Thread by @SGriffin_Lab

It's noticeable that even before MHRA has done it's assessment, a very vocal element are already trying to dictate the media narrative on vaccines for 5-11 yo...
Sadly, some of the narrative being used to put the kibosh on this is baseless and misleading

https://twitter.com/TimesRadio/status/1462352586523086852?t=-nS4K9cUJsVYKf_dfpjzHQ&s=19

There are some key areas that are cited over and over again by certain groups of people against vaccinating kids...they usually sound plausible as they're based around facts, but "based" is doing a lot of work here

1. Kids rarely get ill from COVID. OK, so it's certainly true

that the relative risk for people developing severe acute disease reduces significantly with younger age. Everybody knows this, but we're currently in a situation where the majority of the 12M <18s in the UK are being exposed. As such, it's a simple fact that the denominator for

this occurring means the small numerator is eclipsed by several orders of magnitude. Hence, we've seen ~1k hospitalisations in <18s every month since July. If you don't already, follow @jneill for the lowdown on these numbers.
2. Why is exposure so high? Well, it's simply that

comparing 2020 with 2021, especially the latter part, we no longer have anything like the restrictions in schools, which were also closed a lot of the time...
It is striking that juvenile infections and deaths have increased quite dramatically in 2021, no doubt delta is a factor.

3. The consequences of infection for children can be profound, even deadly in rare cases. Remember, children don't actually die very often, the life lost is overwhelming when they do.
However, much as we're now attuned to watching the daily numbers, it's critical to remember

that deaths certainly shouldn't be the only metric, plus I'm reliably informed that the NHS is already overwhelmed...I've never really considered this to be a humane judgement on when/if things get out of control though. Just because you can process people becoming unwell, it

doesn't mean we should tolerate this happening at, or near human suffering.
4. COVID also leads to the constellation of symptoms grouped under long COVID. There's been some pretty stark minimisation of LC of late, with it all being imagined etc., but the reality is this affects

individuals and their families across all ages. Sadly, the same gaslighting that once, and still does afflict ME/CFS patients is at play here...I believe there's a common theme where studies find women are more prone to these disorders, @lucy_prodgers, on account of their psyche.

I mean, honestly...in terms of children, a range of studies have led to an estimated 2-14% of kids having symptoms for more than 3 months...again, with current prevalence, this means 10s of 1000s of UK kids are affected @LongCovidKids
5. In addition to LC, we are discovering

more and more about the sorts of damage that infection with this virus results in...and anti-vax types worry about the long term effects of vaccines?! SARS2 is a respiratory virus, but the pathology centres upon the vasculature, brain, liver, kidneys, gonads, and even the heart.

6. This point is particularly relevant as another reason we're told vax for kids is bad is the rare incidence of myocarditis, particularly in young men. Now, this is obviously a concern and JCVI held this as a major reason for their delayed decision making over adolescent vax.

Fair enough many folks would say, but this again feels like it's being overplayed. Now, please don't think I'm discounting this as a risk, indeed, I believe one Israeli teen died from this fairly recently. Nevertheless, all vaccines have unfortunate effects upon very small nos

of people because we're genetically diverse as a race - the way we respond to vax, or indeed infection, is dictated by genetics in the main. A vaccine evokes a response from our bodies that can therefore vary, but the vast majority of the time it's safe and effective. Also, yes

the trials in younger kids are understandably smaller than older groups, so the incidence of myocarditis wasn't determined, but the reduced dose (1/3) should certainly help minimise this. Lastly, one thing likely to cause myocarditis of a much more serious and longer lasting form

is, of course COVID, and this is also far more common according to some recent studies. It's pretty clear that real world myocarditis incidence in the US is also much lower than predicted, and there's been virtually none in the UK so far.
7. In addition to overstated concerns on

the above, we are also being exposed to a mantra of the vaccines not preventing the spread of infection. This is, as you might expect, total 💩. No, they're not perfect, but they reduce your risk of being infected, and if you're unlucky enough for this to happen, also reduce the

onward transmission to others. Remember, the outcome of an encounter between host and virus depends upon immunity, environment and EXPOSURE, the latter being a UK speciality at present 🤦‍♂️. As such, comparing the cases in >16 vs <15 shows you that the vaccines are having a huge

effect as they being deployed amidst ridiculous community cases and the protected group are doing well. It remains to be seen what happens in the 12-15s on their single jab...it might be relevant to stuff further down. I'm going to move on for this as @dgurdasani1 did a tour de

force on this already today...
8. We've heard some horrendous comments on how it's better for kids to get infected and become immune via their wonderful experience. I don't know of any other disease in which this happens except chickenpox, against which we have another excellent

vaccine btw, but choose not to deploy for UK kids...🤬. Indeed, it was noted that outbreaks of SARS2 in children where immunity waned a little in the future would be good to "top up" adult immunity...I find this ironic as many outspoken politicians and activists speak against the

vaccination of kids to "merely protect adults", and yet a dangerous virus infection is acceptable?
We also know that natural infection can result in highly variable immune responses in kids, and this has repercussions for both individual safety as well as any hope of reaching a

protective level of immunity and/or a manageable VERY low level of endemicity in the years to come (NOT yet, ignore folks that say it's so). Getting infected to become immune vs something that's infecting you sounds just so incredibly crackers...it actually sums up UK pandemic

policy rather well!

9. Fact is, the only way to achieve point 8 is a combined scheme employing sensible measures (masks, ventilation and vaccination) so we're not watering the plants amidst a forest fire. This is also the way to reduce long COVID, as well as allowing CEV to live

their actual lives for a change. Too much? Tough. "Cowering" is not the right term, as anyone can tell you if they are cerebrate. This is feasible, as we've seen, and needn't involve lockdown (🤞)...
If we'd not squandered May (month, rather than dancing PM) as an opportunity

to take control again, vaxing kids as they did across Europe, its a fair bet that the constantly high prevalence we've seen since July might have been avoided. However, despite outcry from most intelligent human beings, we did not, and currently maintain a susceptible host happy

hour for SARS2...and other viruses...in our schools.
10. Lastly, the combination of high prevalence and a partially vaccinated population is the stuff of nightmares from a virus evolution perspective. If infection thrives in schools, let's protect the kids, but also deprive this

virus of opportunities to explore new ways to change and adapt better to our immunity. The virus is changing, still, which is something folks using vax as a GBD light solution really don't seem to account for. If we're not ahead, we'll see more waves of infection over time...so

yes, this is for the future of all...protective population immunity is possible, but not if you allow prevalence and exposure that will break our vax wall and drive selection.
So, in summary, yes, young kids need the vaccines for their sake as well as everyone else. I seem to

remember a spirit of being in this together from 2020...it really is the best way. Let's not leave kids behind.
Anti-vaxxers, stop and consider the harm you're doing, and HART and the CRG etc, don't think wearing a suit makes you any better than the morons at the school gate🤬

Lastly, a word from a celebrity...

Apologies, I misremembered, this was not a death in under 18s. Sincerely sorry for any distress. 🙏