Parents doubt their young children’s vaccination: ‘Government information is too scanty’

A child in Tulln, Austria, has just been stung.Image AP

Some parents are already out. Such as the mother, a nurse by profession, who says she will immediately make a vaccination appointment for her 8-year-old son, ‘for his own safety and for that of the older teachers, grandparents and the vulnerable children in his class’.

The opponents of (child) vaccinations are also sure of their case: They will ‘not have their healthy child injected with an experimental vaccine’, it sounds on social media. But for a large group of parents with young children it is not so black and white. Not even for the aforementioned nurse. If her son may have to come back more often for a booster shot, she will drop out. Significant for the sensitivity of the subject is that she does not want her name in the newspaper, ‘given the amount of hate that goes around on social media when you are in favor of vaccinations’.

Whether or not an injection for a child from 5 to 12 years old? For many families with young children, it is now a talking point at the kitchen table. Next week, from January 18, RIVM will send 1.3 million letters in five days to parents with children in this age group, who are now being invited for vaccination. From that day on, they can go to the thirty special children’s streets in GGD vaccination locations.

Room

Unlike the previous round of vaccinations for underage teenagers from 12 years of age, who had a say, the parents make the decision about the shot for 5- to 12-year-olds. In the case of children of 10 or 11 years old in particular, many parents do discuss this with them, expects Martijn Spoelstra, pediatrician and board member of AJN, the association of Dutch youth physicians.

‘Give the child the space to express his or her own opinion, without imposing your own judgement’, says Spoelstra. ‘The child can then say what it thinks and feels. Or doubt or worry. Together you can look at the pros and cons of the vaccination.’

But in this conversation the opinion of the parent also counts. Remarkably many think differently about the vaccination of themselves than about the jab for their little ones. About half of the parents of children between the ages of 5 and 12 still have doubts about childhood vaccination, according to previous behavioral research by the RIVM. More than 80 percent of those parents are vaccinated.

Such as entrepreneur Jan Hogendoorn (45) and his wife, who have also received their booster shot without hesitation. But it is different when they focus their parental eyes on their son (7) and daughter (6). ‘Actually, we tend not to do it,’ says Hogendoorn.

He is much more aware of his children’s vaccinations than his own, explains Hogendoorn. “When my partner and I got vaccinated last year, the story was that the vaccines would get us out of the crisis and keep working. I wouldn’t want to expose my daughter to a booster shot every six months.’

In addition, this father believes that the group of unvaccinated adults should first be persuaded to receive the shot, before the government invites these small children. For a QR code, which gives access to catering and other entertainment, the little ones don’t have to do it anyway, such a ticket is only needed from 13 years old.

Seriously ill

Like many other parents, Hogendoorn still thinks the government’s provision of information about childhood vaccinations is far too sparse. He sees around him how half school classes were infected with the corona virus. “But the children were hardly ill.” Only now have they heard from the government that some children can become seriously ill from corona. However, the government does not yet explain clearly enough how that works.

Spoelstra understands the doubt many parents have. It must be made clear to parents that MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, in which the coronavirus causes an inflammatory response in the organs, red.) and long covid can also affect children.’ According to a Leiden study, one hundred Dutch children between the ages of 5 and 12 ended up in hospital because of MIS-C.

Parents could watch the explanation video on the RIVM site with their oldest children and go through the series of frequently asked questions, Spoelstra suggests. ‘Many things are clearly explained in it.’

In addition, Spoelstra expects that many children in this age group will find the jab quite scary. Many 12- to 18-year-olds also suffered from needlestick anxiety. ‘Parents can tell that the special children’s pricking streets work with skewers who have experience with vaccinating children, such as youth doctors. They take extra time to put children at ease.’

Information packet

Take the trouble to inform yourself properly, the youth doctor advises the parents. “Make that decision. Be informed, don’t let this moment pass you by. Check the RIVM website, consult a youth doctor or call the Doubt Telephone.’

The youth doctor also hopes that the central government will provide information about childhood vaccinations in simple terms, tailored to this age group. But that will not come, says a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. ‘There will be a special information package about childhood vaccinations for parents and children, but the parents make this decision. We would especially like to emphasize that important health benefits can also be achieved for children from vaccination.’

Entrepreneur Hogendoorn himself has hardly experienced any side effects from the vaccine. ‘But you look at it very differently for your children, he notices. ‘Perhaps if the numbers of infection in the schools become very large, and it becomes clear that the children’s vaccine really would be the solution, that everything could open again. Then I would probably decide to have my children vaccinated.’

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