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.

@WheekestLink

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.

Absolutely my feelings as well. My periods have been haywire since the vaccine, I’m not prepared to inject my prepubescent 6yo daughter until that link has been thoroughly checked.

Just a question.... if children from 5 did get vaccinated we all know that vaccinated people can still get and pass on the virus.
We still have to isolate when double/triple jabbed if positive and unless guidelines on vaccinated people isolating are scrapped then the vaccinated children would still need to isolate when positive and still have their education disrupted.
Countries where children are vaccinated are still making them isolate when positive. Where does it end?

I'm not convinced about primary and younger kids. I'm never convinced by the flu vaccine for them either.

I'm pro vaccine had booster on Monday but my arm and lymph nodes in my arm pit are really sore and swollen.
I'm worried about me, I'd hate my young children to feel like this!

Possibly but only for easier travel purposes which is sad 😢

But aren't the current vaccines targeted against the original Alpha strain of coronavirus?

Wouldn't it make sense to wait until the dry companies have tweaked their vaccines to actually target omicron?

drug (not dry)

@RickyZooom

No, I wouldn’t. We vaccinate our children against illnesses which are a threat to their life. Covid isn’t.

Not true. We vaccinate against Rubella (German Measles). It's almost always a very mild illness in children - the reason we vaccinate is to protect pregnant women from catching it as it can have catastrophic effects on the developing foetus. So children are vaccinated to protect others, not themselves. I see the Covid vax as exactly the same, and I would absolutely vaccinate my children if they were still that age.

No, she has already had covid (barely even a cold) and I would rather she had a strong natural immunity rather than a vaccine which apparently has to be boosted every 3 months.

Doesn't natural immunity from having had Covid (any strain) last much longer than that given by the vaccine?

Especially as the current vaccines are still targeting the original Alpha variant??

Yes I would. I'd rather they were vaccinated, especially as government won't protect them in any way. Anything that can protect against organ damage and long covid, I would grab in a heartbeat for them. It's obviously less likely to mess with their mental health and education so much too.

@DockOTheBay

No, she has already had covid (barely even a cold) and I would rather she had a strong natural immunity rather than a vaccine which apparently has to be boosted every 3 months.

Children have to be infected to get immunity from infection.

Vaccination means that children get COVID whilst having some pre-exisiting protection, thus allowing them to generate a "strong natural response" whilst having risks of adverse effects & complications reduced.

There seems to be a mistaken idea that it is either "natural immunity" or immunity generated via vaccination, which is not the case.

And yup your child recently had COVID which makes this moot probably, but many haven't - or are being reinfected - 6% of under 12s were estimated to currently have COVID in the most recent wave of data.

I am not on top of all the emerging data & policy decisions by various countries, so am currently undecided if offering vaccination to all 5-11 year olds is justified on a population level given how resource intensive it is. Cannot remember who - but a peadiatrician at a recent seminar I was at commented "you cannot give without taking away" on this - which I think is very relevant here.

But for my own (hypothetical ) children of this age, would grab with both hands.

Definitely yes

I think so. They aren't vulnerable so it's a hypothetical question, but I consent every year to them getting the flu vaccine and that is considered to mostly be to protect vulnerable and elderly people more than for their own benefit.
I would also want more vaccine equality across the world first, so that all countries have the opportunity to get their more vulnerable people vaccinated before we start vaccinating those who are not really vulnerable.

I would for the social benefits - if it means she’s even less likely to get symptomatic COVID and/or have to isolate and miss school, activities etc then to me it is worth it, but it’s each to their own.

No way.

No and if it means we can't travel to certain countries that's fine by me.

We vaccinate against Rubella (German Measles). It's almost always a very mild illness in children - the reason we vaccinate is to protect pregnant women from catching it as it can have catastrophic effects on the developing foetus. So children are vaccinated to protect others, not themselves.

This is true, but it isn’t information usually given to parents of children who are about to have their MMR, and I think if it were more widely known, and the rubella vaccine wasn’t included with vaccines that will protect the individual child, then way more people would refuse it for their children.

yes, like a shot.

No thank you.

Not true. We vaccinate against Rubella (German Measles). It's almost always a very mild illness in children - the reason we vaccinate is to protect pregnant women from catching it as it can have catastrophic effects on the developing foetus. So children are vaccinated to protect others, not themselves.

Not quite true, half the children are likely to become pregnant women. Back in the day the rubella jag used to be given to girls in the last year of primary.
Vaccinating girls helps protect their own future children. So making a decision for your girl your protecting potential grandchildren.

@oftenbaffled - The info about benefits vs risk for 5 -11s top paragraph here: www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-regulator-approves-use-of-pfizerbiontech-vaccine-in-5-to-11-year-olds

Copied from there: A new age-appropriate formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) for use in children aged 5 to 11 years old has been approved today by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after finding that it is safe and effective. This approval was given following a robust review of safety data that shows a positive benefit-risk profile for this vaccine to be used in this age group.

The reason it's being offered to vulnerable only is nothing to do with risk and everything to do with the cost and mechanics of such a rollout. But it's been found to be less risky than having COVID.

@Lockdownbear

Not true. We vaccinate against Rubella (German Measles). It's almost always a very mild illness in children - the reason we vaccinate is to protect pregnant women from catching it as it can have catastrophic effects on the developing foetus. So children are vaccinated to protect others, not themselves.

Not quite true, half the children are likely to become pregnant women. Back in the day the rubella jag used to be given to girls in the last year of primary.
Vaccinating girls helps protect their own future children. So making a decision for your girl your protecting potential grandchildren.

Yes, excellent additional point, @Lockdownbear - an individual and a societal benefit.

Yes.

She's had covid (none of the double jabbed /boostered adults in the immediate family caught it from her). I would think twice as it wouldn't be for her benefit...

BUT FIL is her favourite grandpa, and is having some quite aggressive chemo, and every day they have together counts, so I'd rather she not have to isolate from him again, or unknowingly put him at extra risk.

She's a very healthy, robust child. That would also influence my decision.

It's a much trickier cost/benefit analysis that it was for myself (had all my jabs as soon as I could).

@Frlrlrubert

Yes.

She's had covid (none of the double jabbed /boostered adults in the immediate family caught it from her). I would think twice as it wouldn't be for her benefit...

BUT FIL is her favourite grandpa, and is having some quite aggressive chemo, and every day they have together counts, so I'd rather she not have to isolate from him again, or unknowingly put him at extra risk.

She's a very healthy, robust child. That would also influence my decision.

It's a much trickier cost/benefit analysis that it was for myself (had all my jabs as soon as I could).

You shouldn't. A sick grandpa was the reason parents gave their son the swine flu vaccination which lead on to narcolepsy. There is so much on line about this, even a dedicated charity

( and before any one jumps in these people that vaccine effected have only just been paid out compensation - ten years later)

If you are going to vaccinate your child against covid - it should be for the Childs benefit only - no one else's.

@motheroflions

Yes, it's common knowledge.
What's the relevance to the Covid vaccine?