9 Comments

I assume parents can pay privately for a vaccine for their baby. So this creates yet another point of inequality in our 'system" of healthcare in this respect and places yet another burden of parents who are struggling financially.

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no, they can't! the only privately available Covid vaccines in the UK are for over 12's.

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Your insightful appreciation of a living-with-Covid era, "where most adults barely think about Covid at all", is both true and shocking. Any sociological ideas or studies of why this nonsensical behaviour is happening?

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Do you ever mention wearing respirators? I always see you mention vaccines and never respirators.

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because a vaccine is a much more effective way to protect a small baby. it's not going to wear a mask, and neither are its parents!

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Thank you again for your work. At the start of this pandemic I was convinced that children would be a central focus of all decisions made. Sadly that has not been the case at any level! To think that this country is an outlier amongst others of a similar wealth. I am stunned that the JCVI has throughout talked of ‘cost effectiveness’ when we are aware of c2 million with long covid and organ damage which includes many children. We don’t know exactly how that will impact the population with respect to the economy in the future but it can’t be too positive now. In addition if we are truly concerned about our healthcare system we should be vaccinating and mitigating against infection to reduce the future strain on the health system. How many children will grow into adulthood with health problems as a result of COVID infections? Where is the cost effectiveness in that?! Where is the concern in maintaining a healthy population in the future? My youngest grandchildren are 6 months and 3 years respectively and I wonder what the future holds for them, my other 3 and indeed all of our children??!!

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Do we know about the risk of long-term sequelae in babies? Covid-19 is diabetogenic and can cause renal damage, for example. We all get kidney failure if we live long enough; renal damage can reduce the age of onset… The decision to introduce meningococcal vaccination swung on the cost of the long term sequelae - might that case be made for Covid-19 vaccination?

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we don't know. i think this idea has taken route within JCVI that kids are fine if they get Covid and I'm not sure what evidence is going to change their minds on it!

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The way they require proof that harm will arise before recommending prevention - even when there is good reason to think harm is likely - is reckless.

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