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Original poster

Covid vaccine for a 12 year old boy with no underlying conditions

122 replies

happytoday73 · 14/09/2021 13:09

I feel very conflicted about what to do for my son vaccine wise. Where is the best place for more unbiased information to make this choice?

Dont get me wrong..I'm pro vaccine. I'm vaccinated for covid and would love to get a booster... but 2 years too young!

My son has had all his vaccines and thankfully is fit, healthy, sporty....but
I just don't know...on balance it feels his individual risk from covid is very very low, adverse reaction to vaccine again very very low (but significantly higher)... So why bother?

I totally get why only 1 vaccine shot being offered. But again that doesn't give the advantages that come with being fully vaccinated....

OP posts:
trumpisagit · 14/09/2021 21:33

We all (parents and children age 12 and 14) agreed at dinner time that our boys won't be taking up the offer of the vaccine for now.

The reasoning behind the recommendation isn't clear cut enough.

We consider the children at low risk from covid.

They have had lots of opportunities to catch it (so poss have asymptomatically). Apparently 50% of children have already had covid.

They are boys so at higher risk of myocarditis.

It feels rushed.

They don't want it (DS1 very clear, DS2 less certain but happy to take a wait and see approach).

I am genuinely not concerned about my children catching covid.

We have agreed to talk about it again if anything changes.

noblegiraffe · 14/09/2021 21:33

that's if you are worried about your kid catching it. Most are not

If you're not worried about your kid catching it then why would you vaccinate at all? If you are worried about your kid catching it then you really shouldn't wait.

JackieChiles · 14/09/2021 21:37

I will have my son vaccinated as soon as he is eligible.

Anoisagusaris · 14/09/2021 21:38

My 12 year old got it (not in UK). I’m not worried about him getting extremely sick with covid but I am worried about long Covid.

Original poster
happytoday73 · 14/09/2021 21:50

Thanks guys there is lots of good information here. Just trying to catch up.

@WineGetsMeThroughIt... thanks for that link.

@BungleandGeorge I'm not aware he has had covid but might have done early on. He seems nervous of vaccine... But that's the needle I think.. had travel vaccines year before covid appeared and didn't like it! His only question was 'would vaccine mean he didn't have to be tested as much if we went on holiday again!' He has lots of interaction with my parents (70s)... But they have had covid and are still showing strong antibodies. DH & I have underlying conditions but not vulnerable.

OP posts:
Notthemessiah · 14/09/2021 21:56

@noblegiraffe

I'd already posted my concerns about their weird reporting on this thread, and it wasn't me who originally referred to 'discredited members'...
I didn't say it was. It was the post calling their credibility into question and calling their former members discredited that led me to post in the first place, but you decided to take up the baton (and at least then made a case for it).

I'm all for open discussion and I very much respect parent's choices to vaccinate (or not), but it seems wrong to say stuff like this and not say why or stick around to try and back it up.

Original poster
happytoday73 · 14/09/2021 21:56

It's also really interesting to see how other judge this and how many are torn like me.

I do appreciate all your replies. Most are really helpful.

OP posts:
MrsLCSofLichfield · 14/09/2021 22:00

My son has almost certainly had COVID. I was as sick as a dog for 3 weeks in March/April 1920 and took months to fully recover, DH not much better. DS definitely had it milder, but was feverish and exhausted and hated the way he felt.

That aside, COVID can cause organ damage, why the fuck wouldn't I want to decrease his chances of catching it again and decrease the severity of symptoms if he does? Anyway, he's Gillick Competent and wants the vaccine, so that's that.

MrsLCSofLichfield · 14/09/2021 22:01

...March 2020. I do feel about a century old, though Hmm

barbicanfox · 14/09/2021 22:31

JCVI member Professor Adam Finn told Sky News that "there is a risk we could be doing more harm than good' by vaccinating healthy children, as it's 'very seldom' for them to get seriously ill with COVID and that "there are side effects that we don't really understand at this point" news.sky.com/video/covid-19-we-could-be-doing-more-harm-than-good-by-vaccinating-healthy-children-says-jcvi-member-12398939

Covidworries · 14/09/2021 23:23

If any help for anyone the british heart advise is for vaccination of children with heart conditions. Those most at risk of myocarditis are advised to have 2 jabs.

Explosivefarts · 14/09/2021 23:36

[quote barbicanfox]JCVI member Professor Adam Finn told Sky News that "there is a risk we could be doing more harm than good' by vaccinating healthy children, as it's 'very seldom' for them to get seriously ill with COVID and that "there are side effects that we don't really understand at this point" news.sky.com/video/covid-19-we-could-be-doing-more-harm-than-good-by-vaccinating-healthy-children-says-jcvi-member-12398939[/quote]
Thanks so much for sharing that I knew I was making the right decision for us not to get it

AlixandraTheGreat · 15/09/2021 01:13

[quote barbicanfox]JCVI member Professor Adam Finn told Sky News that "there is a risk we could be doing more harm than good' by vaccinating healthy children, as it's 'very seldom' for them to get seriously ill with COVID and that "there are side effects that we don't really understand at this point" news.sky.com/video/covid-19-we-could-be-doing-more-harm-than-good-by-vaccinating-healthy-children-says-jcvi-member-12398939[/quote]

You left out that he said this on the 4th of September. It's out of date.

AntivaxersAreScum · 15/09/2021 01:14

This reply has been deleted

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

barbicanfox · 15/09/2021 02:53

@AlixandraTheGreat You left out that he said this on the 4th of September. It's out of date.

Nonsense. The view expressed by JCVI member Professor Adam Finn on 4th September - that there are side effects that we really don't understand at this point - is as relevant today as it was on 4th September!

AlixandraTheGreat · 15/09/2021 04:14

[quote barbicanfox]@AlixandraTheGreat You left out that he said this on the 4th of September. It's out of date.

Nonsense. The view expressed by JCVI member Professor Adam Finn on 4th September - that there are side effects that we really don't understand at this point - is as relevant today as it was on 4th September![/quote]

He may have changed his mind in the last week though given the CMO decision.

Anon778833 · 15/09/2021 04:18

@Ontopofthesunset

Since the vaccine doesn't stop everyone getting it, surely it's better to have as many people in a household (well, obviously, in a population on the macro level) vaccinated as possible to minimise the chance someone will bring it home. I get a flu vaccine even though I'm not vulnerable because DH is, so I reckon if the vaccine doesn't work for him, it might for me - so I reduce my chances of bringing it into the household.

I agree with the above. My 12 year old dd will probably get hers if offered. When she was at primary school, she had the nasal flu vaccine most years.

I'm a lone parent with 3 children at home and we live very close to my parents who are in their 70s and we see them most days. My 17 year old has had her first Pfizer with no reactions at all, not even a sore arm. If my 12 year old didn't want to have it I would certainly not try and make her have it but she wants to. They've all had so much time off school since the pandemic started that it seems sensible IMO. Plus her best friend has just recovered from covid and had to miss the beginning of school.

Explosivefarts · 15/09/2021 04:44

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

Explosivefarts · 15/09/2021 04:45

[quote barbicanfox]@AlixandraTheGreat You left out that he said this on the 4th of September. It's out of date.

Nonsense. The view expressed by JCVI member Professor Adam Finn on 4th September - that there are side effects that we really don't understand at this point - is as relevant today as it was on 4th September![/quote]
Exactly it’s ver much still relevant unless the long term effects of vaccines in the 12-15 year old age group has been released since 4th September.

changeyourname11111 · 15/09/2021 06:21

@HitchhikersGuide

Follow the JCVI guidance. They are the experts and they did not recommend it.
This is what I am doing.
Abraxan · 15/09/2021 07:38

@BungleandGeorge

The MHRA have approved the 2 dose regime which is what was used in the clinical trials. This one dose business is not evidence based and the evidence with delta is one dose is about 30% effective and presumably it will wear off quicker as well. I don’t understand why they can’t just stick with the approved dosing. One dose won’t count as vaccinated for travel or anything either
I get the impression that the second dose is likely to be offered at a later date. The bbc report I was watching mentioned 'the first dose' rather than a single dose, and saw something similar reported elsewhere - the first dose now and likely a second dose in the new year if numbers continue ue to rise in those age groups.
BungleandGeorge · 15/09/2021 11:32

@Abraxan the plan is to give one dose. Yes they may well review at a later date if it isn’t effective enough, but there is no plan to give a second at the moment and no official plan to review. The risk of myocarditis was much less with a single dose

Geamhradh · 15/09/2021 11:44

It was me about the discredited Dingwall. Who left the JCVI in its equivalent of "to spend more time with his family" after it was discovered he'd been liaising with various well-known anti-vax groups and individuals. He's a sociologist not a doctor btw.

ollyollyoxenfree · 15/09/2021 11:54

@Geamhradh

It was me about the discredited Dingwall. Who left the JCVI in its equivalent of "to spend more time with his family" after it was discovered he'd been liaising with various well-known anti-vax groups and individuals. He's a sociologist not a doctor btw.
This is especially relevant given that it's been hammered home that the JCVI will only consider direct medical benefits to children, and not things like their MH or impact on schooling. So not sure what a sociologist with obviously no expertise in vaccination, immnology, or infectious disease was every doing there in the first place? (and that's ignoring all his links to dubious groups)

The CMOs then went to other experts to discuss sociological/educational/psychological benefits to children

SinisterBumFacedCat · 15/09/2021 12:56

My DS is 11 and has literally started counting down the days until he will be eligible for his vaccine!

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