This is a good article, and I’m equally concerned that people will vaccinate and make policy based on perceived versus real risk of COVID in children. The case for vaccinating children between 5 and 11 isn’t solid because the relative risk of covid to children is much lower than adults. Since March 2020, approx 5.82 in a million children age 5-11 have died from covid vs 74.64 per million in young adults (18 to 29), and the risk rises precipitously in each age group, based on CDC data in mid Oct 2021. It’s very clear that the 1,500 child Pfizer trial was not sufficient in determining whether there are greater risks from vaccination or covid, considering that we do know myocarditis was a rare but real risk in 12 to 17 year olds with rates as high as 57 per million. The marginal risks of vaccination is a more important question to answer for children because the disease itself is significantly less deadly.
I expect greater vaccine hesitancy among parents who may—and justifiably so—want to wait and see more data before vaccinating their children. I also expect vaccine advocates to shun vaccine hesitant parents. Unfortunately, the anti-vax and pro-vax culture war dynamics will intensify due to this decision.
Great article as usual, and I'm glad that you're opening a discussion on an area that would otherwise be silenced in mainstream debate. My biggest question on this is the 'unknown vaccine longterm effects'. I know that argument was deployed against the adult vaccine rollout and countered by the 'historically vaccine side effects manifest within 6 weeks, since we haven't seen anything drastic in that period they're safe aside from very rare side effects that are still more likely to occur from getting plain old covid'. The miscarriage concern also has from what I've seen been disproven. I'm no medical expert, I'm making very general statements based on my surface level understanding of what 'the experts' have said, but I guess my lingering question is, are the arguments against vaccinating kids the same as those that were deployed against adults? I'm a person who was onboard with the initial vaccine but had reservations about kids getting it, but if most of the arguments against it are the exact same as those for the vaccine I got then I personally am comfortable with it (mandates of course are an entirely separate issue, as is natural immunity).
Yes. My kids are healthy. I'm a physician & I'm not giving my kids the COVID vaccine. They have ALL their other vaccines. All the routine childhood vaccines. I don't support anti-vaxxers regarding routine childhood vaccines. But this vaccine is different. This vaccine is not meant for children. It really should not be given to them, at this stage, at this time.
The risk of COVID to kids is very very low. The risk of side effects of the vaccine is much higher.
Brilliantly written! Dr. Larry Kwak, Dr. Steven Rosen and Dr. Charles Bennett have impeccable credentials. NO ONE can dispute! The truth hurts but the protection of children is #1!!
If they were so concerned and acknowledged that there was very little benefit and much more risk why even approve it knowing how political it already is. What a world
So is this really about Big Pharma filling their boots, as people like Jimmy Dore insist? It's getting harder and harder to say no. I always say, never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity, but simple stupidity no longer explains what's going on now.
I'm vaccinated because I'm old and why not (and I got as sick as I've ever been after the second shot, so I probably won't get the booster; and I'm going to get COVID someday anyway, just like the rest of us, so what's with all these shots?). Giving a new GMO vaccine to kids who wouldn't get very sick with COVID anyway is a little crazy. Giving it to pregnant women, who are supposed to avoid alcohol, tobacco, people who smoke and a hundred other things, is fucking nuts.
Giving it to high risk people seems a little more sensible, but reasonableness was defenestrated by the national cultural half a decade ago.
One quibble: “inoculate” suggests a small portion of a live virus being introduced to the blood stream, and that is not at all what’s happening. Inoculation has not happened in decades, from what I understand.
I’m not fully understanding why people are so worried about long term side effects; I’m not sure what those would even look like. (I can hear someone saying “that’s the point! We don't know!”) but the mechanism is very well understood: The vaccines are introducing mRNA which the body responds to by making antibodies. Which eventually themselves die off; but there’s (hopefully) memory T cells remaining. I can’t wrap my mind around why this would be scarier than people, say, taking Ivermectin, which is has known toxicity and is an actual drug (which the vaccines are not).
This is a good article, and I’m equally concerned that people will vaccinate and make policy based on perceived versus real risk of COVID in children. The case for vaccinating children between 5 and 11 isn’t solid because the relative risk of covid to children is much lower than adults. Since March 2020, approx 5.82 in a million children age 5-11 have died from covid vs 74.64 per million in young adults (18 to 29), and the risk rises precipitously in each age group, based on CDC data in mid Oct 2021. It’s very clear that the 1,500 child Pfizer trial was not sufficient in determining whether there are greater risks from vaccination or covid, considering that we do know myocarditis was a rare but real risk in 12 to 17 year olds with rates as high as 57 per million. The marginal risks of vaccination is a more important question to answer for children because the disease itself is significantly less deadly.
I expect greater vaccine hesitancy among parents who may—and justifiably so—want to wait and see more data before vaccinating their children. I also expect vaccine advocates to shun vaccine hesitant parents. Unfortunately, the anti-vax and pro-vax culture war dynamics will intensify due to this decision.
Everybody else on here has already said it all, but this is a particularly brave article, so thank you.
Great article as usual, and I'm glad that you're opening a discussion on an area that would otherwise be silenced in mainstream debate. My biggest question on this is the 'unknown vaccine longterm effects'. I know that argument was deployed against the adult vaccine rollout and countered by the 'historically vaccine side effects manifest within 6 weeks, since we haven't seen anything drastic in that period they're safe aside from very rare side effects that are still more likely to occur from getting plain old covid'. The miscarriage concern also has from what I've seen been disproven. I'm no medical expert, I'm making very general statements based on my surface level understanding of what 'the experts' have said, but I guess my lingering question is, are the arguments against vaccinating kids the same as those that were deployed against adults? I'm a person who was onboard with the initial vaccine but had reservations about kids getting it, but if most of the arguments against it are the exact same as those for the vaccine I got then I personally am comfortable with it (mandates of course are an entirely separate issue, as is natural immunity).
Thank you Leighton for sharing this excellent information, particularly the details of the FDA Discussion regarding this.
Is there any transcript available of the FDA Discussion?
I would like to share information with medical colleagues
Yes. My kids are healthy. I'm a physician & I'm not giving my kids the COVID vaccine. They have ALL their other vaccines. All the routine childhood vaccines. I don't support anti-vaxxers regarding routine childhood vaccines. But this vaccine is different. This vaccine is not meant for children. It really should not be given to them, at this stage, at this time.
The risk of COVID to kids is very very low. The risk of side effects of the vaccine is much higher.
Brilliantly written! Dr. Larry Kwak, Dr. Steven Rosen and Dr. Charles Bennett have impeccable credentials. NO ONE can dispute! The truth hurts but the protection of children is #1!!
If they were so concerned and acknowledged that there was very little benefit and much more risk why even approve it knowing how political it already is. What a world
My god, what a mess.
So is this really about Big Pharma filling their boots, as people like Jimmy Dore insist? It's getting harder and harder to say no. I always say, never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity, but simple stupidity no longer explains what's going on now.
I'm vaccinated because I'm old and why not (and I got as sick as I've ever been after the second shot, so I probably won't get the booster; and I'm going to get COVID someday anyway, just like the rest of us, so what's with all these shots?). Giving a new GMO vaccine to kids who wouldn't get very sick with COVID anyway is a little crazy. Giving it to pregnant women, who are supposed to avoid alcohol, tobacco, people who smoke and a hundred other things, is fucking nuts.
Giving it to high risk people seems a little more sensible, but reasonableness was defenestrated by the national cultural half a decade ago.
Thank you for writing and sharing this.
One quibble: “inoculate” suggests a small portion of a live virus being introduced to the blood stream, and that is not at all what’s happening. Inoculation has not happened in decades, from what I understand.
I’m not fully understanding why people are so worried about long term side effects; I’m not sure what those would even look like. (I can hear someone saying “that’s the point! We don't know!”) but the mechanism is very well understood: The vaccines are introducing mRNA which the body responds to by making antibodies. Which eventually themselves die off; but there’s (hopefully) memory T cells remaining. I can’t wrap my mind around why this would be scarier than people, say, taking Ivermectin, which is has known toxicity and is an actual drug (which the vaccines are not).