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Original poster

Vaccinations For 12 - 15 year olds

39 replies

CurryLover55 · 14/09/2021 11:08

Wondering what everyone’s thoughts are on this? I was taking DD12 to school this morning & she heard about it on the radio & immediately said she wasn’t going to have it. She is a very anxious child but has been ok with needles before. She told me she hates needles & would have a panic attack, therefore they wouldn’t be able to give her the injection. I would much rather she had it, especially as numbers of cases have gone up considerably in Cornwall during the summer season. There are quite a few cases in DD’s year apparently.

OP posts:
suredsun · 14/09/2021 11:12

There are many further beneficial injections that will be offered in a teenagers life; cervical cancer, meningitis booster pre university, jabs for gap years in exotic locations... can you reason with her about the need to get her head round the thought of needles?

Whatever9999 · 14/09/2021 11:53

It would depend on whether she is capable of making a rational decision but ultimately if she doesn't want it there's nothing much you can do short of holding her down.
Personally, if she were my child, I would sit down with her and help her research both sides of the argument using reputable sources, help her make a list of pros and cons

Original poster
CurryLover55 · 14/09/2021 18:35

Really surprised there aren’t more responses to this - anyone out there?

OP posts:
Bubbles34 · 14/09/2021 18:44

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Gastropod · 14/09/2021 18:53

In the country I live in (not UK), it's been recommended (Pfizer) and available for 12-15 year olds since the summer. My 13 year old jumped at the chance, and I had no problems or concerns whatsoever getting her vaccinated.
It's a decision that's made life much easier for us all since.

Comedycook · 14/09/2021 18:56

I'd be less concerned about her views on the covid vaccine, and more worried about whether she will be having the hpv vaccine if she has a phobia of needles

TinaYouFatLard · 14/09/2021 18:57

Your DD is at such low risk from Covid, I can’t understand why you would pressure her to have this vaccine.

Mynameismargot · 14/09/2021 19:00

@Comedycook

I'd be less concerned about her views on the covid vaccine, and more worried about whether she will be having the hpv vaccine if she has a phobia of needles
I would agree with this. If you say it's fine you don't have to get this one if you don't like needles what happens when she is offered the HPV vaccines? If her only concern is a fear of needles I would try very strongly to get her to take it. There are some things you have to do in life and things like vaccinations and blood tests are one of them, she would be better conquering this fear now rather than letting it fester.
FreshFreesias · 14/09/2021 19:04

Why are you risking your child’s health for an illness that carries very little risk for her?
Please read up on the side effects and the yellow card scheme.

Mynameismargot · 14/09/2021 19:10

@FreshFreesias

Why are you risking your child’s health for an illness that carries very little risk for her? Please read up on the side effects and the yellow card scheme.
Why are trying to shame a parent that wants to give their child an approved vaccine? Covid carries more risk to children than vaccination does, even the JCVI who are lauded here acknowledged that. Do what you like with your own child but trying to shame parents into not vaccinating their children is pathetic.
bumbleymummy · 14/09/2021 19:12

Mine aren’t having it. The majority of children in this age group are already immune anyway.

Forgetaboutme · 14/09/2021 19:14

I have the opposite issue. My son wants the jab and obviously I can't stop him but I am worried about the risks of the jab for his age group. I am double vacced myself but thats because of where I work and less of a risk for me.

I agree with pp's though. There will be jabs your daughters will need in the future. If fear of needled is her only reason for not wanting it you need to explain that to her. If its something else, I don't think you should push her.

bumbleymummy · 14/09/2021 19:14

From JCVI statement -

“The available evidence indicates that the individual health benefits from COVID-19 vaccination are small in those aged 12 to 15 years who do not have underlying health conditions which put them at risk of severe COVID-19. The potential risks from vaccination are also small, with reports of post-vaccination myocarditis being very rare, but potentially serious and still in the process of being described. Given the rarity of these events and the limited follow-up time of children and young people with post-vaccination myocarditis, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the health risks associated with these adverse events.”

Mynameismargot · 14/09/2021 19:28

@bumbleymummy

Mine aren’t having it. The majority of children in this age group are already immune anyway.
And vaccination adds to that immunity. Seeing as UK kids are only being given the option to be partially vaccinated it's great that lots will have that combo!
Schoolchoicesucks · 14/09/2021 19:30

I jumped at the chance for me to have it. Less sure about dc (12) having it. He had hpv jab last week.

I read that from results of trial in US that for boys aged 12-15 there was more chance of them being admitted to hospital as result of the vaccine than from the effects of covid.

However UK studies haven't shown this and they are suggesting only 1 vaccine dose, with most of the myocarditis side effects occurring after 2nd dose.

I want to find some actual sources on this rather than from news stories. Will discuss with my dc and there is the community benefit impact to consider too.

From experience with hpv jab, if I give permission or not, it would still be his decision to consent or not on the day.

bumbleymummy · 14/09/2021 20:12

Adds what if they’re already immune? The benefit/risk of the vaccine in this age group was already marginal. If they’re already immune it’s going to tilt it even further away from benefit.

bumbleymummy · 14/09/2021 20:14

However UK studies haven't shown this

We haven’t rolled out the vaccine to this group en masse in the U.K. yet. Which U.K. studies are you referring to?

Original poster
CurryLover55 · 14/09/2021 21:25

tinayoufatlard nowhere have I said anything about pressuring DD to have it!

OP posts:
Schoolchoicesucks · 14/09/2021 22:20

It was this article in the Guardian @bumbleymummy. I only skim read it as it was before the announcement that roll out would be happening.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study

Having read it again, it's not clear whether the UK myocarditis rates refer to general population or the (presumably clinically vulnerable) 12-15 year olds who have received the jab.
That's why I want to find some data other than from news reports.

Explosivefarts · 15/09/2021 04:58

The JCVI said they wouldn’t recommend it on health grounds alone.So my child won’t be having it they won’t be put at risk for the safe of others .I seen an expert on sky news saying

“That's the ethical argument. We'd be predominantly vaccinating children to save the lives of their parents and grandparents."

So no my child won’t be put at risk for others

Banani · 15/09/2021 06:16

I do support 12-15 year olds making the final decision on having the vaccine or not. It sounds though that you need to get to the bottom of it with her. If she actually wants the vaccine but it’s the needle that’s stopping her then it’s a much wider issue that needs addressing as she likely in the future will need injections/blood tests etc.

Banani · 15/09/2021 06:17

@Bubbles34

The jcvi dont recommend it, the risks outweigh the benefits for what will be a common cold to most kids their age. This vaccine has more negative side effects than any other vaccine in history.
Do you have a source for ‘this vaccine has more negative side effects than any other vaccine in history’?
Kiwi09 · 15/09/2021 06:20

I’m not in the Uk, but where I am the vaccine is approved for 12+ and seems to be quite popular. I’ve taken my son to be vaccinated. I’m hoping they’ll approve the vaccine for younger children soon too. I don’t actually know anyone who is vaccinated themselves that doesn’t want their kids to be.

DontWantTheRivalry · 15/09/2021 06:52

My cousin has a 13 year old daughter and she doesn’t want her vaccinated. She said that generally, people have vaccines to protect themselves whereas in this instance she feels children are being given them in order to protect others. She said she doesn’t feel comfortable with that concept at all and says if there is no health benefit for her daughter on a personal level then why risk any negative side effects of the vaccine by unnecessarily having it.

SOLINVICTUS · 15/09/2021 07:01

@CurryLover55

Really surprised there aren’t more responses to this - anyone out there?
Because there are already a couple of long-running threads in both Coronavirus and AIbu probably.

I'd try and separate your daughter's fear of needles from the actual Covid vaccine first of all. Has she had a bad experience with needles?

There's an awful lot of confusion about the role of the JCVI (see the other threads) they are the FIRST advisory body in the chain. A think tank of doctors, scientists, economists etc. There was a bit of a hoohah a few weeks ago (which is probably why their decision was delayed) when one of their then members was found to have links to known anti-vaccination groups etc but he's been ousted now. The JCVI are asked, by the govt to study the benefits and drawbacks and present their findings. The CMO then decide on whether to act on the JCVI's conclusion or not.

I'd also read reputable sources (lots linked on various threads on here on both sides of the argument) Avoid reading copied and pasted single paragraphs lifted often out if context from entire articles. The simple fact of posters not sharing the whole link but deciding which bit of the article they'd like you to read is often very telling.