young people
@lannistunut

yep it certainly is. I don’t want people to worry about it, but more acknowledgment that it’s rare but even perfectly healthy children can be made ill/have long term effects because of it would be good.

I think this is good news, my two eligible children will be having as soon as they can.

However, I happen to know* that my GP (PCN) is not currently organising any jabs as the centre they’ve been using has closed down.
The replacement isn’t up and running yet, so unless the walk in centre changes it’ll be a while.

There are strict rules about who can vaccinate under 16s, and what resources have to be there, like paediatric anaphylactic kit and so on.

(*Vaccine clinic volunteer at the old centre and in the group for various other centres)

Like with the 16/17 age group my main concern is about the lack of plan for second doses and what that will mean in terms of effectiveness if there is a larger gap than the recommended max of 12 weeks. Would it be better to wait until there is a plan for a 2nd so at least the gap between is not going to be several months? Also what will this mean in terms of travel or vaccine passports should they ever be introduced, as one dose is the same as good as unvaccinated.

@hugocat

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

You would be safer speaking to your GP than reading from some random website probably run by a conspiracy theorist. Is this really the sort of nonsense people base a decision like this on?

@beckypv

This is a really well laid out infographic from the bbc to understand the risks and benefits

Recent studies from Canada, Israel and the US showed a higher risk of myocarditis after the second dose in boys than what is shown in that graphic. It was ~150 in a million iirc.

Silver glitter baubles - & others - I wish they would commit to the second dose too.

My two nieces in France have had both doses, but my sons will only get one. Doesn’t seem fair to me.

Total disgrace. Further proof if such were needed that they don't in any way 'follow the science'. Lying, venal and amoral, the whole sorry lot of them.

About the link that hugocat posted that’s thankfully been deleted, just in case it’s worried anyone

[website name] is ripe for exploitation because it relies on unverified self-reports of side effects. [It] was established in 1990 to detect possible safety problems with vaccines.

Unfortunately, the anti-vaccine movement has used this once-obscure database to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.

@HitchhikersGuide

Total disgrace. Further proof if such were needed that they don't in any way 'follow the science'. Lying, venal and amoral, the whole sorry lot of them.

But you don’t have to get your kids jabbed if you don’t want do you?

It’s a choice thing, I want my DC vaccinated and feel I should be allowed to. You feel the opposite and that’s fine.

The disruption to their education has been huge, if one jab can help reduce the risks of that, I’m up for it.
(And so are my DC too as we’ve talked about it).

@Carlislemumof4

Delighted...but does anyone know if Year 7 pupils who've just turned 12 or are about to will be offered the vaccine in school? Or will it be Year 8 upwards? My daughter turns 12 end of September, I'm keen for her to have it and she is too.

I was wondering the same. DD is year 7, will be 12 in 6 weeks or so and we've already had a discussion about vaccination. I've said it's ultimately her choice, but I will absolutely consent for her to have it when she can.

She's less likely to catch it if she does have it - a 50% reduction is pretty good in my eyes, plus the risk of myocarditis if she did catch covid it is much higher than from a vaccine.

We have discussed it - she knows most vaccines are for "public health reasons", that she is healthy and probably wouldn't get particularly ill if positive, but she also is aware of the risks to her grandparents, and wants to reduce that however she can. We also have a (young, healthy) friend who has long covid and I think that's she's also used that to make her mind up.

I'd be disappointed if she ended up not getting it, but as long as she can make an informed choice, based on the information we have, then that would also be fine. We also have friends and relatives abroad who's kids are slightly older teens (under 16) who are already vaccinated who she knows.

At last! Fantastic news.

@LivingInABuildingSite I can just see this being an almighty mess down the line.

Part of me wondering if the idea of giving one jab to teens is just a bow to public pressure without a long term strategy and another wondering if there is an issue with vaccines supplies/ ability to administer as the also need to plan for boosters. Bottom line is I don't trust this lot to do the right thing one tiny bit.

[quote sassbott]@Geamhradh no one is an ‘expert’ in this domain. The vaccine is so new. Data is still being compiled. So little is known. What’s happening is guesswork, and a wing and a prayer.
But if you’re happy based on these so called ‘experts’ getting the younger generations injected with something with zero data on longer term implications? Go for it.[/quote]
Not in the UK. Our teens 12+ are all double jabbed
They've been working on mRNA vaccines for over 20 years though.
I'm a teacher, not a scientists, so, as with all the other childhood vaccinations, I trusted the medical experts. And will continue to do so.

Fantastic.

I wonder if they'll be on track to offer it at the same schedule as the flu vaccine in secondary schools (although we have to arrange to have it done outwith school which isn't until after the school rounds are done)

I wonder if this will help my teenager who has been too anxious to attend school since the end of last year.