Primary school children given the go ahead for the vax in Europe

[MrsArchchancellorRidcully]

Sky news just reported the EU has given the ok to vaccinate children aged 5-11.

I'm double jabbed and booked for my booster but no way is ds (9) having this jab. I'd never forgive myself if his heart was damaged by it. Obvs not announced in the uk YET!

Myocarditis is very rare in children. It is most likely less risky to vaccinate a nine year old boy than a nineteen year old young man if myocarditis is the concern.

In any case, at all ages the benefits outweigh the risks. I would have no issue with giving Pfizer to 5-11 year olds. As long as it's the proper 2 dose regime and not this bizarre and pointless 1 dose nonsense.

I’ll wait and see the secondary effects. Primary school kids won’t be getting a full shot but a 1/3 I think so I hope the myocarditis risk is reduced as well.

Cakes, so the benefits of the vaccine out weigh the risks for children? Most children are asymptomatic or have a slight cold - how can you justify the even slight risk of heart issues with little or no symptoms of covid? That doesn't make sense?

Oh you do know covid can cause these side effects in children too?’ Don’t be so ridiculous.

So it doesn't and all the children who died or were severely ill were just imagining it or something?

@HeyDugeesCakeBadge

Cakes, so the benefits of the vaccine out weigh the risks for children? Most children are asymptomatic or have a slight cold - how can you justify the even slight risk of heart issues with little or no symptoms of covid? That doesn't make sense?

But although most children recover quickly from Covid, not all do. So you're weighing up the (small) risk of serious problems caused by Covid vs the (small) risk of serious problems being caused by the vaccine. If a child lives with a family member with a compromised immune system there is also the argument that it's in the child's own interests to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of them catching Covid and infecting someone they love who is at real risk of death from Covid.

Lily, I have no issues with other vaccinating their children with whatever they want, what I do object to is restriction of freedoms for children (or adults) because their parents have chosen not to as the risk does not outweigh the benefit.

Counting the days until my 11 year old turns 12 and can have the vaccine and will certainly get my 9 year old done when possible. I just wish the UK would allow two doses like everywhere else so children can get the full protection.

I have no problem if anyone wants to vaxx their kids.
What I think is outrageous is that you won’t be able to visit other countries or visit family abroad if you don’t make your child have the vaxx.
Lots of kids and teens won’t want this. So basically have to force them or the whole family can’t go.
Just awful. This will be looked back on in years to come as a huge unbelievable mistake.

However, in this country, we can't actually change what other countries mandate about who they will or won't let through their entry controls.

In Malta, there is a population very genetically susceptible to diabetes and probably very susceptible to covid generally. There are likely historical causes for some of this. They won't allow visitors over 12 unless they are fully vaccinated (was 2 jabs).

We can't change that in the UK; people have the choice not to be vaccinated or not to let their children be vaccinated, but will have to accept that their travel options may be limited, even if the UK doesn't have much in the way of vaccine passports.

@HeyDugeesCakeBadge

There is a false dichotomy here between getting cold like symptoms from covid-19 and getting myocarditis from the vaccine. Myocarditis is a possible risk of covid-19 infection in children. It is very rare, but you could equally say how can you justify the even slight risk of heart issues by not vaccinating your children.

Myocarditis is MORE LIKELY following covid infection than following covid vaccination even when looking at adolescent boys and young men i.e. the group most likely to experience covid-19 vaccination related myocarditis!

Also note that no myocarditis has been reported in children 5-11 following vaccination. It has been reported in children 5-11 following covid-19 infection. Yes, most young children will not suffer very badly from covid but also most children will not suffer from vaccination. The risks from getting vaccinated are lower than the risks of not being vaccinated.

You must also look at the type of myocarditis reported. For post-vaccine cases (in teens because, as I said earlier, it hasn't been reported in young children) the myocarditis is generally easy to recover from. After a few weeks of low exercise most people are absolutely fine.

The myocarditis cases arising from covid-19 vaccination in children are often part of multi system inflammatory disorder - much harder to treat and recover from.

So that it one reason I strongly support vaccination in young children.

CakesOfVersailles

How young would you go?

@Silverswirl

I have no problem if anyone wants to vaxx their kids. What I think is outrageous is that you won’t be able to visit other countries or visit family abroad if you don’t make your child have the vaxx. Lots of kids and teens won’t want this. So basically have to force them or the whole family can’t go. Just awful. This will be looked back on in years to come as a huge unbelievable mistake.

From the perspective of someone in one of those countries, it's us protecting ourselves against dumb mistakes being made by leaders like Boris Johnson.

It's fine to let Covid rip in your own country, but other countries have the right to protect themselves.

I'd be somewhat surprised if the US lets unvaccinated children from the UK and Europe in for much longer. Even if they are allowed in, vaccine passports are increasingly required to do pretty much anything indoors.

@ktel1 with current data, five years old. If new trials came out showing benefits for younger children, then younger. Plenty of vaccinations are given to very young children.

Of course if trials indicated that the risks outweighed the benefits for very young children then I wouldn't support extending the roll out to them.

@IHateFlies

My dc have had covid and were fine. As have all their friends. Why would they need to be vaccinated?

My six year old had it. Also fine. Completely symptom free.

His best friend had it and was extremely poorly, still is four weeks down the line.

Everyone thinks they're going to be fine until they're not. I'm sure my other children would be fine, but I'd rather not take the chance and will vaccinate all of them.