Thread by @karamballes

#r4today Just had a one sided interview with someone from Joint Biosecurity on children being vaccinated "We don't want to immunise anyone who doesn't need it, think coverage will be high enough without vaccinating children"
UK gov currently has no plans for child vaccination

After listening to that interview, that wasn't balanced with an alternative view, its clear the government have no concerns with a large number of children being infected.

Still saying transmission isn't an issue in schools

https://twitter.com/AlisonGeorge10/status/1395162101849657345?s=19

What i can't believe is that once again UK take a policy stance that is at odds with most the works and there was no rigorous questioning from interviewer (@bbcnickrobinson I think)

Not even a mention that Israel and others have come to a completely different conclusion

Worth going onto BBC Sounds to listen, around 7am.
Its like we have gone full circle and are back to children have such a minimal impact on the pandemic we don't have to worry about transmission in schools.
Such a big policy statement, such little challenge.

I'm reminded of March last year when #r4today told us that pursuing herd immunity through infection was a more nuanced response than other countries who were locking down.

Government salesman, not journalism.

So while most countries have been preparing to vaccinate children, GBD signatories recently put out a paper calling for children to not be vaccinated, this seems to have had disproportionate influence on the debate

https://twitter.com/GYamey/status/1392829159446097921?s=19

When anti vax push on children started it was clear the messaging about risks would be used by the anti vax movement, and we have certainly seen this pick up
In the same way antimaskers used schools to fight a proxy war, the anti vaxers are doing the same

https://twitter.com/GYamey/status/1391221760771727361?s=19

UK pediatrics have fought against safety measures in schools including recently saying masks should go due to the balance of risks, I've not seen them provide the data and evidence to back up what the risks of mask use are and they also don't like talking about @LongCovidKids

So it's depressingly unsurprising that pediatrics seem to have embraced this "balance of harms" attitude to vaccination.

But doesn't this language just play directly into the anti vaxer message?
rcpch.ac.uk/news-events/ne…

And here is the case for vaccination, something @bbcnickrobinson and #r4today should have provided but didn't.

BBC can provide balance against climate change or lockdowns, but couldnt find a pro vax voice for balance?

This stinks

https://twitter.com/GYamey/status/1392071986952691714?s=19

Once again we are back to questioning the secrecy of Joint Biosecurity. While we do get to see SAGE minutes, decision making is done in Joint Biosecurity which doesn't release information.

A decision not to vax children deserves scrutiny.

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1316166161067921409?s=19

The gov need to explain why we are picking a different approach to most the world and this must be properly scrutinised, we've seen where lack of scrutiny leads.

Are GBD leading government policy?

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1394405964921675783?s=19

Interesting how UsForThem are pushing the same line and talking to activists in Germany and other countries, the skeptic disinformation networks are all pushing the identical argument and it's ramped up across western world at the same time.

Coordination?

https://twitter.com/AlisonGeorge10/status/1395324559704920067?s=19

Looks like @Telegraph has made its decision, to side with HART on the anti vax message. This lot are close to the centre of the disinformation networks. For British press to give a platform to such an organisation is deeply concerning.

https://twitter.com/NafeezAhmed/status/1395433460441944074?s=19

For more details on HART see this thread, part of a larger thread mapping those involved in the disinformation networks.

Staggering how quickly organisations with opaque/dodgy funding can shape media narrative and influence policy.

https://twitter.com/Aw_what/status/1381218219101462528?s=19