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Original poster

Vaccinating children

56 replies

Poplob · 28/04/2022 10:11

It seems from reading threads on here and elsewhere that lots aren't vaccinating their primary aged children as they are concerned the vaccine hasn't finished trials yet and may have long term effects we don't know about. Are people not worried about the long term effects of covid (or repeated covid if they've already had it)? Genuine question. What made you decide the potential LT risks of the vaccine were greater than the potential LT risks of covid? I don't mean long covid but long term damage to the heart, lungs, brain etc. That's what worries me more than the vaccine. My DC 7 and 5 (who haven't had covid) are getting theirs done at the weekend but everyone I've spoken to has expressed shock about this.

OP posts:
JS87 · 09/05/2022 15:49

ItsSnowJokes · 01/05/2022 08:06

My 5 year old is left with permanent tinnitus thanks to covid so I got her vaccinated as soon as we could. We also needed to be vaccinated for our holiday but the main thing was worsening of her tinnitus.

All those who say they have had worse colds etc....... be thankful! My daughter wasn't that ill with it either......... sadly left with permanent tinnitus though.

Sorry to hear that. I have been left with permanent tinnitus from my first covid vaccine. I’ve subsequently had covid after three vaccines with no worsening of my tinnitus. My ten year old has had covid twice (omicron) with no tinnitus. I’m in the opposite situation to you in that I am afraid to vaccinate him in case he gets tinnitus from the vaccine.

JS87 · 09/05/2022 15:56

I think the problem is that whilst there are many long term effects of covid, these also happen (but at a much lower rate) after receiving the spike protein vaccine as many of the side effects seem to be due to its binding to ace2 receptor. Therefore for those parents who have had side effects from the vaccine and whose children have had covid with no obvious effects, it is questionable whether to keep giving them more spike protein by now having the vaccine is worth the (v small) risk.

Extrapepperoni · 09/05/2022 16:23

DD (5) had Covid just before Christmas last year. It was super mild, just a runny nose and an occasional cough but we were testing since DH had it. However, about ten days after she was clear from Covid she had really bad abdominal cramps for days and a fever that came and went - she was far worse from that than she was from Covid and the doctors at Paediatric A&E suspect it was a mild form of PIMS which has been observed in kids post Covid.

We have vaccinated her because

  1. Even though it doesnt remove the risk of catching Covid, it does reduce the risk. Omicron is the latest variant not the only one and the vaccine may be more effective against other variants.
  2. My sister is CEV and anything we can do as a family to reduce her risk, we will
  3. Why would this vaccine be any different than others? We have vaxxed her against everything else

I can see the other side though and while I am 100% pro vaccine and would judge adults for not getting vaccinated, I think getting under 12s vaccinated is a lot more nuanced a choice.

CorsicaDreaming · 10/05/2022 10:12

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 30/04/2022 19:31

I'm on the fence. I've been invited to vaccinate my 5yo but something in my gut says not to.
We only got the letter a couple of days ago so I have plenty of time to look into it more and speak with people.

Never thought I'd be like this. Both DH and I are triple vaxed and DS is fully vaxed against everything else.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea - I am totally the same as you on this.

Both me and DH are triple vaccinated. DS is fully vaccinated for everything else. I feel much more hesitant about giving him the Covid vaccine

Just as we got the vaccination invite through for DS we all got Covid so I now don't know what to do about giving him the vaccine in 12 weeks or not…

My gut feeling is not as he was so mildly ill with Covid and bounced completely back, whereas a lot of people seem to be really quite unwell with the vaccine and there have been studies about young boys in particular getting myocarditis. And ironically I was triple vaxed I'm still feeling fairly unwell with it a month later, which I know has lots of confounding factors but still makes me wonder about giving it to him and what is the point if he's just had it for real.

But it goes against all my normal behaviour because I have vaccinated DS for everything else - so it is a very tricky one.

CorsicaDreaming · 10/05/2022 10:14

user1471509171 · 30/04/2022 22:47

A friend of mine is a pediatric consultant at a famous London children's hospital. He advised I got my children jabbed. He jabbed all his primary children. I think he is better qualified than me to judge.

@user1471509171 - just out of interest do you know whether his children had already had Covid, or not at all? And if they had had it how long before he got them vaccinated?

CorsicaDreaming · 10/05/2022 10:25

AnIckabog · 01/05/2022 08:19

I'm a secondary school teacher and good friends with one of the teachers at DDs primary. It has been striking that the older secondary pupils and adults who have been vaccinated catch covid and then have a decent long while of immunity (with exceptions where they had Delta then Omicron). The primary and youngest secondary who aren't vaccinated are catching it every 8 weeks and it just keeps circulating round. Several have had it three times since September. For that reason alone, that the vaccine seems to mean longevity of immunity after having it, I would vaccinate.
We've also seen far too many children really ill. The majority are ok after a few days, but it's a significant minority that aren't - 2 weeks feeling awful like real flu with temps of 40 degrees; some hospitalised; worsening of minor underlying conditions like asthma; some with long covid - and for me that's a crazy risk to take when there is a safe and effective vaccine.
I'm also aware my DD is part of a community. Her friend with diabetes and her teacher who has a severely disabled vulnerable child at home deserve to be protected. The vaccine will prevent DD getting it so frequently and reduce the length of time she is infectious, and her symptoms so also reduce the viral load and reduce spread. The stakes are my DD feeling a bit achey for 24 hours after a vaccine versus someone vulnerable dying - no brainer.

@AnIckabog - yes to me your post sums up the two best reasons to vaccinate children

  1. Longevity of immunity
  2. Protecting community as a whole.

My question is does it give longevity of immunity though ? Our immune systems seem to "forget" omicron v quickly.

And if not, are you actually protecting others as it looks with omicron that it's so transmissible we will keep on getting it. So it's not stopping the transmission by vaccine- just making symptoms milder

And although it does initially present as a cold for many (me included) it is the ongoing exhaustion and fatigue. The Aftermath as my lovely 93 year old neighbour put it - that is the problem. I'm now a month in and just knackered all the time still. And I know of many many people saying the same. I felt much better in the first week of having it re energy levels than I do now.

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