[xyzzy123]

I've not been able to find medical evidence that the vaccine has any benefits at all for under 5s.

It's been theorised to reduce severe illness and death (and it's very plausible it might!) but afaict that's never actually been measured.

[jameshart]

Vaccines are not only supposed to benefit the recipient.

Vaccination is a public health program.

If vaccinating under fives reduces the risk to preschool carers and enables us to maintain higher preschool capacity then that's a public benefit that has nothing. to do with whether it affects the individual outcomes of five year olds who contract covid.

[xyzzy123]

Right but it doesn't prevent infection or transmission for more than a couple of months.

> If vaccinating under fives reduces the risk to preschool carers and enables us to maintain higher preschool capacity

I agree, but this is also not known.

Any broader public health benefits are theoretical at this point. They don't seem to have been measured or even modelled.

[jameshart]

Vaccination (and masking and distancing) are the only things we really can try to reduce transmission.

[toomim]

You're ignoring ventilation, air filtration, sanitization, quarantining, and a bunch of other things.

[josephcsible]

This gives me Omelas vibes. Is it really a good idea to increase risk of harm (via side effects) in our youngest for "the greater good"?

[jameshart]

We’re talking about a vaccine. The risks involved are generally very small, and the benefits of a successful vaccination program are massive.

On the other hand we occasionally lose an entire classroom of kids to a mass shooting, but a significant part of society tells us that we can’t do anything to restrict gun ownership to reduce that risk because apparently the ‘greater good’ of mass unrestricted gun ownership is more important.

[ifyoubuildit]

> We’re talking about a vaccine.

We're talking about interfacing with an incredibly varied and complicated system in the human body. Just because we have implementations that have worked spledidly in the past, doesnt mean that every new instance of the class "vaccine" should immediately get to ride on the coattails of the others.

Maybe these vaccines are a miracle as a lot of people believe. But this mindset of "it carries the same name as these other products, so it must be fine" is an incredibly vulnerable one to have for future drug products.