Both DC had Covid should they now be vaccinated

[Helinher30s]

Both teenage DC had Covid during the summer holidays. Both had it pretty mild. Invitations have now come home to have the Covid vaccinations. My husband and I are pro vaccine for ourselves and if the DC hadn’t have had Covid we would have said yes immediately. However they have had it and recently. Is there any benefit to having the vaccine as well? Lots of children we know have been more unwell after the vaccine after having Covid as it produces a stronger immune response than if you haven’t had Covid. I’ve searched the internet for hours and there’s so little information on this around. Would you like to share your view please. All my close friends are anti vaccination for their children.

If you look at this section on Mumsnet, you will see another thread which basically says that vaccination children will help stop transmission of the virus and therefore help stop cases. Also there’s no knowing now long the immunity from having the virus lasts and next time the symptoms may be more severe.

Immunity gained from vaccination is much higher and broader than that from infection.
Immunity from infection is likely to be specific to one strain (hence people getting ill again with Kent variant and Delta variant), whereas vaccination protects from multiple strains.
Side effects only last a day typically, whereas being ill from Covid could be many days or weeks.
Plus if you've had the infection, getting a vaccine is almost like a booster and will keep immunity going since immunity from infection does not last as long as immunity from vaccination.
So many reasons to vaccinate your children!

I will be vaccinating my son, he’s currently got COVID and been quite rough with it. Hoping the jab will act like a booster and stop him getting it again.

It seems like covid + vaccine gives better immunity. Also there's rapid reinfection with delta being reported with second one being more severe, so yes from me, definitely.

OP, you might find this an interesting read:
www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1687/rr-8

It's about whether children should be routinely vaccinated against covid or should we accept it as a childhood illness given so few are seriously ill and once you've had it you have some protection.

Personally I wouldn't if i were you, but each to his own. It's your decision

My understanding is that they should get the vaccine as long they don't have particular health problems. You are more likely to be reinfected if you haven't had the vaccine. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e1.htm?s_cid=mm7032e1_e&ACSTrackingID=USCDC_921-DM63289&ACSTrackingLabel=MMWR%20Early%20Release%20-%20Vol.%2070%2C%20August%206%2C%202021&deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM63289

[quote IncredulousOne]@user159753

This is dangerous misinformation and has been reported to MN.

Immunity from infection is against the whole virus (and so is robust against S-protein mutations) whereas immunity from vaccination is against only the highly-mutable spike protein (which has so far retained partial effectiveness against most variants).

Immunity from infection has been demonstrated to be long-lasting (a year and counting...), whereas immunity from vaccination has been shown to wane significantly after 4-6 months (hence the need for boosters).

Vaccination does produce more anti-S antibodies than infection, but antibodies are only a part of the overall picture when it comes to immunity.

Finally, if the OP's children have already had Covid, there is little additional medical benefit to be derived from a vaccination, but the risks of vaccination (e.g. myocarditis) remain.[/quote]
Thank you, for typing all this. I completely agree and you've put it much better than I could have done, hence my link to the BMJ instead.

I am in this position so also wondering about this

I agree with IncredulousOne. This is actually the first time I've seen misinfo spewded out of pro vaxx person on MN. But yes, what user159753 sounds like total misinformation to me.

But I don't totally agree with everything IncredulousOne says though, risk of adverse effects from vaccine still remain lower than actual virus. And there's no guarantee you don't get it again. More stronger immunity is better I believe, and I still think covid + vaccine is better than covid + covid.

I'm in the same position. School vaccs we're delayed and my dd will have turned 12 by the time they are booked to come. If she hadn't just had covid, I'd be consenting to vaccination. As it is, I've emailed the vaccination team to ask if they have any literature on the benefits for a child who's not long had covid being vaccinated in addition to the immunity from infection - still haven't had any response at this point.

If she goes to visit relatives, the country they live in accepts covid infection in the previous 180 days as "immune" so I'm a bit unsure now.

Oh that’s interesting iliketeaagain. I do think maybe I will let him have vaccine in 6 months time (if still offered then) but for now I think he has immunity from infection. I would be surprised if you get much of an answer from the vaccination team as I think they just don’t know to be honest. I did read that if you had Covid you should wait one month to have vaccination. Not sure what the reasoning is though.

Thank you all so much for all of your thoughts. I’ve read every one and read all the links. Much appreciated. Still weighing it all up. Covid is rife through their school at the moment. Nearly half the children off. Their immunity at the moment is good as they haven’t caught it again. I wish I knew how long it would last.

Well Sars-cov1 immunity is 17 years and counting so I’d hazard a guess that Sars-cov2 immunity follows suit. Unfortunately it’s impossible to find much information about natural immunity because that isn’t an accepted path to follow.
Personally, my teens have also had covid and were totally fine and barely ill. I now know that their risk of covid complications is zero and the risk of serious vaccine side effects, no matter how tiny, are more than zero so I’m not vaccinating my teens.
If only we didn’t currently live in france where we can’t even all go out for a meal and they aren’t allowed at the local football club without them having to take a 25 euro a time pointless covid test! Look out uk, coming to you soon unless you don’t agree to vaccine passports.

"Two weeks after a single dose of vaccine, people who had previously had covid-19 had antibody concentrations that were as high, or up to 10 times higher, than the levels seen in uninfected people who had received two doses of the vaccine."

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n308

A quote from another BMJ article. Always good to read around. I'd ask your healthcare practitioner OP what they advise.

@user159753

Immunity gained from vaccination is much higher and broader than that from infection. Immunity from infection is likely to be specific to one strain (hence people getting ill again with Kent variant and Delta variant), whereas vaccination protects from multiple strains. Side effects only last a day typically, whereas being ill from Covid could be many days or weeks. Plus if you've had the infection, getting a vaccine is almost like a booster and will keep immunity going since immunity from infection does not last as long as immunity from vaccination. So many reasons to vaccinate your children!

A recent nature paper actually showed the opposite to be true. Natural infection provides broader protection.

Also, there are several studies showing durable immunity after infection (9-12 months so far) in the majority.

www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2021-06/Duration-of%20protective-immunity-evidence-summary.pdf

The JCVI concluded that there was only a marginal benefit in vaccinating young people and that it was not enough to justify rolling out the campaign to them on health grounds because “substantial uncertainty remains regarding the health risks associated with these adverse events.”

If a child is already immune after being infected then the balance is going to tilt even further away from benefit of the vaccine.

No. The dangers from myocarditis are too risky, also they have superior natural immunity if they have had Covid. Why risk it for an illness that will barely affect them.
It is not ethical.

@FreshFreesias

No. The dangers from myocarditis are too risky, also they have superior natural immunity if they have had Covid. Why risk it for an illness that will barely affect them. It is not ethical.

The risk of myocarditis from Covid in teenagers is far higher (though still rare) than the risk from the vaccine.

@FreshFreesias

No. The dangers from myocarditis are too risky, also they have superior natural immunity if they have had Covid. Why risk it for an illness that will barely affect them. It is not ethical.

Could you link to a paper showing the proof of superior natural immunity from Covid infection v vaccine? Otherwise that really is misinformation.

@bumbleymummy, evening.
Did you read the BMJ article I linked to?

covid.joinzoe.com/post/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-if-ive-had-covid
This research relates to adults, but may still be relevant. Found that Covid infection followed by vaccination provides greater protection than Covid infection alone.

@user159753

Immunity gained from vaccination is much higher and broader than that from infection. Immunity from infection is likely to be specific to one strain (hence people getting ill again with Kent variant and Delta variant), whereas vaccination protects from multiple strains. Side effects only last a day typically, whereas being ill from Covid could be many days or weeks. Plus if you've had the infection, getting a vaccine is almost like a booster and will keep immunity going since immunity from infection does not last as long as immunity from vaccination. So many reasons to vaccinate your children!

Why is this post by user159753 still viewable but the post by IncedulousOne has been deleted. This is misleading and inaccurate and should be deleted by Mumsnet.

I just don't know what to do.

Mine are 15 and both had Covid with symptoms.
They want the vaccine, and I had consented, but after reading this I am not sure.

The only advantage seems to be future vaccine passport staus!