THE volunteer organisation UsforThem https://usforthem.co.uk/ campaign for children’s needs to be prioritised in response to decisions on coronavirus, and beyond. This is their urgent call to action.
PLEASE email your MP TODAY, ahead of Tuesday’s Parliamentary Debate on Childhood Vaccinations
The subject of Covid vaccinations for children is due to be debated on Tuesday (September 21), at 9:30am, in Westminster Hall.
UsforThem are deeply concerned that the Chief Medical Officers have greenlit vaccinations for 12- to 15-year-olds against the Joint Committee for Vaccines & Immunisation’s (JCVI) recommendations, by declaring that vaccinating this age group could prevent disruption to schooling and protect their mental health.
The UsforThem team have been working round the clock on this vital issue and are pulling together all the evidence available to provide MPs with the facts and information they need to respond to the CMOs’ decision, and to put children’s health above all other considerations.
Our key concerns
According to the Government’s own modelling, vaccinating 60 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds could prevent the loss of only 15 minutes schooling per child, over the six months modelled – a model that has been criticised by experts who suggest that there could in fact be more disruption to school, not less, once prior infection and time spent on the vaccination programme itself is factored in.
The JCVI said there is ‘considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the potential harms’. UsforThem believe their findings and recommendations should not be ignored.
The Yellow Card reporting system is showing a concerning list of adverse reactions, including 1,632 reported deaths having taken place shortly after the vaccination, 767 reports of heart inflammation, and 35,000 reports of menstrual disorder.
We have serious concerns about the medical ethics and legality of this vaccination programme and about the ability of vaccine recipients to provide truly informed and voluntary consent, free from peer pressure and coercion.
We have seen evidence of some parents receiving letters from their children’s schools outlining that Covid-19 vaccinations will be given simultaneously with HPV vaccines in schools. Given the novelty of the Covid-19 vaccine and limited long term data there is an urgent need to clarify how the safety of the combined vaccination will be monitored.
Given all this uncertainty and the JCVI recommendations, UsforThem do not believe the mass vaccination of healthy 12- to 15-year-olds, which is due to commence tomorrow (Monday September 20), will meet the basic requirements of medical ethics.
How you can help
It’s not too late to have your views considered. Please write, urgently, to your MP using the letter below, and copy in:
nadhim.zahawi.mp@parliament.uk
sajid.javid.mp@parliament.uk
leader@labour.org.uk
leader@libdems.org.uk
info.request@childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
Dear [name of MP],
I am appalled at the news that, despite the JCVI’s advice that ‘that there are insufficient grounds to offer mass vaccination’ for otherwise healthy 12- to 15-year-old children, the government are choosing to roll out the vaccination programme to this age cohort. It is an unprecedented step for the JCVI’s advice not to be followed and leaves many parents deeply uneasy that this was a purely political decision – which would be deeply unethical.
There is also doubt that the stated marginal benefits have been accurately presented. According to the Government’s own modelling, vaccinating 60 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds would prevent the loss of about 110,000 days of school in the six months between October and March 2022. This works out to 41 days per thousand pupils or just 15 minutes per child over the full six months modelled. This modelling has already been criticised by a number of commentators and experts. For example David Paton, Professor of Industrial Economics, Nottingham University Business School, suggests that the actual disruption saved could be negative – i.e. more disruption – once you factor in prior infection and the time spent on the vaccination programme itself.
Importantly, the JCVI also noted ‘considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the potential harms’. In particular, the uncertainty over potential long term heart changes has been raised by Professor Adam Finn of the JCVI in a number of TV interviews.
Further, as pointed out by Christopher Chope MP in a Parliamentary Debate on 10th September 2021, the Yellow Card reporting system is showing a deeply worrying list of adverse reactions:
‘Essentially, what the yellow card scheme shows, from the most recent report, which came out on 9 September, is that there have been 435 reports of major blood clots and low platelet counts, including 74 deaths. It shows that there have been 767 cases of inflammation of the heart, a condition that is almost unheard of in medicine on a normal day-to-day basis. It shows that there have been some 35,000 reports of menstrual disorder, and there are all sorts of other effects set out in the comprehensive report. Very worryingly, it says that there are 1,632 reports of deaths having taken place shortly after vaccination.’
It is also difficult to see how under the current proposals this programme can fulfil the requirements for truly informed and voluntary consent, free from peer pressure, while taking place on school premises.
While I appreciate there are strongly held views on all sides, our children have already carried a greater burden than they ever should have been asked to bear over the last 18 months and we owe it to them to get this right by ensuring parliamentary scrutiny.
Over the last week questions have been raised in the press and Parliament and on Tuesday September 21, 9.30am, Westminster Hall, there is an urgent debate to discuss the issues surrounding the extension of the vaccination programme to children.
Please, will you attend this debate and raise the uncomfortable but necessary questions?
Best wishes,
[Name and address]
