Would you have your 5 year old vaccinated?

[venusmay]

We've had the jabs as adults buy wondering how people feel about having their young dcs vaccinated?

My dcs had Covid with very mild symptoms and none of us triple jabbed adults caught it.

I doubt it.

Personally no I wouldn't have my dc jabbed. Both dd have had covid and completely asymptomatic, only knew as we LFT as were in contact with positive case. I'm doubled jabbed and booked for booster

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Sad thing is that once it’s offered it opens the door to restrictions “no travelling abroad unless your 3 year old is vaccinated” “no entry to a swimming pool unless your 2 year old is vaccinated”- this is why I’m dreading it even just being offered

Yes, I have been thinking this also. It's so sad 😞

The changes to the vaccination programme is for VULNERABLE children aged 5-11y.

Depending on their vulnerability then of course parents may well be willing to vaccinate their child.

I actually know a number of people happy to vaccinate their under 11s, without vulnerabilities. It's their decision. Children across other countries are being vaccinated too.

Everyone needs to make the decision which they feel right for their own family.
But not to criticise others for making an opposite decision, especially not when it comes to children.

@venusmay

But if Covid is mild or possibly asymptomatic in children then is there a reason for vaccination?

I had measles as a child and wasn't vaccinated but that was a dreadful illness which left me short sighted.

For some, even if it's only a minority, children it isn't as mild. And for some households they have very vulnerable members living together.

Families should be given the option to choose. It isn't mandatory for all.

Would it change your decision if it affected travel abroad?

DD 9 has had it, completely asymptomatic, she finishes isolation tomorrow. However I know of at least 2 children younger than her that have had it, both apparently previously healthy but they both had rather a hard time. One was the very first person I knew personally to have caught it, quite early in the pandemic & I believe she’s been suffering with long covid since, she’s about 7. Obviously we didn’t tell DD, no need to frighten her.

@FawnFrenchieMum

I’m so on the fence by this, I literally don’t know what to do! DH & I are tripled vacced, teen DS has had the first and will have the second shortly. DD9 will likely be offered it under the vulnerable children that has just been approved. She has the flu jab yearly but I just can’t decide on the covid one.

Head says why give it to yourself and one child but not the other but heart says ‘what if’?! Not even truly sure what they what ifs are.

That is where we are; I'm triple vaxxed, DH and DD1 (18) both double waiting for booster. But I really don't know what to do about dd2 (6), she seems to get everything going and she has been suffering a cold (definitely not covid) for about 3 weeks now. Whilst in theory she is healthy she does seem prone to catching everything which I suspect is due to a poor diet (autism/food issues). I really don't know what to do.

It's not like ZERO healthy children have been hospitalised/died of Covid. It's extremely rare but it has happened. So the heart saying "what if" should be asking the same question about not getting your kids vaccinated. Mine certainly is.

It's about balance I suppose, between the risk of severe illness from covid vs. risk of severe vaccine side effects. Both are extremely small risks, but I'd like to know exactly which one is greater. Solid data on that is so hard to find, so making a decision is very difficult.

Yes

I don’t have a young child anymore, but if I did they wouldn’t be having the vaccine. Especially if they had already had covid and been fine.

@Jarbed

It's not like ZERO healthy children have been hospitalised/died of Covid. It's extremely rare but it has happened. So the heart saying "what if" should be asking the same question about not getting your kids vaccinated. Mine certainly is.

It's about balance I suppose, between the risk of severe illness from covid vs. risk of severe vaccine side effects. Both are extremely small risks, but I'd like to know exactly which one is greater. Solid data on that is so hard to find, so making a decision is very difficult.

But certainly more than zero children have been hospitalised due to playing on trampolines, playgrounds, climbing trees, eating grapes, being passengers in cars

Do you avoid the above?

At the moment what we DO know is that the risk of COVID to children is miniscule

What we do not know is long term impact of vaccine of vaccine in children

So whilst I am prepared to have the vaccine and excitedly awaiting my booster - for the good of the nhs, herd immunity blah blah blah

I am not willing to take that unknown risk for my children

But certainly more than zero children have been hospitalised due to playing on trampolines, playgrounds, climbing trees, eating grapes, being passengers in cars

Do you avoid the above?

No, but if there were a vaccine that could ensure they were never harmed by those activities and was demonstrably lower risk than the activities themselves, I'd obviously give it to them!

That's what I clearly explained in the second part of my post that you seem to have ignored for some reason. It's quite simple to choose the lower risk option if you have clear evidence for both sides. Problem is that we don't. Makes it hard (impossible really) for anyone to make an informed decision.

more than zero children have been hospitalised due to playing on trampolines, playgrounds, climbing trees, eating grapes, being passengers in cars

But we don't actively refuse the safety mitigations here, do we? Not bothering to wear a car seat, chop up grapes or chucking away the net on the trampoline is just bad judgement.

@oftenbaffled

At the moment what we DO know is that the risk of COVID to children is miniscule

What we do not know is long term impact of vaccine of vaccine in children

So whilst I am prepared to have the vaccine and excitedly awaiting my booster - for the good of the nhs, herd immunity blah blah blah

I am not willing to take that unknown risk for my children

That's not true - what we do know is that the risk to health posed by covid is higher than the risk of taking the vaccine. That's why it has been approved for this age group now.

I heard on the radio yesterday that 10% of NHS staff aren't fully vaccinated. If true, not sure they're on solid ground if painting children's vaccines as a necessary step in protecting the adult population and saving the NHS. Physician, heal thyself.

No I wouldn't. My periods have completely stopped since having the first dose six months ago when they were like clockwork. I went on to have the second dose anyway, but no signs of it coming back.

I'm only 36 and was TTC. No other signs of peri menopause.

I wouldn't choose to have my 5 year old vaccinated with something I think has had such a huge affect on my fertility.

I wouldn't have my children vaccinated no. Especially a 5 year old.

If that’s what SAGE and other experts recommend then, yes, of course I would.

Yes.
I'm in Italy and they've just started vaccinating that age group.
It's the group left which is having their education constantly disrupted.
I teach teens and in my school of 988 students we've had one case since September.
The primary school across the road from my house is forever having to close classes, move the whole school online because of children who may well be asymptomatic, but obviously can't be in school.
We've also noticed in the last two intakes at high school how young the kids seem compared to pre 2020. Because their education has been disrupted so much they aren't prepared for senior school. Not talking academically (though many parameters have been adjusted for that too) but just an overall lack of maturity to face the next step. So the first years of high school ALSO get adjusted. It can't continue.

Yes. My DD is asthmatic

@Waxonwaxoff0

I agree it should be offered though to people who do want to vaccinate their children but I don't think it should be a societal expectation like it is with adults.

Agree with this.

Luckily my DC has only just turned 4 so I can watch and wait for a while (assuming the pressure to vaccinate under 5s doesn’t just spring up immediately) because I’m really not sure.

That's not true - what we do know is that the risk to health posed by covid is higher than the risk of taking the vaccine.

Only because we can’t possibly know the risk of the vaccine until it has been given to children in large numbers and they have been studied for a period of years.

The risk of the vaccine is unknown, but the risk of the virus isn’t.

@Barbie222

No we do not know that

Where did you read that?