Are kids under 5 ever getting vaccinated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

Agree that the CDC needs better guidance, but the current mask guidance does address "children ages 2 and older" by stating that they "can" wear masks to protect themselves and others. The guidance clearly says when community levels are low, masking is based on personal preference and is not specifically recommended for anybody. Unfortunately, it does not look like the CDC will ever come out against masking of young children like the WHO has. The quarantine piece is just ridiculous, they need to get on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

Agree that the CDC needs better guidance, but the current mask guidance does address "children ages 2 and older" by stating that they "can" wear masks to protect themselves and others. The guidance clearly says when community levels are low, masking is based on personal preference and is not specifically recommended for anybody. Unfortunately, it does not look like the CDC will ever come out against masking of young children like the WHO has. The quarantine piece is just ridiculous, they need to get on that.

I just think the way that is written leaves a lot of room for different interpretations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

Agree that the CDC needs better guidance, but the current mask guidance does address "children ages 2 and older" by stating that they "can" wear masks to protect themselves and others. The guidance clearly says when community levels are low, masking is based on personal preference and is not specifically recommended for anybody. Unfortunately, it does not look like the CDC will ever come out against masking of young children like the WHO has. The quarantine piece is just ridiculous, they need to get on that.

I just think the way that is written leaves a lot of room for different interpretations.

FWIW, talking to someone who works for MoCo, this is why DHHS issued a strong recommendation that kids still wear masks in daycare. They saw a gap and filled it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

Agree that the CDC needs better guidance, but the current mask guidance does address "children ages 2 and older" by stating that they "can" wear masks to protect themselves and others. The guidance clearly says when community levels are low, masking is based on personal preference and is not specifically recommended for anybody. Unfortunately, it does not look like the CDC will ever come out against masking of young children like the WHO has. The quarantine piece is just ridiculous, they need to get on that.

I just think the way that is written leaves a lot of room for different interpretations.

FWIW, talking to someone who works for MoCo, this is why DHHS issued a strong recommendation that kids still wear masks in daycare. They saw a gap and filled it.

I don't think the problem there is the guidance. The guidance is clear. DHHS knows that quite well. That's why their recommendation is not public and why they constantly emphasize it's "just guidance". This is not about public health. There is something else going on here - someone is on a power trip, someone is traumatized from being harassed by COVID deniers, someone isn't willing to accept that wearing masks is stressful and exhausting and muffles sound, someone wants to appease a small group of preschool directors... I don't know. But it's someone who wants to recommend masking only for the lowest risk group, which happens to be the only group they can recommend masking for.

[Anonymous]

I just want to gently point out that all kids under 5 will of course become eligible to be vaccinated when they turn 5.

One reason I have never stressed that much about this vaccine is because all kids wait for vaccines. That's why there's a vaccine schedule. There's a reason we don't give newborns a flu shot. And even the rules around flu shots for young kids are relatively recent -- they only started recommending flu shots for kids 6-23 months old in 2004ish. And this is always true for new vaccines. There's a reason we wait to vaccinate for HPV until a child is 11 or 12. There are very few examples I can think of where a vaccine was developed and then almost immediately available for little kids. It's always a process.

Covid vaccines are new and it will take a while to refine them for different age groups and also to adapt them to a virus that mutates fairly quickly. I don't quite get why people are freaking out about this, particularly when kids under 5 appear to be at higher risk from RSV and flu than from Covid.

If the issue is that people want their kids to be able to unmask and stop quarantining, I think we need to advocate for changes to those rules independent of vaccine access for this group. There is no real evidence that masking is useful for kids under 5 anyway, and our testing tools are good enough at this point to eliminate these draconian quarantines for little ones.

Running around lamenting that this brand new vaccine for this brand new virus is not yet approved and available for toddler is weird to me because what on earth would make you think that's a reasonable expectation? That's not how it has ever worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to gently point out that all kids under 5 will of course become eligible to be vaccinated when they turn 5.

One reason I have never stressed that much about this vaccine is because all kids wait for vaccines. That's why there's a vaccine schedule. There's a reason we don't give newborns a flu shot. And even the rules around flu shots for young kids are relatively recent -- they only started recommending flu shots for kids 6-23 months old in 2004ish. And this is always true for new vaccines. There's a reason we wait to vaccinate for HPV until a child is 11 or 12. There are very few examples I can think of where a vaccine was developed and then almost immediately available for little kids. It's always a process.

Covid vaccines are new and it will take a while to refine them for different age groups and also to adapt them to a virus that mutates fairly quickly. I don't quite get why people are freaking out about this, particularly when kids under 5 appear to be at higher risk from RSV and flu than from Covid.

If the issue is that people want their kids to be able to unmask and stop quarantining, I think we need to advocate for changes to those rules independent of vaccine access for this group. There is no real evidence that masking is useful for kids under 5 anyway, and our testing tools are good enough at this point to eliminate these draconian quarantines for little ones.

Running around lamenting that this brand new vaccine for this brand new virus is not yet approved and available for toddler is weird to me because what on earth would make you think that's a reasonable expectation? That's not how it has ever worked.

I think the media and some public health experts are to blame for this- can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard under 5s referred to as vulnerable because they aren’t eligible for the vaccine. I’m definitely of the view that if it doesn’t make sense to vaccinate kids until they’re 5, fine, but stop tying quarantine and masking to vaccination status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

But then when can the young kids stop masking? And quarantining? I am not at all worried about medical effects of infection, but these rules we have created need to end.

The CDC needs to come out with some better guidance on this. Their childcare page hasn’t been updated since January, and the updated mask guidance doesn’t specifically address kids under 5. They need to take the lead.

Agree that the CDC needs better guidance, but the current mask guidance does address "children ages 2 and older" by stating that they "can" wear masks to protect themselves and others. The guidance clearly says when community levels are low, masking is based on personal preference and is not specifically recommended for anybody. Unfortunately, it does not look like the CDC will ever come out against masking of young children like the WHO has. The quarantine piece is just ridiculous, they need to get on that.

I just think the way that is written leaves a lot of room for different interpretations.

FWIW, talking to someone who works for MoCo, this is why DHHS issued a strong recommendation that kids still wear masks in daycare. They saw a gap and filled it.

I don't think the problem there is the guidance. The guidance is clear. DHHS knows that quite well. That's why their recommendation is not public and why they constantly emphasize it's "just guidance". This is not about public health. There is something else going on here - someone is on a power trip, someone is traumatized from being harassed by COVID deniers, someone isn't willing to accept that wearing masks is stressful and exhausting and muffles sound, someone wants to appease a small group of preschool directors... I don't know. But it's someone who wants to recommend masking only for the lowest risk group, which happens to be the only group they can recommend masking for.

PP here- I agree someone is on a power trip and think they are using the lack of specificity from CDC as an excuse. There’s no reason CDC can’t update this page, for instance:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/child-care-guidance.html

And I actually don’t find the general masking page clear at all for young kids- it still refers to 2+ kids masking to protect themselves and others without specifying that the community levels guidance applies to them too:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html?s_cid=10493:covid%2019%20vaccines:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:genTN:FY21

But then, MoCo is an echo chamber bubble and you’d be surprised how many educated parents support masking toddlers/preschoolers all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would feel so much better if my little kids could be vaccinated.

JFC why??

Maybe so they don't die and their risk of serious illness is decreased.

Long Covid is also a serious issue and this could be less of a risk if vaccinated.

JFC - don't you understand how vaccines work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

OP here.
I have two cousins who were in great health in their 40's who have long Covid. One isn't so bad and there is still some recovery happening. The other is completely disabled and only because of Covid.
I have a nephew who is a teenager who is now seeing pulmonologists and on serious medication after Covid. No asthma before he had Covid but has trouble breathing 6 months post Covid.

So my family who has caught Covid hasn't done particularly well. Odds are that my 4 year old will be OK but odds are also decent he could have some lingering effects and I really don't want that for him. I have an older child who has health issues (not Covid related) and I live with a lot of guilt that I can't help him. I'll do whatever I can to prevent my youngest from having long term problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would feel so much better if my little kids could be vaccinated.

JFC why??

Maybe so they don't die and their risk of serious illness is decreased.

Long Covid is also a serious issue and this could be less of a risk if vaccinated.

JFC - don't you understand how vaccines work?

Oh lord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would feel so much better if my little kids could be vaccinated.

JFC why??

Maybe so they don't die and their risk of serious illness is decreased.

Long Covid is also a serious issue and this could be less of a risk if vaccinated.

JFC - don't you understand how vaccines work?

Oh lord.

Seriously. Young children are so unlikely to die from COVID and there is not evidence two years in of widespread long COVID in children that lasts more than 12 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want a vaccine desperately so my kid can stop masking at daycare (yes that’s the parameter the nutty parents have forced).

But no I won’t actually vaccinate my under 5 year old. This disease is a cold, old and immunocompromised people (and here and there, a few healthy people) die from colds and that’s that. I’m triple vaxxed, but not risking side effects for something unneeded that likely doesn’t work for my toddler. It’s time to move on, no masks, no restrictions, and if hospitals surge refuse entry to any unvaccinated adults.

Yup same. Tired of the masks in toddler, tired of the quarantine policy that doesn’t give credit for them wearing masks, tire of seemingly being the only parent who has an issue with both these things! Everyone else at our daycare is seemingly cool with all this until the kids can be “protected” by a potentially ineffective vaccine.

Why in the world haven't you switched to a different daycare? Or hired a nanny? Or hell, quit your job or have your spouse quit their job (and don't give me the "we can't afford it." I would live in a studio apartment and eat nothing but pb&j for months to avoid putting my kid in the hell you describe!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what’s happening is that the risk of severe illness for young kids was already so low that it’s hard for the vaccines to be deemed worth their very small risk of adverse side effects in trials.

The good news is the risk is really low. Also it’s clear now after Omicron that vaccines aren’t going to keep us from transmitting it anyway. So what we need is very low risk of severe illness which we get from vaccines and little kids get from their age. So we’re there either way. And ftr yes I will be first in line with my kid if/when it’s approved. But I think we’re fine either way baring new and different variants.

This. I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

OP here.
I have two cousins who were in great health in their 40's who have long Covid. One isn't so bad and there is still some recovery happening. The other is completely disabled and only because of Covid.
I have a nephew who is a teenager who is now seeing pulmonologists and on serious medication after Covid. No asthma before he had Covid but has trouble breathing 6 months post Covid.

So my family who has caught Covid hasn't done particularly well. Odds are that my 4 year old will be OK but odds are also decent he could have some lingering effects and I really don't want that for him. I have an older child who has health issues (not Covid related) and I live with a lot of guilt that I can't help him. I'll do whatever I can to prevent my youngest from having long term problems.

I would just minimize exposure until July- a 5yo will still be better off with the dosage for 5-11yos than what they are trying for <5. Right now cases are low but step up with better masks if you haven’t already and maybe avoid time with extended family since it seems they are not careful about getting Covid! That’s a lot of bad Covid outcomes in one family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want a vaccine desperately so my kid can stop masking at daycare (yes that’s the parameter the nutty parents have forced).

But no I won’t actually vaccinate my under 5 year old. This disease is a cold, old and immunocompromised people (and here and there, a few healthy people) die from colds and that’s that. I’m triple vaxxed, but not risking side effects for something unneeded that likely doesn’t work for my toddler. It’s time to move on, no masks, no restrictions, and if hospitals surge refuse entry to any unvaccinated adults.

Yup same. Tired of the masks in toddler, tired of the quarantine policy that doesn’t give credit for them wearing masks, tire of seemingly being the only parent who has an issue with both these things! Everyone else at our daycare is seemingly cool with all this until the kids can be “protected” by a potentially ineffective vaccine.

Why in the world haven't you switched to a different daycare? Or hired a nanny? Or hell, quit your job or have your spouse quit their job (and don't give me the "we can't afford it." I would live in a studio apartment and eat nothing but pb&j for months to avoid putting my kid in the hell you describe!)

Dramatic much? Kids throughout history have been through far worse than wearing masks. You sound entitled. Most kids don’t even mind them.