Thread by @SGriffin_Lab

We have a very safe, efficacious paediatric SARS2 mRNA vax, used 6m+.
Reduced dose and age minimises small risk of myocarditis seen in adolescents.
This sobering study by @katebrown220, @chrischirp et al shows 6m+ kids are always at risk from acute COVID.

https://x.com/chrischirp/status/1847649507321786645?t=jUmOUIwiTZ648e0n5ylVXg&s=19

Maternal antibodies should help protect newborns during the first 6m of life, but this is optimal when mums are vaxd during pregnancy. Sadly, this only happens if your term coincides with a booster campaign 🙄, which is just plain daft. Highlighted many times by @VikiLovesFACS

The first exposure to a pathogen is always the highest risk, no matter what age it occurs.
Whilst kids tend to develop severe symptoms less frequently than adults, this is the wrong comparison and does NOT mean they are invulnerable.
Both short term and long term problems arise.

As per my pinned tweet, the whole point of a vaccine is that it elicits a pathogen specific response with much reduced risk compared to an infection. This usually ensures a more robust response when you DO encounter the critter in question.
Vaccines are consistent and adaptable.

Yes, there's "natural" infection, yes it provides protection, BUT, there's always a cost both in terms of harm at the population scale, as well as inconsistent immunity... viruses like to mess with things, in case you haven't realised by now...
There's also survivorship bias 💔.

But, obviously, JCVI has measured all the pros and cons of including COVID amongst our preschool vaccines, why wouldn't they?

It's not as if u12s kids Vax was a) sold like a damp Squibb by Sajid Javid, or b) unprecedentedly offered for a defined period (in the small print 🤬).

So, while I'm certain this is reviewed regularly, let's make a quick list of costs, benefits, pros Vs cons...
1. Procurement, obviously not cheap, but presumably better once established.
2. Cold chain, distribution. Shame half the school nurses were lost since 2010, really...🤔

3. Losing face... let's face it, this will go completely against the "living with" programme, which is a total shambles regardless WRT therapeutics, #CEV, exposure, etc.
4. Reduced incidence of severe acute disease.
5. Stable platform for ongoing population immunity.

6. Combined with mitigations, and annual boosters in school, reduced transmission.
7. Reduced incidence of #LongCovidKids
8. Reduced incidence of T1D.
9. Reduced neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, immunological, and other sequelae we're still only learning about...

10. Improved school attendance.
11. Less time off for parents/carers.
12. Fewer kids out of school education over the longer term.
13. Ideally accompanied by educational programmes that help restore/increase vaccine uptake across the board, improving kids and community health.

14. Acceptance that "normal" doesn't mean ideal, or even acceptable when it comes to public health, and that mixed messaging, minimising clear and measurable risks, and conflating public health with "freedom" helps nobody.

So, please, @wesstreeting, ask them to check again? 🙏