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Scientists have published a letter in the Lancet, saying that they have 5 main concerns over the governments plans for unmitigated infection.
I have taken this from John Campbell’s site.
First - disproportionately affecting children and young people
There are 17 million people with no covid protection.
Exponential growth will continue until millions more people are infected
This will leave hundreds of thousands of people with long term illness and disability
Risks leaving a generation with ill health.
Second - transmission in schools will lead to educational disruption.
There should be strict mitigation in schools and eventual vaccination of children.
Important for clinically vulnerable children and socially vulnerable children.
Third - emergent of vaccine resistant mutations, with their potential spread.
Fourth - there will significant impact on exhausted clinicians.
There is no break yet between infection and hospital admission.
Rising case numbers will inevitably mean more hospital admissions.
Millions of people are waiting for procedures and many will die waiting.
Fifth
Deprived communities are very exposed.
The deprived and marginalised will be disproportionately affected.
Given that vaccine offers the same protection and herd immunity, the governments strategy is unethical and illogical.
The U.K. government must reconsider its current strategy and take urgent steps to protect people and children.
We believe that the U.K. government is embarking on a dangerous and unethical experiment, and we call on it to pause its planned endings of all mitigation on 19 July.
growstuff
Whitewavemark2
Australian clinicians are becoming alarmed at the level of serious illness in their young and the amount in the icu.
Go and find yourself a brick wall. The Jacks and Jills are OK.
? so much of it about. I feel sad.
You don’t appear to care much about teenagers.
What a nasty comment. But nothing less than I expected!
growstuff
Even 17 year olds due to go to university in the autumn aren't being vaccinated.
growstuff those going to Uni will be 18 by August, there have been reports today reducing the time between first and second vaccines to 4 weeks, so they can be fully vaccinated by the time they go to Uni.
Whitewavemark2
Australian clinicians are becoming alarmed at the level of serious illness in their young and the amount in the icu.
Go and find yourself a brick wall. The Jacks and Jills are OK. 
Whitewavemark2
Australian clinicians are becoming alarmed at the level of serious illness in their young and the amount in the icu.
New Zealand has an uprising of cases of children with non-Covid illnesses in hospital and PICU’s. They are putting it down to lowered immune response due to less mixing and catching everyday viruses.
One of our GN members has had a GC in PICU in New Zealand.
Even 17 year olds due to go to university in the autumn aren't being vaccinated.
Australian clinicians are becoming alarmed at the level of serious illness in their young and the amount in the icu.
If vaccination isn't possible (and it is), there need to be mitigations. Every single classroom needs fitting with windows that open properly and CO2 detectors as a minimum.
maddyone
Whitewave, we’re not talking about side effects, we’re talking about possible, unknown repercussions from the vaccine if children are vaccinated. If, as a possible example, it was found that one of the vaccines caused cancer after five or ten years, then most of us have more to fear from dying of Covid than possibly getting cancer in ten years. But a child of ten, highly unlikely to die from Covid, developing cancer in ten years, could lose almost his entire life.
You don't appear to care much about teenagers. Strange really. Both ZOE and the REACT study have estimates for the number of children with long Covid, ranging from 4-8%. Other studies have estimated the figure to be higher. Nobody knows how long the symptoms will last. The chances of long Covid are higher than any known side effects from vaccines.
PippaZ
Why all the desperation to "return to normal" and who defines what is normal?
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. [Charles Darwin]
We seem to be shunning adaptability. So what if we have to have pubs with fewer customers? They will have to charge more and we may have to go out less frequently or more will open. So what if we have to pay front-line workers more to do those jobs? They are the very people who will need to spend what they earn and keep the economy churning.
Why defy what so many scientists are saying? Is it just because the rich worry about not holding power? For this, they will sacrifice so many to either death or long-term illnesses? So what if they are no longer in government? We might have younger/brighter people who can move us successfully into the future. But of course, Boris's only aim is power. He has nothing to offer but his past ability to garner votes and ignore our democratic rights.
Change and a proper understanding of a pandemic would no doubt help the many. I listened to a Minister speaking; he seemed shocked. It was as if he has only just been briefed on what is happening. Have all but the favoured few been kept in the dark?
Why not look to the future with the possibility that when the world recovers from this we could have better lives, not those the dinosaurs of this government would inflict on us.
Good post
growstuff
You see them outdoors, where it is safer anyway. Classrooms are stuffy, poorly ventilated and a haven for Covid droplets.
The US, Canada and Germany has already started vaccinating over 12s. Why can't the UK?
How about because the Covid vaccines are still only under emergency licenses official trials finish in 2023.
I and all our AC/family have happily taken up the vaccine, but all of us are extremely hesitant for the youngsters to have it until more is known about long term effects of both Covid and the vaccine.
It’s a fine balancing act I know.
Over 5% of the pupils in my local secondary school are currently infected - not just sent home to self-isolate, but actually ill. Some of them are seriously ill.
Presumably if under 18s don’t have antibodies now, they soon will at the current infection rate. We will know then whether this UK only social experiment has worked, or whether there are thousands of children and teenagers with long covid. I don’t find that a comfortable prospect, but I do appreciate that many people are happy to put their faith in the government getting it right. I’ll be very happy to be proved wrong, because what matters is the children and teenagers, that we are doing right by them, and weighing up the consequences from all perspectives.
Whitewave, we’re not talking about side effects, we’re talking about possible, unknown repercussions from the vaccine if children are vaccinated. If, as a possible example, it was found that one of the vaccines caused cancer after five or ten years, then most of us have more to fear from dying of Covid than possibly getting cancer in ten years. But a child of ten, highly unlikely to die from Covid, developing cancer in ten years, could lose almost his entire life.
Whitewavemark2 I was just quoting the Independent whilst watching tennis, cooking Sunday lunch and trying to avoid a rabid 18 month old GC from opening cupboards, fridge, freezer and range doors.
You see them outdoors, where it is safer anyway. Classrooms are stuffy, poorly ventilated and a haven for Covid droplets.
The US, Canada and Germany has already started vaccinating over 12s. Why can't the UK?
growstuff
There is no suggestion at the moment of vaccinating children under 12, but teenagers do suffer from long Covid and can be seriously ill. They are being forced into overcrowded and poorly ventilated environments and there is not even a requirement to wear masks.
I live opposite a senior school, observing their behaviour out of school wearing masks in school would make little or no difference whatsoever.
No, it's not unrealistic.
GrannyGravy13
growstuff
What about under 18s?
The vaccine isn’t licensed for children in the UK apart from specially circumstances i.e. CEV children.
Are you suggesting that the UK remains closed until all children are vaccinated? This is an unrealistic how long is a piece of string scenario.
Yes, the Pfizer vaccine is licenced for children over 12.
GrannyGravy13
Whitewavemark2
I think that the debate as to whether small children will be vaccinated is still unresolved. However, I take you back to the original OP.
The government is risking to much by going for herd immunity and not being patient and wait until 80% of the population are fully vaccinated.According to the Independent four days ago it’s estimated that 90% of UK adults have either Covid antibodies or have been vaccinated.
You are including the single dose in those figures.
That is what I am arguing.
Just be patient and wait a bit longer.
There is no suggestion at the moment of vaccinating children under 12, but teenagers do suffer from long Covid and can be seriously ill. They are being forced into overcrowded and poorly ventilated environments and there is not even a requirement to wear masks.
growstuff
What about under 18s?
The vaccine isn’t licensed for children in the UK apart from specially circumstances i.e. CEV children.
Are you suggesting that the UK remains closed until all children are vaccinated? This is an unrealistic how long is a piece of string scenario.
Why all the desperation to "return to normal" and who defines what is normal?
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. [Charles Darwin]
We seem to be shunning adaptability. So what if we have to have pubs with fewer customers? They will have to charge more and we may have to go out less frequently or more will open. So what if we have to pay front-line workers more to do those jobs? They are the very people who will need to spend what they earn and keep the economy churning.
Why defy what so many scientists are saying? Is it just because the rich worry about not holding power? For this, they will sacrifice so many to either death or long-term illnesses? So what if they are no longer in government? We might have younger/brighter people who can move us successfully into the future. But of course, Boris's only aim is power. He has nothing to offer but his past ability to garner votes and ignore our democratic rights.
Change and a proper understanding of a pandemic would no doubt help the many. I listened to a Minister speaking; he seemed shocked. It was as if he has only just been briefed on what is happening. Have all but the favoured few been kept in the dark?
Why not look to the future with the possibility that when the world recovers from this we could have better lives, not those the dinosaurs of this government would inflict on us.
What about under 18s?
Whitewavemark2
I think that the debate as to whether small children will be vaccinated is still unresolved. However, I take you back to the original OP.
The government is risking to much by going for herd immunity and not being patient and wait until 80% of the population are fully vaccinated.
According to the Independent four days ago it’s estimated that 90% of UK adults have either Covid antibodies or have been vaccinated.
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