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Original poster

Child's vaccinations

56 replies

BooseysMom · 30/07/2022 09:55

We were contacted by NHS to invite DS(8) to get vaccinated but he wouldn't go. Has anyone else's DC refused to go? I recall the government saying vaccinations for children weren't really necessary and then suddenly they send our texts, letters, etc asking them to be jabbed. Should I be forcing him to have it? I've got covid currently and it's no joke.
Thanks

OP posts:
mrsfoof · 01/08/2022 14:51

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 14:46

My now 5 year old has been left with permanent tinnitus from catching covid last year. She had it again this year and wasn't as ill. She is now doubly vaccinated and I am glad I have done it. It is not only the initial illness it is how they are left afterwards. She wasn't that ill with the first bout, very tired for 6 weeks but not ill. But the tinnitus is likely to be lifelong and is very distressing for her. We have had ENT appointments and they can do nothing for her other than coping techniques.

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's experience. However, being vaccinated is no guarantee that this scenario would be prevented. People who are fully vaccinated still catch Covid and some of those are unlucky enough to have lasting effects.
Some people who are unvaccinated have a mild occurrence of Covid, yet some suffer badly. Equally, people who've received the vaccine can also become very unwell with it.

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 14:58

mrsfoof · 01/08/2022 14:51

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's experience. However, being vaccinated is no guarantee that this scenario would be prevented. People who are fully vaccinated still catch Covid and some of those are unlucky enough to have lasting effects.
Some people who are unvaccinated have a mild occurrence of Covid, yet some suffer badly. Equally, people who've received the vaccine can also become very unwell with it.

Show quote history

You can say that about any vaccine though. You can still catch chicken pox after the vaccine and normally it is mild but sometimes there are people who get a severe bout even after vaccine and left with side effects from it. So you are basically saying all vaccines are pointless then?

If having a vaccine could possibly stop the lasting effects I will give it a go! Anything to protect my children from illness and long term complications.

Original poster
BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 14:59

What if he refuses boosters for tetanus, polio etc..... in the future? Will you let him not have those as well as in your eyes forcing him is abuse or does that only count towards the covid vaccine?

ok good point! He's had all his vaccines so far. Its just i haven't pushed him with this one as I wasn't sure it was really necessary. He's been around loads of kids who have had it in his class and has been ok. Maybe he will be the carrier of it and the vaccine would prevent that..I'm not sure.

I'm triple-vaccinated and really ill with it atm.

OP posts:
ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:05

BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 14:59

What if he refuses boosters for tetanus, polio etc..... in the future? Will you let him not have those as well as in your eyes forcing him is abuse or does that only count towards the covid vaccine?

ok good point! He's had all his vaccines so far. Its just i haven't pushed him with this one as I wasn't sure it was really necessary. He's been around loads of kids who have had it in his class and has been ok. Maybe he will be the carrier of it and the vaccine would prevent that..I'm not sure.

I'm triple-vaccinated and really ill with it atm.

I always ask myself how would you feel if he was the 1 in a million who got seriously ill with it or left with long covid struggling to do basic day to day tasks. How would you feel in yourself? Would you shrug and say "well he didn't want it and I didn't want to force him as that's abuse" and think nothing more or would you think I didn't do everything I could, maybe I could have prevented him getting so ill?

You are the adult, I know personally I would struggle to live with myself if I hadn't done all I could do to protect my child from illness. Yes it can still happen after vaccination but you are making the odds more in your favour by vaccinating. Letting an 8 year old decide is the slippery slope. Where does it stop? Doesn't want any health care? Doesn't want to go to school? Doesn't want to eat vegetables again? Doesn't want to brush his teeth? Doesn't want to wash?

Derbee · 01/08/2022 15:07

Are you planning on letting him decide on all of his standard childhood vaccinations?

mrsfoof · 01/08/2022 15:16

@ItsSnowJokes No, I don't agree ALL vaccines are pointless but some are perhaps not as necessary as we're led to believe as the risks from the illness are minimal, the risk from the vaccine is as high as the risk of complications from the illness and the vaccine doesn't eliminate the chance of becoming ill in a huge number of cases (as is the situation with Covid). I know so many people who've had Covid recently, all of whom are fully vaccinated. Some were fine, others were really poorly and some have ongoing issues. The experience is not that different to the situation when people were catching it in 2020/21 before the vaccines were rolled out.
The chickenpox vaccine is another example. It's not included in the UK childhood vaccination schedule for good reason I presume (I.e it doesn't work for everyone and the risk from the disease is minimal to most kids).
MMR, Tetanus, Polio etc are entirely different as they are very effective and the diseases they are working to prevent cause quite severe illness for most.

Original poster
BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 15:24

@mrsfoof.. I agree. Thank you for pointing this out. He has has all the vital vaccinations. This is different.

OP posts:
ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:25

mrsfoof · 01/08/2022 15:16

@ItsSnowJokes No, I don't agree ALL vaccines are pointless but some are perhaps not as necessary as we're led to believe as the risks from the illness are minimal, the risk from the vaccine is as high as the risk of complications from the illness and the vaccine doesn't eliminate the chance of becoming ill in a huge number of cases (as is the situation with Covid). I know so many people who've had Covid recently, all of whom are fully vaccinated. Some were fine, others were really poorly and some have ongoing issues. The experience is not that different to the situation when people were catching it in 2020/21 before the vaccines were rolled out.
The chickenpox vaccine is another example. It's not included in the UK childhood vaccination schedule for good reason I presume (I.e it doesn't work for everyone and the risk from the disease is minimal to most kids).
MMR, Tetanus, Polio etc are entirely different as they are very effective and the diseases they are working to prevent cause quite severe illness for most.

Actually chicken pox vaccine is not available on the nhs (unless exceptional circumstances) so the nhs spends less money on shingles cases. They see the inconvenience to children a positive as it gives some more immunity to adults and makes the cases of shingles lower. The fact my eldest was in an awful way with chicken pox and hospitalised seems lost on the nhs as long as it doesn't cost them more on shingles treatments. We paid for our youngest to have a jab after the experience with my eldest.

Exactly the same reason they give flu jabs to children, not to protect them from flu (although that is an added benefit) but as children are super spreaders it protects the adults and vulnerable more.

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:27

BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 15:24

@mrsfoof.. I agree. Thank you for pointing this out. He has has all the vital vaccinations. This is different.

Different for you maybe, but you have stated you feel it would be abuse to force him to have jabs so if he doesn't want his other jabs are you going to force him?

Original poster
BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 15:32

Different for you maybe, but you have stated you feel it would be abuse to force him to have jabs so if he doesn't want his other jabs are you going to force him?

I didn't mean actual abuse.. sorry that was the wrong word to use. I just had visions of manhandling him to the vaccine centre! He's had all the other jabs.

OP posts:
pinklavenders · 01/08/2022 15:36

Thanks for all your replies. I can't physically force him to have it..that would be abuse wouldn't it?!

Abuse? Surely it's a parent's responsibility that their children get the relevant vaccines and other medical treatment?

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:38

BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 15:32

Different for you maybe, but you have stated you feel it would be abuse to force him to have jabs so if he doesn't want his other jabs are you going to force him?

I didn't mean actual abuse.. sorry that was the wrong word to use. I just had visions of manhandling him to the vaccine centre! He's had all the other jabs.

But he has chosen not to have this one. So if he chooses to not have any others will you "manhandle" him to the vaccine centre? You have created a precedent with this. When the boosters are due at 12 or 13 ish and he says no he is not having them, what will you do?

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:41

BooseysMom · 01/08/2022 15:32

Different for you maybe, but you have stated you feel it would be abuse to force him to have jabs so if he doesn't want his other jabs are you going to force him?

I didn't mean actual abuse.. sorry that was the wrong word to use. I just had visions of manhandling him to the vaccine centre! He's had all the other jabs.

I should of added did you also give him the choice in all his other jabs? Or did you take the right and logical decision that as a parent and adult you did the right and responsible thing to do for your child's health? So you made that decision for him?

If you made the decision for him before what has changed this time? Why have you suddenly let him make all his health related decisions?

pinklavenders · 01/08/2022 15:43

I just had visions of manhandling him to the vaccine centre! He's had all the other jabs.

You may have to manhandle him into getting important future vaccinations!

orangina01 · 02/08/2022 06:10

pinklavenders · 01/08/2022 11:14

My 5 Yr old got jabbed as they haven't had it and we would rather they had a mild case if they do, so they went with the 11 yr old and after two seconds of discomfort, were fine and pleased they had the jab.

A 5 year does not understand the risks and benefits of the jab imo.

It should be the parents who decide what's in the child's best interest.

They don't need to understand all the risks and benefits to be pleased they had it! You're being pedantic. My five year old, who I know quite well incidentally, was pleased to have had the jab, yes. I was there, they were smiling, excited, proud like their sibling. I'm trying to illustrate that even a small child can have it and not find it too traumatising. Of course, every child is different and an older child might be petrified. But this particular jab was almost painless according to my two.

And yes, we did explain the benefits to both of them, even if ultimately as the parents we decided that they went. Similarly my children had the chicken pox jab and have been glad to not have chicken pox! As I said I'm my previous post, it's up to the OP but the OP has made it clear how ill they feel and for me, anything you can do to reduce your child's illness from Covid or risk of long covid is a welcome step. But that's me. OP has decided not to. Fair enough.

Kingstonmumof1 · 02/08/2022 06:39

Ime the vaccine centre was full of kids having to be "manhandled" to be there. There were a couple of bolters each time too! The vaccinators were sensitive but no nonsense. There was no question of the children saying no having the last word. This was centre for 5-11s.

WoolyMammoth55 · 02/08/2022 06:47

I'm not a medical professional BUT.

The key differences between Covid and other childhood vaccines is 2-fold:

  1. The Covid vaccines are emergency medications not tested to the same standard as other vaccines. They also have known side-effects like myocarditis which are significantly more likely to affect children and teens, and which is true of no other childhood vaccine.

  2. If you are vaccinated for Polio, you (statistically) can no longer be infected with Polio after vaccination. I've had 3 Covid vaccines myself and still got Covid twice since my booster. All the Covid vaccines do is lessen the likelihood of hospitalisation, which for healthy kids is already basically zero.

My kids are vaxxed per the NHS schedule but they won't be getting the Covid jabs unless the current situation changes radically.

Samarie123 · 02/08/2022 07:30

Good on your son OP. The JVCI doesn't recommend that children get vaccinated either.

Ncfreely · 02/08/2022 07:32

ItsSnowJokes · 01/08/2022 15:05

I always ask myself how would you feel if he was the 1 in a million who got seriously ill with it or left with long covid struggling to do basic day to day tasks. How would you feel in yourself? Would you shrug and say "well he didn't want it and I didn't want to force him as that's abuse" and think nothing more or would you think I didn't do everything I could, maybe I could have prevented him getting so ill?

You are the adult, I know personally I would struggle to live with myself if I hadn't done all I could do to protect my child from illness. Yes it can still happen after vaccination but you are making the odds more in your favour by vaccinating. Letting an 8 year old decide is the slippery slope. Where does it stop? Doesn't want any health care? Doesn't want to go to school? Doesn't want to eat vegetables again? Doesn't want to brush his teeth? Doesn't want to wash?

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👏 👏👏👏

imnotthatkindofmum · 02/08/2022 07:53

BooseysMom · 30/07/2022 09:55

We were contacted by NHS to invite DS(8) to get vaccinated but he wouldn't go. Has anyone else's DC refused to go? I recall the government saying vaccinations for children weren't really necessary and then suddenly they send our texts, letters, etc asking them to be jabbed. Should I be forcing him to have it? I've got covid currently and it's no joke.
Thanks

My daughter is needle phobic (and actually reacts badly to any "procedure", including dentist) If I get her the jab she WILL be sick and pass out. She's 8. I've not got her jab as I can't face it and there's plenty of articles saying it's not necessary. The only reason I'd get it right now I think is if she needed it to travel for a family holiday. I may reconsider at the end of summer.

I'm usually very pro vaccine, I just can't face this one!

She's had covid twice, both times mild. It causes me a lot of anxiety either way, I'm still undecided.

gogohmm · 02/08/2022 08:00

Mine wouldn't have had a choice! Even at 16 I took mine for vaccinations no option to refuse (meningitis one) mine both willingly had the covid vaccine asap

Davyjones · 02/08/2022 10:40

MissyB1 · 01/08/2022 14:40

Is it “abuse” to make him take a shower/ clean his teeth/ wear clean clothes/ take antibiotics for an infection. Have a cut knee cleaned?

Show quote history

Do any those things come with a health risk?

Original poster
BooseysMom · 02/08/2022 11:17

WoolyMammoth55 · Today 06:47

I'm not a medical professional BUT.

The key differences between Covid and other childhood vaccines is 2-fold:

The Covid vaccines are emergency medications not tested to the same standard as other vaccines. They also have known side-effects like myocarditis which are significantly more likely to affect children and teens, and which is true of no other childhood vaccine.

If you are vaccinated for Polio, you (statistically) can no longer be infected with Polio after vaccination. I've had 3 Covid vaccines myself and still got Covid twice since my booster. All the Covid vaccines do is lessen the likelihood of hospitalisation, which for healthy kids is already basically zero.

My kids are vaxxed per the NHS schedule but they won't be getting the Covid jabs unless the current situation changes radically

Thanks for posting this, and for all other responses. These are exactly the reasons I decided not to press him to have it. As I said previously he's had all his baby and childhood vaccines. Just this one I wasn't sure about..if I was I would have to insist on him having it. It would be different if the risk of Covid to children was high.

OP posts:
ItsSnowJokes · 02/08/2022 16:35

Davyjones · 02/08/2022 10:40

Do any those things come with a health risk?

Show quote history

Of course they do. Don't brush your teeth get rotten teeth, they cause lain, abcesses, fall out. Don't clean a grazed knee it gets infected could cause cellulitis or sepsis etc......

grapehyacinthisactuallyblue · 03/08/2022 15:06

The Covid vaccines are emergency medications not tested to the same standard as other vaccines.

Is this really true? It was approved quicker than others because of the situation. But I've read that it was tested to same standard, and as for the data, this vaccine has been given to many, in global scale. So I assume they must have enough data now to say if it's safe or not.

I hope someone with knowledge can clear this claim that has been said since the vaccine roll out by anti vaxxers.