Has your primary aged child had their Covid vaccine?

[SecondarySnob]

Just that really? AIBU to vaccinate mine? I don't think so?

Seems to me that none of the other children at school have. Even though they've been available a while.

Am I in an area that has more people deciding against it than others?

Or are most people not vaccinating their 5-11 year olds?

My DS is 9 and won't be having it (unless he decides he wants it when he is older). I'm triple vaxxed, so not an anti-vaxxer but I don't see the need for young children to have it.

Mine haven't had it but only because they had covid and we aren't past the 12 week point yet. They will once that's done.

DS(7) hasn't had it, and I only know one child his age who has. She had a parent with a chronic illness, so they made the effort. All the children have had COVID at least once long before the vaccination became available.

I would have had my ten year old vaccinated but she had covid when they were rolling it out and now it's been 12 weeks I can't figure how to get her vaccinated! All the drop in clinics are for over 12s.

My 7 year old has had his.

My son is 8 and now fully vaxed.

One of mine wanted to so has, the other didn't so hasn't. I am normally pro-vaccine and they have had all other vaccines. I'm just not sure there is massive benefit in children who have already had covid very mildly. If I come across more evidence on reductions in long covid from vaccinating children who already fully recovered from covid, I might re-consider, depending on the answer.

Two of my DD'S work in hospitals. One has a children's A&E/wards. Although children and young people aren't getting particularly sick from it, what they have been seeing is that if surgery is needed then there's a longer stay/oxygen support needed for those who've had Covid within six months, because there's silent lung damage. Thanking damage fades, lungs heal. Likewise children with respiratory infections need greater support because their system wasn't working as usual and no they haven't seen the same in children who've had recent flu. The idea with the vaccine is to lessen the infection, or rather the spike protein effect on the respiratory system. My DD, 35, thought she'd got over mild Covid in two days. She needed a cyst removed and it meant a four day hospital stay because of her lung function, due to the recent bout of Covid. We don't know the effects of repeated bouts of Covid in the unvaccinated. Like smoking, the damage is invisible. The reasoning behind children being vaccinated wasn't just to protect adults. We know repeated infections cause a weakness and shorten lives, we see if in cross cultural studies. It could make sense to wait until Autumn to vaccinate.

No. Not had covid within the family at all, despite repeated exposure. Not something we worry about at all, so DD won’t be getting it.

More and more countries are removing travel restrictions so we won’t need it for holidays either.

I’m waiting until autumn to reassess.
we had covid recently.

Yes, both of my eligible primary aged kids have. I noticed that all the uptake in both classes/friendship groups was amongst kids of doctors and kids with relatives in countries where vaccinating children has been ongoing for a while (we fall into the latter camp).

Yes, dm is immunocompromised due to cancer treatment. We were all vaccinated as soon as our age groups were eligible. We live in a former “hotspot” and ds (13) has his at school 4 days after his age group were eligible. Vaccines for U12s couldn’t come quick enough for us; dd (10) was done the day she became eligible.

Mine have both had their first dose. I can understand why people don’t feel it’s necessary, but I read everything and decided to do it. I’m concerned about unseen damaged caused by covid, to the lungs or heart. Especially if there are repeated infections. I had the faint hope it might provide some additional immunity against future strains. The kids wanted to do it. And I have family in the US so had seen all their under 11s get vaccinated without issue.

I don’t know in detail what other people are doing as I really don’t talk about it. I know some have been vaccinated, I know some aren’t opposed but haven’t got round to it as they don’t see it a priority. My sense is a real mix of views.

I see no point in it at present, especially at this stage of the year when it will wear off during the natural low season long before the autumn rates pick up.

DS2 couldn't have yet because he had Covid for the second time in early March. We made the most of the time off school with his slight "cold" by going for walks and bike rides. DS1 has never tested positive, so either he's resisted it being in the household twice, the classroom umpteen times or it's just never picked up on tests.

We have no international travel plans for this year. They'll probably never see granny again because of hospital/ carehome rules in her country banning them, but after 2.5+ years they don't miss her anymore anyway, and my family have got used to not bothering to see them in 2 years so I'm not having them injected to save anyone elses' skin.

I've felt more crap after my vaccines than the actual illness. I'll charitably acknowledge that as the vaccines working at making the illness more minor, but my DCs have coped well enough with exposure so why risk making them ill to save them from a sniffle or scratchy throat.

It's looking increasingly likely that we won't need to do it for travel and it would take a significant change in the characteristics of the virus to make me reconsider. Other families have different circumstances and have chosen differently and that's fine.

The impression I get is that most parents in this age group don't regard it as particularly important either way, notwithstanding people for whom it's a big deal for medical reasons. The commonest responses I've seen are people who have done or intend to get the kids done because they might as well, and people who don't see any particular benefit now but don't rule it out if circumstances change.

DS is now vaccinated as before he managed to get it twice within 90days and he was getting progressively worse symptoms. He’ll also be going up to secondary where it was rife last Autumn

DD had it as soon as it was offered as she was really quite poorly with Covid when she had it in January. DS however had Covid in March so has to wait a few more weeks, I'll probably take him when DD gets her second dose.

Yes because I think covid does more damage internally and I don’t want to risk that for my kids thanks.

the UK is a bit retrograde in its treatment of covid and kids.

My 10 yr old has had both jabs, he had his first back in Feb as is disabled. My 9 yr old has had his first and will have his second in July.

Yes because I think covid does more damage internally and I don’t want to risk that for my kids thanks.

Do we have any evidence that the vaccine makes any difference to that though, given that it's not particularly effective in preventing transmission?

That would imply that the vaccine does nothing.

The damage covid does is inherent in the nature of the virus itself, all the while the immune system is trying to fight it off.

The vaccine gives the immune system a head start in fighting it off before it can do that damage.

otherwise there would be no point in getting vaccinated.

That would imply that the vaccine does nothing.

No. Not at all.

The vaccine is extremely effective at preventing severe disease among those at high risk of severe disease (thankfully)

that doesn't include healthy children, so you can see why people question the value. I've seen nothing to suggest that there's some hidden internal damage that the vaccine is preventing.

I am on the fence about this too.

On the one hand I'm pro vaccine, even paid for both kids to have chicken pox vaccines. I'm happy that it's safe for them to have. And I would be horrified if they got long covid. Or passed it on to a vulnerable person.

On the other hand, they both had covid with virtually no symptoms. Plus I'm concerned about actually getting them to have the vaccine. I expect my just 5yo would be achievable through a combination of bribery and force if necessary, but my 7yo is a different story! I couldn't force her and she's unlikely to be willing.

I'm sitting on my fence until the autumn.

Even healthy children have ended up with severe disease…..? You don’t always know if you’ve got an underlying condition until it’s too late.

Plus covid does damage that may not be outwardly obvious and heightens the risk of coronary diseases for 12 months of infection - regardless of the severity of the initial infection. Even if mild.

I don’t think the vaccine will harm my children, and it may help the immune system, so that’s enough for me.

I don’t want to take the risk - so yes I’d rather have my child vaccinated - as children have been in many other countries. Especially as we managed to dodge covid until very recently. I had it, it was awful.

Nobody really knows OP, so it has to be your decision.
Or better still your child's with your guidance.
How old are they?
What do they think?
My secondary age kids are single jabbed, and not planning on any more unless things change.
They chose to be vaccinated though, and I think even primary age it should be informed choice with parental guidance, give the benefit is small.