A mini-blog/reflective journal, from a self-confessed air-head.Vaccination
As I write people around me have begun talking about getting their booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccination. (People who work in care and those over 70.) Good, go for it - I'll be taking up mine, too, when my turn comes.
Someone asked me what do I feel about school kids having the vaccine. I hadn't really thought about it (and I didn't know it was a hot topic - I don't watch the news, it's too depressing).
I guess I think it should absolutely be offered. Also, that it shouldn't be mandatory, though. But I think parents would be wise to take up the offer, and I would encourage them to go ahead. Kids can spread the virus amongst themselves and then pass it on to e.g. grandparents, afterall.
I confess I'm not fully up on the reasoning of anti-vaxers. I guess I understand the concern that a jab may inflict developmental issues upon a child. But I'm pretty certain I read the evidence against that possiblity is pretty solid when it comes to MRNA for e.g. measles, nowadays [citation required, of course - I'm too lazy to go research it for a random blog post].
My own reasoning is that I'd rather risk some probably unlikely (and temporary) side-effects than a disease which could highly likely kill me, or certainly make me very unwell. Plus, I want to protect those around me.
I didn't feel that way always. Flu is also a dangerous disease but I put off having that vaccine for years because some relatives had quite bad reactions to it. But now I work adjacent to the care sector, I've come to appreciate the notion of 'herd immunity' from inoculation. (And I didn't react badly to the flu vaccine, so it was all good.)
So I do understand having concerns. And I'm not a parent (except to moggies), so I can't say how I would feel about a treatment being proposed for a minor in my care. But I do know the fear of Covid that I felt in spring of 2020, and since. And my longing to be free of it.
I guess it comes down to a piece of advice I find myself giving frequently. Do your due diligence. If you don't know how to do that, learn. Do the research. If you feel you haven't the time, find the time. If it's for something important like your health (or the health of your child), make the time. Make a properly informed decision.
And yes, my moggies are vaccinated (I'd feel terrible if they were ill with something which could've been preventable).
Photo credits (all photos from Unsplash):
Covid bear by Kristine Wook (bear manufacturer unknown); booster by Parang Mehta; school by Ivan Aleksic; virus by CDC; info by Giulia May; thermometer by Edgar Soto; tissues etc by Kelly Sikkema; 'stay home' globe by Bruno Emmanuelle; laptop by Lukas Blazek; kitties by Amy Baugess.
Bonus tree photos:
With steps, and misty, by Dave Hoefler; meadow by Caroline Sada; autumnal by Johannes Plenio
Cookies/data
European Union laws require that EU visitors be given information about cookies used and data collected on this blog. Google/Blogger have added a notice on this blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies, and other data collected by Google. If this notice does not display and you are in the EU, please will you notify me in the comments section. Many thanks.
