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Vax for children 07:37 - Sep 14 with 2978 viewschrismakin

Genuine need of some thoughts regarding the vaccine.

My son is 14, seen that he will soon be eligible for the covid vaccine. Now. I'm double jabbed etc. But I mainly got it to.help protect others rather than just myself.

We are caught on what to do here.. leave it to him to decide as its his right to decide.. tell him we would if it was us. or tell him not to..

Genuinely caught in this minefield of various opinions on the Internet.
[Post edited 14 Sep 2021 7:41]

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Vax for children on 08:00 - Sep 14 with 1953 viewsBluefish

When I took my 17 year old they asked who had made the decision to have it done. If he had said we did then they wouldn't have done it

Your 14 year old is probably more switched on than you and probably wants to get on with it, just like with every of vaccinations that they have been luck enough to have in their life

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Vax for children on 08:09 - Sep 14 with 1930 viewsMookamoo

Can you avoid the Internet and speak to a professional you can trust to get some reassurance? Either get a phone appointment with your GP or pop along with them to your local vaccine drop in.

For me, the only question is the additional risk of myocarditis which appears to be so very small it wouldn't effect my decision to let them get jabbed. My worry is that age group will be the first hit again if we need to lock down and shut schools in January/February if we haven't done enough to get the hospital admissions down before then. Locking down will have the real lasting effects.
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Vax for children on 08:16 - Sep 14 with 1905 viewsPavlovsCat

Look at the science and pay heed those in the field; it’s hard sometimes to sort the wheat from the chaff in these days of social media. Remember, you were almost certainly vaccinated as a child, as we’re your parents before you, it’s why so many diseases prevalent only a few decades ago - smallpox, polio, diphtheria, etc. - are now rarely seen in the West. Also take into account that, despite what the scare mongers/anti-vaxxers would want you to believe, this is not exactly a NEW vaccine, maybe ‘tweeked’ would be a better word to use. I have my opinions, which I’ve laid out here, but I’m no virologist or immunologist, so my suggestion? Go back to my first sentence.

Good luck. 👍
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Vax for children on 09:03 - Sep 14 with 1820 viewsGlasgowBlue

There’s nothing wrong with being a little more apprehensive when considering whether to have your children vaccinated against a disease that will have very little short term effect on them if they catch it.

With all vaccines, there is always a very small risk. Somebody has to be that 1 in whatever the figure is that suffers harmful effects from a vaccine.

However, we still don’t know the long term effects Covid has on the young. There may be little risk to their health now but there could be longer term health problems further down the line as a result of long Covid.

We are also not going to get out of this until as many people as possible are vaccinated. So there is also ‘the greater good’ to consider.

Personally, I put my faith and trust in the scientists and the experts who are giving the advice. They know a damn sight more than you or I.

I’ll be letting my 14 year old be vaccinated.

Edit. Should have also added that Whitby and co have also weighed up the long term mental health issues that kids are facing because of the continual lockdowns. They are also concerned that a generation of kids are not getting the education they need to move in to adulthood and the challenges that it brings.
[Post edited 14 Sep 2021 9:11]

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Vax for children on 10:09 - Sep 14 with 1688 viewsbluelagos

Vax for children on 09:03 - Sep 14 by GlasgowBlue

There’s nothing wrong with being a little more apprehensive when considering whether to have your children vaccinated against a disease that will have very little short term effect on them if they catch it.

With all vaccines, there is always a very small risk. Somebody has to be that 1 in whatever the figure is that suffers harmful effects from a vaccine.

However, we still don’t know the long term effects Covid has on the young. There may be little risk to their health now but there could be longer term health problems further down the line as a result of long Covid.

We are also not going to get out of this until as many people as possible are vaccinated. So there is also ‘the greater good’ to consider.

Personally, I put my faith and trust in the scientists and the experts who are giving the advice. They know a damn sight more than you or I.

I’ll be letting my 14 year old be vaccinated.

Edit. Should have also added that Whitby and co have also weighed up the long term mental health issues that kids are facing because of the continual lockdowns. They are also concerned that a generation of kids are not getting the education they need to move in to adulthood and the challenges that it brings.
[Post edited 14 Sep 2021 9:11]


"There’s nothing wrong with being a little more apprehensive ..."

This x 100.

Anyone now or later seeking to label anyone as selfish, stupid or inconsiderate should do one frankly. Perfectly natural for parents to worry about vaccinating their kids and some will choose not to. That is their right and their choice and I'd hope anyone making that choice doesn't get the "public shame" thrown at them that sometimes happens.

And ref the OP, I'd suggest you and your kid speak to your GP if you are worried about the vaccine effects and follow their advice, much as you would any other health issue.

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Vax for children on 10:56 - Sep 14 with 1644 viewsGuthrum

Vax for children on 10:09 - Sep 14 by bluelagos

"There’s nothing wrong with being a little more apprehensive ..."

This x 100.

Anyone now or later seeking to label anyone as selfish, stupid or inconsiderate should do one frankly. Perfectly natural for parents to worry about vaccinating their kids and some will choose not to. That is their right and their choice and I'd hope anyone making that choice doesn't get the "public shame" thrown at them that sometimes happens.

And ref the OP, I'd suggest you and your kid speak to your GP if you are worried about the vaccine effects and follow their advice, much as you would any other health issue.


Tho the trouble is that adults, as much as children, are susceptible to unfiltered alarmist misinformation on the internet - a lot of it coming under the category of peer pressure (e.g. from contacts on FaceBook). I'm not attributing blame to those who fall for it, that's just the modern environment we're working in*. Unfortunately, those apprehensions will be stoked up by this misinformation, which in this case is harmful to society and quite possibly the very children people are seeking to protect.

The erosion of unconditional trust in authorities over the last few decades is, in many ways, a good thing. Helps prevent the covering up of bad things. However, in an emergency, it can hamper fast and comprehensive action.



* People have not been taught to mistrust what they see online as much as they do government/opposition statements.

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Vax for children on 11:01 - Sep 14 with 1627 viewsLightworker

I suspect there will be many parents in your position right now. It's not a clear cut choice to make and anybody who comes down too hard either way is probably best avoided while trying to make your decision.

Personally I will be choosing not get this vaccine for my Child as I find the arguments for, to be somewhat weak. To have a child take a vaccine to potentially protect Adults when it offers little if any advantage to them does not really sit well with me. I would also question how much real world protection to others it will really provide when they are only taking one dose and the vaccines have been shown to have limited effectiveness in preventing transmission.

I also find the argument of reducing disruption in Schools to be questionable as there is no real evidence this will be the case and they don't seem t be factoring in the inevitable side effects, which although mostly mild are still likely to to involve a significant number of sick days for headaches, high temperature etc.

The medical / health case for giving this vaccine is not a strong one as the JCVI concluded. The overall risk to this age group from Covid is extremely low and the vast majority will have either mild or no symptoms. Long Covid has to be considered but again it does not seem to be significant in this age group. It is also worth considering that the risk of Myocarditis, while very low, is still higher than the risk of hospitalisation from Covid in this age group, particularly for boys.

The MRNA vaccines are also a brand new technology not used previously so long term effects are uncertain. This obviously applies to Adults as well as Children but the older you go up the age range the more the benefit/risk ratio swings in favor of taking it. I should add that there is no reason to suspect MRNA vaccines will have adverse long term effects but for me it is safer to wait where Children are concerned. .

It is ultimately up to you as parents and your Son to decide and I agree with Lagos that nobody should be vilified either way for the choice they make. It is not clear cut in the way that giving a Child a vaccine for Measles or Polio is and it does not make you an anti-vaxxer if you decide against.
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Vax for children on 11:16 - Sep 14 with 1582 viewsLightworker

Vax for children on 08:16 - Sep 14 by PavlovsCat

Look at the science and pay heed those in the field; it’s hard sometimes to sort the wheat from the chaff in these days of social media. Remember, you were almost certainly vaccinated as a child, as we’re your parents before you, it’s why so many diseases prevalent only a few decades ago - smallpox, polio, diphtheria, etc. - are now rarely seen in the West. Also take into account that, despite what the scare mongers/anti-vaxxers would want you to believe, this is not exactly a NEW vaccine, maybe ‘tweeked’ would be a better word to use. I have my opinions, which I’ve laid out here, but I’m no virologist or immunologist, so my suggestion? Go back to my first sentence.

Good luck. 👍


The problem with 'following the science' on this one is that there us no clear consensus. The JCVI said no whereas Witty and co said yes. There are also a number of experts / academics arguing on either side of the debate.

The Government appear to have applied a lot of political pressure on decision makers on this one and when they didn't get the answer they wanted from the JCVI went to Witty and co. At this stage they had already drawn up plans to vaccinate this age group and started recruiting NHS positions to administer the rollout. It seems hard to me to imagine how Witty and co could have come to any other conclusion and the whole process doesn't sit right with me. I would like to know exactly why the Government is so keen to vaccinate this age group when the case for doing so on health grounds is so obviously weak.

I don't think your comparison to Polio etc. is valid. These were diseases which offered a clear and significant threat to Children and therefore the benefit/risk ratio for giving these vaccines is significantly higher than for Covid.

I would also dispute your assertion that this is not a new vaccine. It is very much a new vaccine and based on a technology that has never been used previously. This alone does not mean it is unsafe but it does provide an element of doubt over the long term effects of giving it to Children when it has never been done before.
[Post edited 14 Sep 2021 13:42]
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Vax for children on 11:32 - Sep 14 with 1547 viewsDigger77

Vax for children on 11:01 - Sep 14 by Lightworker

I suspect there will be many parents in your position right now. It's not a clear cut choice to make and anybody who comes down too hard either way is probably best avoided while trying to make your decision.

Personally I will be choosing not get this vaccine for my Child as I find the arguments for, to be somewhat weak. To have a child take a vaccine to potentially protect Adults when it offers little if any advantage to them does not really sit well with me. I would also question how much real world protection to others it will really provide when they are only taking one dose and the vaccines have been shown to have limited effectiveness in preventing transmission.

I also find the argument of reducing disruption in Schools to be questionable as there is no real evidence this will be the case and they don't seem t be factoring in the inevitable side effects, which although mostly mild are still likely to to involve a significant number of sick days for headaches, high temperature etc.

The medical / health case for giving this vaccine is not a strong one as the JCVI concluded. The overall risk to this age group from Covid is extremely low and the vast majority will have either mild or no symptoms. Long Covid has to be considered but again it does not seem to be significant in this age group. It is also worth considering that the risk of Myocarditis, while very low, is still higher than the risk of hospitalisation from Covid in this age group, particularly for boys.

The MRNA vaccines are also a brand new technology not used previously so long term effects are uncertain. This obviously applies to Adults as well as Children but the older you go up the age range the more the benefit/risk ratio swings in favor of taking it. I should add that there is no reason to suspect MRNA vaccines will have adverse long term effects but for me it is safer to wait where Children are concerned. .

It is ultimately up to you as parents and your Son to decide and I agree with Lagos that nobody should be vilified either way for the choice they make. It is not clear cut in the way that giving a Child a vaccine for Measles or Polio is and it does not make you an anti-vaxxer if you decide against.


Good post. This is pretty much my thoughts too.

We'll be politely declining the offer for now.
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Vax for children on 11:43 - Sep 14 with 1521 viewsJohnWarksTash

Vax for children on 11:01 - Sep 14 by Lightworker

I suspect there will be many parents in your position right now. It's not a clear cut choice to make and anybody who comes down too hard either way is probably best avoided while trying to make your decision.

Personally I will be choosing not get this vaccine for my Child as I find the arguments for, to be somewhat weak. To have a child take a vaccine to potentially protect Adults when it offers little if any advantage to them does not really sit well with me. I would also question how much real world protection to others it will really provide when they are only taking one dose and the vaccines have been shown to have limited effectiveness in preventing transmission.

I also find the argument of reducing disruption in Schools to be questionable as there is no real evidence this will be the case and they don't seem t be factoring in the inevitable side effects, which although mostly mild are still likely to to involve a significant number of sick days for headaches, high temperature etc.

The medical / health case for giving this vaccine is not a strong one as the JCVI concluded. The overall risk to this age group from Covid is extremely low and the vast majority will have either mild or no symptoms. Long Covid has to be considered but again it does not seem to be significant in this age group. It is also worth considering that the risk of Myocarditis, while very low, is still higher than the risk of hospitalisation from Covid in this age group, particularly for boys.

The MRNA vaccines are also a brand new technology not used previously so long term effects are uncertain. This obviously applies to Adults as well as Children but the older you go up the age range the more the benefit/risk ratio swings in favor of taking it. I should add that there is no reason to suspect MRNA vaccines will have adverse long term effects but for me it is safer to wait where Children are concerned. .

It is ultimately up to you as parents and your Son to decide and I agree with Lagos that nobody should be vilified either way for the choice they make. It is not clear cut in the way that giving a Child a vaccine for Measles or Polio is and it does not make you an anti-vaxxer if you decide against.


You do make some good points, but the contention the MRNA vaccine hasn't been used before is incorrect. It has been used in human trials for 4 diseases previously and shown to have no adverse effects. Additionally the technology has been in development for decades and many other vaccinations of this type were in phase 1,2, and 3 trials before the Covid pandemic. The reason for their slow development prior to covid was simply that their was no urgency as other methods worked adequately. The arrival of covid just increased the urgency of the trails and the funding thrown at them.

Just wanted to add some balance and really this highlights the difficulty in asking for advise on an internet forum rather than seeking it from experts in the field in question. Whatever decision anyone comes to with regard their children is the correct one.....however an adult refusing the vaccine is, in my opinion, pure ignorance.
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Vax for children on 11:43 - Sep 14 with 1519 viewsChiefXL

Vax for children on 10:09 - Sep 14 by bluelagos

"There’s nothing wrong with being a little more apprehensive ..."

This x 100.

Anyone now or later seeking to label anyone as selfish, stupid or inconsiderate should do one frankly. Perfectly natural for parents to worry about vaccinating their kids and some will choose not to. That is their right and their choice and I'd hope anyone making that choice doesn't get the "public shame" thrown at them that sometimes happens.

And ref the OP, I'd suggest you and your kid speak to your GP if you are worried about the vaccine effects and follow their advice, much as you would any other health issue.


I'm suffering from the same apprehension

I'm fully vaxed, generally believe in the science and trust those who advise the country.
But I am really uneasy, more from a moral perspective I suppose, that for the first time in history as far as I'm aware, we're proposing to vaccinate the young to protect the old rather than themselves, which is why we vaccinate against polio, TB etc...
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Vax for children on 11:51 - Sep 14 with 1486 viewsDigger77

Vax for children on 11:43 - Sep 14 by ChiefXL

I'm suffering from the same apprehension

I'm fully vaxed, generally believe in the science and trust those who advise the country.
But I am really uneasy, more from a moral perspective I suppose, that for the first time in history as far as I'm aware, we're proposing to vaccinate the young to protect the old rather than themselves, which is why we vaccinate against polio, TB etc...


I agree. Children do not have a duty to protect adults.
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Vax for children on 11:51 - Sep 14 with 1486 viewsCBBlue

All I'll say is I couldn't wait for me and my husband to get both jabs. I'm quite glad my son is a couple of years below the minimum age so there is no decision for me to make here - it's so much harder when it's a child isn't it.

*bum firmly glued to the fence*

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Vax for children on 11:55 - Sep 14 with 1465 viewsgiant_stow

Vax for children on 11:51 - Sep 14 by Digger77

I agree. Children do not have a duty to protect adults.


I would have thought that most kids would want to protect their parents given the chance.

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Vax for children on 12:01 - Sep 14 with 1443 viewsChiefXL

Vax for children on 11:55 - Sep 14 by giant_stow

I would have thought that most kids would want to protect their parents given the chance.


You haven't met my kids

But all joking aside surely that's not a decision we, as a society, are expecting them to make is it?
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Vax for children on 12:04 - Sep 14 with 1433 viewsMookamoo

Vax for children on 11:43 - Sep 14 by JohnWarksTash

You do make some good points, but the contention the MRNA vaccine hasn't been used before is incorrect. It has been used in human trials for 4 diseases previously and shown to have no adverse effects. Additionally the technology has been in development for decades and many other vaccinations of this type were in phase 1,2, and 3 trials before the Covid pandemic. The reason for their slow development prior to covid was simply that their was no urgency as other methods worked adequately. The arrival of covid just increased the urgency of the trails and the funding thrown at them.

Just wanted to add some balance and really this highlights the difficulty in asking for advise on an internet forum rather than seeking it from experts in the field in question. Whatever decision anyone comes to with regard their children is the correct one.....however an adult refusing the vaccine is, in my opinion, pure ignorance.


I would also add, it is worth speaking to a GP/health professional about myocarditis if that is of particular concern:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133462-800-myocarditis-is-more-common-a

Also to note, myocarditis more often appears after the second dose, which is why they're limiting 12-15 year olds to a single dose.
https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1635
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Vax for children on 12:05 - Sep 14 with 1426 viewsDigger77

Vax for children on 11:55 - Sep 14 by giant_stow

I would have thought that most kids would want to protect their parents given the chance.


I'm not sure I can rely on my 12 year old to make a balanced decision with something like this. He is more interested in the latest Fortnite skin!
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Vax for children on 12:05 - Sep 14 with 1425 viewsgiant_stow

Vax for children on 12:01 - Sep 14 by ChiefXL

You haven't met my kids

But all joking aside surely that's not a decision we, as a society, are expecting them to make is it?


It sounds harsh I agree, but if you look at it in terms of enlightened self interest, it makes sense: its in most kids' interest for the parents to survive and be well.

Very tricky issue obviously, but perhaps one that can't be avoided?
[Post edited 14 Sep 2021 12:06]

Has anyone ever looked at their own postings for last day or so? Oh my... so sorry. Was Ullaa
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Vax for children on 12:06 - Sep 14 with 1422 viewsgiant_stow

Vax for children on 12:05 - Sep 14 by Digger77

I'm not sure I can rely on my 12 year old to make a balanced decision with something like this. He is more interested in the latest Fortnite skin!


Same with mine! Big day yesterday in Fortnite land, not that I understood why.

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Vax for children on 12:07 - Sep 14 with 1409 viewsDigger77

Vax for children on 12:06 - Sep 14 by giant_stow

Same with mine! Big day yesterday in Fortnite land, not that I understood why.


Haha, tell me about it!

To be honest I think this is what a 12 year old should be thinking about, not saving dad's life.
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Vax for children on 12:10 - Sep 14 with 1396 viewsTheIpswichWay

My 14 year old son is currently on day 2 of isolation in his room having picked up Covid from someone during his first week back at school. He's only got a mild headache and loss of taste but has to miss 8 days of school in the crucial first few weeks of his GCSEs. If he or whoever he got it from had already been vaccinated it is less likely that either child would have experienced this disruption to their education.

As it is the disruptive effect of children or teachers dropping out after positive tests and then having to be helped to catch up will carry on for some months to come which will impact the amount of work they can get through.

My wife and I are double jabbed but are still trying to limit contact with him to avoid picking it up ourselves whilst we also have a daughter who is younger and not in the age range due to be jabbed so from someone going through it I'd recommend doing anything possible to limit the chances of the disease impacting your family.
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Vax for children on 12:14 - Sep 14 with 1372 viewsgiant_stow

Vax for children on 12:07 - Sep 14 by Digger77

Haha, tell me about it!

To be honest I think this is what a 12 year old should be thinking about, not saving dad's life.


That's totally fair. I just wonder whether there's anyway of avoiding that decision.

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Vax for children on 12:15 - Sep 14 with 1363 viewschicoazul

Talk to your Dr if you can get through to them. Ask them for their recommendation.

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Vax for children on 12:41 - Sep 14 with 1275 viewsSteve_M

Vax for children on 11:43 - Sep 14 by ChiefXL

I'm suffering from the same apprehension

I'm fully vaxed, generally believe in the science and trust those who advise the country.
But I am really uneasy, more from a moral perspective I suppose, that for the first time in history as far as I'm aware, we're proposing to vaccinate the young to protect the old rather than themselves, which is why we vaccinate against polio, TB etc...


On your concern Chiefy, it's slightly different with childhood diseases though. We vaccinate a large percentage of the population to protect the rest of them as much as the individual themselves. One vaccinated child with a disease running wild isn't that safe.

Easy for me to speak hypothetically, but teenagers can still spread covid and there are cases of fairly unpleasant lasting effects from the disease. The risks to them of getting covid, although low, are still higher than that of being vaccinated.

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Vax for children on 13:22 - Sep 14 with 1185 viewsJohnWarksTash

Vax for children on 12:04 - Sep 14 by Mookamoo

I would also add, it is worth speaking to a GP/health professional about myocarditis if that is of particular concern:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133462-800-myocarditis-is-more-common-a

Also to note, myocarditis more often appears after the second dose, which is why they're limiting 12-15 year olds to a single dose.
https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1635


I do think the myocarditis story has been jumped on my anti vax people and is now being used as a lever to push their agenda somewhat. I just wish people would read the peer reviewed papers and not just cherry pick the bits that fit their own world view and then push it onto others. It's evil.

Makes me very cross to be honest.
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