Vaccines 4 Children (Not).
As an educator for over 30 years, I feel the need to speak out. I’ve waited too long as it is, just writing up my own reasons why I won’t…
As an educator for over 30 years, I feel the need to speak out. I’ve waited too long as it is, just writing up my own reasons why I won’t be getting vaccinated for Covid 19. (but I still think certain people should).
However, when it comes to our children, our future — I don’t think children fall into the category of those who should receive a vaccination. Let me outline why I think so and why I’m shocked that this is even being considered.
First, let me outline why the issue is important.
Teachers, education in general have always had a role in the socialization and care of children. We are guardians, entrusted with keeping children safe and health. Entrusted with their both physical and emotional well-being. This is an unwritten oath teachers all take upon entering the profession, entering the classroom. Of course, parents are ultimately those who give final consent (not the govt).
So it is with a very careful and a very conservative mindset that we should approve medical interventions in our children. Especially when the health of children IS NOT under threat. Especially when the said medical intervention IS NOT fully approved, vetted, time tested. We just don’t know the long-term ramifications.
Science, medicine gets so much right. But also, historically, they’ve got so much wrong. It’s not just me saying this. Read the historical record of modern medicine. I’d recommend especially the eminent Stephen Jay Gould and his “Mismeasure of Man”, especially the last chapter and the failure of data and statistical measure as applied to populations.
“I believe that some of our failures in medicine today are due to attaching too little weight to “those natural laws of healthy existence.” (prevention — my italics) — Milroy Lectures, Dr. John Pemberton, Queen’s University, Belfast
I’ve touched upon some reasons why I’m against the vaccination of school children. Let me now list them succinctly for clear future reference.
The vaccine in question has clearly not been tested under established protocols and is only approved for emergency use. There is NO emergency for our children, vis a vis Covid 19. All prior vaccines (not to mention this one is not a traditional vaccine but one modifying existing structures mRNA) took at least 10 years to be approved and to go through long-term testing in multiple large-scale groups. See this petition and open letter from UK physicians demanding no vaccination of UK school children.
Children have an almost infinitesimal chance of death or harm by Covid 19. Medicine has always intervened to protect those at risk. Look at all the traditional vaccines — why did we/children receive them, take them? Because we/children were at risk. Children are not at any risk. Compare the few thousand deaths by coronavirus worldwide to the over 239,000 child deaths a year at the hands of tuberculosis. Are our priorities in the right place?
There has been no screening. What is usually done with vaccines is to screen and see if a person is at risk — before administration of any internal medical intervention. You wouldn’t open up the knee and put in a platinum plate if the person was running fine with their own knee. Even if you could argue, they’ll be stronger, faster etc … You just won’t. The vaccine may harm those with already established natural immunity and promote the creation of more strains (and even variants).
Children do not pose a risk as asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus. It’s is an established and agreed upon fact that those asymptomatic with coronavirus (1 in 5 possibly) do not strongly transmit the illness and there is as yet no firm conclusion that asymptomatic people are a threat. So this is NO reason to vaccinate children. The problem with asymptomatic data is separating out those pre-symptomatic.
It is not yet established that the health emergency will continue. Deaths continue to drop to well under any average norms, across nations. Only cases are rising but that is expected, it is what a virus does. It works its way through populations despite our attempts to eradicate it, to be “clean”. That’s life, that is how viruses work. Until we see a definite risk to children and an upswing that is not media-driven, fear-mongering — we must not proceed with vaccinating children. Further, we are seeing so many cases of vaccinated populations with increasing infections. Israel, Gibraltar — both with near 100% vaccination rates are now locked down and seeing hospitalizations from covid 19 illness.
To end: Adults should take responsibility for the future health of our children. How, by protecting those at risk from the virus. Vaccination of those at risk of death, serious hospitalization — the .09 % of the population very old and those with certain co-morbidities that are contributors to hospitalization.
Adults need to take responsible steps to protect children. Not selfish, hot-headed steps but cool, calm, responsible steps to be absolutely sure we have the safety and health of our children in mind.