Tell me why my son of 14 should have the covid jab?

[Notagoodtime]

This is not a antivax question. My husband and I are double jabbed. I am currently in bed with COVID. My reason for wanting my kids to have the jab was to protect others. As I seem to know lots of people at the moment who are double jabbed and have or have had covid this reasoning isn’t really valid. If we are being are being told that kids get the virus mildly what are the reasons? If my son could still get covid it doesn’t really make feel more confident about him spreading it to the vulnerable. I’m trying to get my head around the advantages before I make a decision. I’m glad I have had the vaccine as I still feel rubbish so dread to think how I would be without but surely this isn’t the same for kids?

@EducatingArti

He is less likely to get Covid if he has the jab. He is less likely therefore spread it to others. He is less likely to have his education disrupted by being ill with Covid. He is less to disrupt the education of others by passing on Covid. He is less likely to pass on Covid to teachers and therefore disrupt the education of a whole class. He is even less likely to be one of the tiny minority of teenagers that gets seriously ill. He is less likely to get long Covid. He is less likely to pass Covid on to elderly or vulnerable relatives.

This.

And he's less likely to DIE if he does catch covid.

Because even with some risks, vaccine is way more safer than covid.
Less likely to get ill/die less likely to spread, less disruption if you are vaccinated.

I always thought I'd give it to DD (14) as soon as it was available, but after I had my 2nd jab I had no periods for 2 months. I'm nervous that there are things going on with this vaccine that the developers were unaware of. I'm slightly concerned about what else might be happening to my body internally, that there are no obvious signs of! For me, I would have had the vaccine regardless of menstrual disruption because benefits outweigh risk. But for a teenager, I'm not so sure. The myocarditis risk is also a concern because there isn't enough data yet to say if this really is a problem.

To stop disruption to education? - kids will still have to isolate if they test positive, close contacts with still need to test. The vaccine does not stop people getting covid (I got covid after being double vaxxed as did dd1). To think the vaccine is going to stop education being disrupted is wrong.

To stop children getting seriously ill? The chance of a child getting very ill from covid is tiny, more chance of them getting ill from flu and more chance of them being hit by a car whilst walking home from school?

To stop the spread of covid? Covid is still being passed between vaccinated people, it may reduce the chance but no one really knows how much?

Many kids have already had covid, they suspect up to 60% so many will have some immunity. We don’t know that a variant might not appear in the near future that will be vaccine resistant meaning the vaccine will be useless, the delta variant already seems to be effecting this who are vaccinated.

I’m not anti vax despite what I have written, I am vaccinated, I have had covid and I’m pleased I was vaccinated, I wasn’t unwell with covid, possibly because of the vaccine but I do believe kids do not need this vaccine unless they have underlying conditions. I have chose not to vaccinate dd2 (for now) but I have nothing against those who decide to vaccinate their kids, it should be a choice.

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

I always thought I'd give it to DD (14) as soon as it was available, but after I had my 2nd jab I had no periods for 2 months. I'm nervous that there are things going on with this vaccine that the developers were unaware of. I'm slightly concerned about what else might be happening to my body internally, that there are no obvious signs of! For me, I would have had the vaccine regardless of menstrual disruption because benefits outweigh risk. But for a teenager, I'm not so sure. The myocarditis risk is also a concern because there isn't enough data yet to say if this really is a problem.

My 17 year old hasn’t had a period since her vaccine.

Less likely to get long covid.
I think the potential complications of covid are higher than the potential complications of the vaccination.
The vaccination would not be released if it wasn't safe.
Anyone concerned about not knowing long term side effects of the vaccination should also be aware that we don't know the long term side effects of catching covid either.

It’s his decision, not one to be taken lightly.

Maybe it would be best left until later when we know more about what the jab is doing to kids.

We never the jab affected women’s cycles, that all came out after. We don’t know if this will affect children in a way unknown to us yet because enough time hasn’t passed

That's quite worrying Love. I saw a gynae physio yesterday and she said loads of women are telling her they've had disrupted periods since their vaccine. I put mine down to peri menopause, but I've never missed a period before the vax. I think lots of women aren't reporting this since many have irregular periods anyway and might not link the two things.

I asked my 14 and 15 year olds how they felt about having it. 15 year old said yes and 14 year old said no. Haven't had a proper chat yet about reasons why, these were just quick responses over dinner, but once we've had a chat and I can be sure they aren't making decisions based on false information/misunderstandings then I will respect their choice on this.

I'm a nurse and involved in vaccination programmes, I have a lot of respect for the integrity and knowledge of the JCVI and personally would go with their decision on this and probably not give it, if it were my choice, but I am not worried enough to stop my child having one if they choose to.

@shellstarbarley

The JCVI have said that the benefits do not really outweigh the risks. Makes no difference to their education as regardless as to whether they are vaccinated or not they still have to isolate for10 days if they test positive.

It does make a difference.

My dd (12) has been ill for two weeks with it and missed the first two weeks of year 8. She's two weeks behind with work. She's back at school now but tired and taking it easy.

Not the end of the world at all - she will catch up, she's a bright girl. Don't want to catastrophise!

But if she'd been vaxxed I am sure she would have been over it much quicker, she would have worked from home and gone out for a walk daily during her isolation, and she would be in a better place than she is now.

Lovemusic33 how long?

@sleepwouldbenice

Putting the issue of kids to one side, as to me it’s not clear cut

I am so very bored with people saying that they know lots of jabbed people with covid so the vaccine doesn’t work. How many many times do you have to be told it’s not 100 %effective but it greatly reduces transmission, severe illness and death. Can you really not see that we have more freedoms than we have had since March 20 and cases have risen but not exploded. Do you really not remember that alpha then delta variants are so much more transmissible yet vaccines are still having an incredible effect.also about reareach on waning impacts All this info is so readily available and also incredibly obvious.

Argue about kids all you like but stop the rubbish about overall vaccine effectiveness

No way to know that vaccines reduce someone getting covid. Yes, they reduce the severity of the illness for sure but many many people now arnt testing and so many have such mild symptoms or just a stuffy nose they don’t know they have it. How in the world would anyone be able to tell how many positive cases there are now when the landscape on the severity of illness has changed so dramatically? The majority of people in the UK will have been exposed to it by now and the rest will be exposed during the course of the next 6 months across winter

My sister’s daughter, who is almost 13, is currently off school with Covid. She started coughing on Saturday so she went for a PCR which came back positive. The cough lasted another day, she was a bit off her food but was fine again by Sunday night. She’s now very happy that she has a week off school when she feels absolutely fine.

My next door neighbours daughter also has Covid, aged 12, and has no symptoms whatsoever. Her Covid was only picked up by the standard school LFT screening. Her PCR confirmed it. She is also over the min that she has a week off school.

Both parents have said they won’t bother getting them vaccinated as they’ve had Covid, been absolutely fine, and would rather not take any risk with the vaccines.

@EducatingArti show me where there is proper data on this being true for delta. How much does it reduce your likely hood of getting it becuse from
Where I’m standing it really doesn’t seem to be stopping vaxxed people getting it

I think many people are overestimating the impact of myocarditis. Most people with myocarditis recover without even knowing they have it. For many it's a mild illness that causes temporary symptoms. There are a small number who develop lasting issues from it.

Ironically, much the same as Covid.

Saying that X number of people "get myocarditis" compared with Y number of people who end up severely ill from covid is not a fair comparison.

[quote Silverswirl]@EducatingArti show me where there is proper data on this being true for delta. How much does it reduce your likely hood of getting it becuse from
Where I’m standing it really doesn’t seem to be stopping vaxxed people getting it[/quote]
www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02261-8
Can't get much more "proper" than a report in Nature. The waning immunity is of course why people are getting boosters.

To protect adults apparently.

At 14 he should be able to make his own decision IMO.

It's not to protect adults. One in 7 children gets long covid.

My 12 year old daughter's friend has just had covid. She was back at school for 2 days and is now off again.

Not a parent, but if I was one I would have thought preventing further disruption to his education was a good reason. Also it will mean mass gatherings can go ahead so he can go to footie, youth clubs etc and go on holiday.

One in 7 children gets long covid.

This is out of date info. More recent studies have shown its even more rare and that the majority of symptoms in children resolve within 12 weeks.

@Spidey66

Not a parent, but if I was one I would have thought preventing further disruption to his education was a good reason. Also it will mean mass gatherings can go ahead so he can go to footie, youth clubs etc and go on holiday.

They should be able to go ahead anyway.

I also don't think it's fair to let our children decide for themselves. It's a lot of responsibility and with conflicting information, it's difficult for adults let alone children.

12 weeks is a lot of time to be out of school isn't it when children have already had literally months out of school.

There are going to be many students with huge gaps in their education whichever way you look at it.

As far as I can see, Pfizer is safe for 16 year olds so it should also be safe for 12 year olds.

12 is the point at which people can take adult medicines.

Bumbleymummy I don't think your views on this topic are going to be balanced because you're skeptical about all vaccines.