We appear to be doing as the US is doing

[cromwell]

As far as injecting children is concerned.
Back on the 12th of May President Biden said the vaccine was safe for children aged 12-15.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... ory-panel/
The other day we had a rather weasely endorsement by the head weasel, Professor Chris Whitty, that it was safe for our 12-15 year olds too.

Then on July 22nd President Biden said that children under the age of 12 "may be eligible"for vaccination.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... r-12-biden
So if the scientists in America say vaccinating infants is OK, expect our scientists to reach the exact same conclusion shortly afterwards.

[Workingman]

I am not so concerned for the 12-15yr-olds so long as they are not vulnerable or immunosuppressive, but there has to be a cut-off point. My gut instinct is that age 12 is about right for most people to accept.

[Suff]

I'd go with that. I'm certainly not for pushing vaccines at very young people with growing immune systems.

[cromwell]

Well well well.
What a surprise.
Now we have the Tony Blair institute advocating the vaccination of nursery age children.
https://newsbinding.com/news/tony-blair ... -children/

Told you.

[TheOstrich]

Well, I don't agree with that - there has to be a cut-off point where the vaccines are better sent to third world countries who need them, rather than used on our children .....

[Suff]

For me the cut off point is where vaccinating the third world is of better benefit to the UK than vaccinating or boosting UK citizens.

Charity is about giving your surplus to others who could use it better. Until we are fully sure that giving vaccines to the third world will not see British people die for the lack of a vaccine, I am totally against it.

As for vaccinating small children? For me it is only when there is a clear need for medical conditions.

One day this pandemic will be over and the residual infections will be a part of our landscape just like flu. Children will not be vaccinated for it any more than we vaccinate children for flu today.

No point in stampeding down a path which has no future and is not required.

[cromwell]

I agree with all of that as far as it goes.
But I have a rather more fundamental objection which is that Covid does not kill healthy children. That being so putting healthy children needlessly at risk is morally objectionable to me.
Lastly, Tony Blair is a megalomaniac who should be in jail.

[Suff]

I agree with all of that as far as it goes.
But I have a rather more fundamental objection which is that Covid does not kill healthy children. That being so putting healthy children needlessly at risk is morally objectionable to me.
Lastly, Tony Blair is a megalomaniac who should be in jail.

Normally I'd agree about the healthy children. Except there is pretty strong evidence that healthy children, infected with the virus and unaware of it, can infect and kill unhealthy adults. Catch 22. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Hence my support for those in the 12-15 age group who can be given the risks on both sides then let them take a decision themselves. I would, however, err heavily on the side of caution and make it so that they would have to positively opt in. Not even a neutral opt in. At least make them think about it.

As for Blair. Anything with his name on it is, imho, tainted beyond any level of acceptance and should only be touched with a barge pole that is disinfected after use!

[cromwell]

And one day after Blair spouts off we get Pfizer saying they have had "top line" results in a trial on 5 to 11 year olds.
You'd almost think it was coordinated.
So it only remains for the predictable rigmarole to be gone through in the UK, "consultations" probably "rigorous" ones to be gone through before the decision to stick this stuff into toddlers is agreed.

[Workingman]

I really do understand the concerns, and I agree, but then I look at the jabs we had in primary school:

diphtheria
polio
TB
tetanus
whooping cough (pertussis)
Pneumococcal

No parental consent, it was just done. The Man from the Ministry knew best. Back to the future, eh?

No conspiracy theories back then, and no social media, yet we survived.

Out of interest; five of the above, plus Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), are given to infants a 8, 12 and 16 weeks as a 6-in-1 jab. Pneumococcal vaccine is at 12 weeks and 1 year. However, they went through the old-school clinical trials and not the shortened versions used for the Covid jab. I remain concerned that the Covid jab is not right for the very young as a general medication.