‘A Disease Of Young People’

at

Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group delivering a press briefing on COVID-19 this afternoon in the Department of Health

This afternoon.

Department of Health, Dublin 2.

Via RTÉ:

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the median age of today’s Covid cases is 24.

He said at the moment it is a disease of young people dominated by those aged 19 to 24, followed by those aged 13 to 18, but in that age group it is mostly 16- and 17-year-olds followed by those aged 25 to 34.

“The current trajectory of the more transmissible Delta variant across the country means that unvaccinated people remain at high risk of contracting Covid-19.

“The pace at which our vaccination programme is operating means that it will not be long before you can avail of a vaccine. In the meantime, unvaccinated people should take all public health precautions to avoid contracting the disease.”

Meanwhile..

Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee this afternoon

Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), said clinical trials estimated efficacy of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as 100% in the 12-15 age group, “making them extremely effective in preventing infection in this age cohort”.

“I would strongly encourage those aged 12-15 years of age with underlying medical conditions, those living with a younger child with complex medical needs, or with an immuno-compromised adult to accept vaccination as soon as it is offered,” she said.

Prof Butler said it is very reasonable for parents to pause and think about whether they need their children to get vaccinated.

Overwhelmingly, Covid is a mild disease in children and most children will be asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms, she said.

However, there will be a number of children who will have severe symptoms and be hospitalised – less than 1%.

….Prof Butler said taking all factors into account, and looking at the impact of the pandemic on children – an increase in anxiety, an increase in eating disorders, fear of mingling, a feeling that adults are pulling away from them, and disruption to their normal growth and development – they felt that the benefits of vaccination exceeded any risk.

Latest NPHET Covid-19 briefing (RTÉ)

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39 thoughts on “‘A Disease Of Young People’

  1. SOQ

    You cannot ‘catch’ CoVid-19, only the virus known as SARS-CoV-2. The amount of young people developing a serious bout of the disease known as CoVid-19 has always been very low.

    I find it hard to believe Professor Nolan doesn’t know this, in which case he is deliberately trying to conflate the two- which is at best, disingenuous.

    1. Mr T

      The same man who didnt understand vaccine efficacy (his last batch of modelling put the at risk vaccinated at 5x the actual number)

      The same man whose modelling has consistently overestimated hospital admissions and deaths by a wide margin

    2. Cian

      @SOQ

      By your spurious arguement you don’t catch chickenpox. (you catch the Varicella zoster virus)
      or you don’t catch smallpox? (it’s the Variola virus)

      It is perfectly acceptable to talk about catching, and spreading Covid, especially when dealing with the public. (in the current context we are talking about SARS-CoV-19 and Covid-19)

      1. Mr T

        If you catch the virus but dont develop any symptoms of the disease (pox in chickenpox case) then you dont say you caught the disease, only the virus.

        People testing positive with no symptoms will not have developed the disease – the disease is the symptoms caused by the virus. Thats the definition.

        You catch HIV, but develop AIDS (the disease)

        1. Oro

          Actually that’s entirely incorrect – acute HIV infection has symptoms of its own before the development of AIDs. Google it.

      2. Mr T

        Although it is semantics in this case mostly – covid or covid19 is (incorrectly) now used to refer to the virus by most of population. Still SOQ is technically correct. The best kind of correct.

      3. SOQ

        @ Cian- if you think it is spurious then just look at the language used.

        “a disease of young people dominated by those aged 19 to 24, followed by those aged 13 to 18, but in that age group it is mostly 16- and 17-year-olds followed by those aged 25 to 34.”

        But its not a disease to most, it is a virus- of which in the main, they do not get sick.

        “The current trajectory of the more transmissible Delta variant across the country means that unvaccinated people remain at high risk of contracting Covid-19.”

        Completely wrong. As I said- a deliberate attempt to conflate the two. What is interesting is that not once have I ever heard any of these people actually use the correct name for this virus.

        1. Cian

          Do they say “catching the Varicella zoster virus” in your household?

          I’ll explain it to you again: in common usage SARS-CoV-2 just isn’t used (like Varicella zoster isn’t used).

          The shorter “Covid-19”, or just “Covid” is used instead, and is used for either virus or disease. Just like “chickenpox”.

  2. Mr T

    Reasonable for the immuno-compromised to get vaccinated – but beyond that vaccinating your u18 children is bonkers. They are of such minimal risk, learning to drive poses a greater threat

    1. Zaccone

      +1 absolutely reasonable for someone 12-18 whos actually at risk – ie the immuno-compromised.

      But the statistics on adverse reactions to the vaccine vs actual risk from corona are exceptionally clear for everyone else in this age bracket. Its not worth it.

    2. Nigel

      Of course if covid runs through that age cohort, they risk spreading it amongst the unvaccinated and even amongst the vaccinated, and of variants developing to which they might be more susceptible.

      1. E'Matty

        Variants will always develop in a globalised world and can still pass via the vaccinated. This nutcase idea that we’ll vaccinate the entire planet with these experimental vaccines to supposedly protect the very elderly and already ill who have lived full lives is madness. Risk young kids and teenagers to “protect” the elderly? What kind of upside down BS is that? Kids as human shields for granny and grandad.

  3. bertie blenkinsop

    If Nolan can’t get a Dr. to do a nixer on that lump on his head, what hope have any of us got?

    1. U N M U T U A L

      …thats a Prognostication ‘Gain Knob’, and it’s been stuck at 11 since March 2020.

  4. frank

    We have vaccinated our elderly and vulnerable groups.
    The risk to healthy children is nil from the virus.
    The risk to children (healthy or otherwise) from the vaccine is a potential heart attack.

    Furthermore we are selfishly giving vaccinations to children who simply don’t need to be vaccinated whilst the vulnerable & elderly in Nigeria are dying.

    How do can either of the above be justified?

  5. Nullzero

    In utero vaccination is on the way no doubt. Anyone against it will be a rat licker.

  6. Fergalito

    “However, there will be a number of children who will have severe symptoms and be hospitalised – less than 1%.”

    Okay, this is good news and only immuno compromised kids should get the vaccine.

    “….Prof Butler said taking all factors into account, and looking at the impact of the pandemic on children – an increase in anxiety, an increase in eating disorders, fear of mingling, a feeling that adults are pulling away from them, and disruption to their normal growth and development – they felt that the benefits of vaccination exceeded any risk”

    I’m not an epidemiology expert but the reasons in the above paragraph surely cannot be a scientific basis for administering the vaccine to kids?

    Am I missing something or do I need to study for a BSc.?

    1. Micko

      It’s a bit mental that they are trotting this stuff out.

      I would have thought those things are caused by our response to the pandemic (as in lockdowns) Not the disease itself.

      1. Fergalito

        Agreed.

        I’m disappointed at the poor rationale set out in the second paragraph. Doesn’t compute in my tiny mind. I understand that younger people – indeed most if not all demographics – have been bruised by the pandemic but mental health/wellbeing issues not a basis for administering the C19 vaccine.

  7. f_lawless

    “Prof Butler said taking all factors into account, and looking at the impact of the pandemic on children – an increase in anxiety, an increase in eating disorders, fear of mingling, a feeling that adults are pulling away from them, and disruption to their normal growth and development – they felt that the benefits of vaccination exceeded any risk”

    This is dark. She’s conflating ‘the pandemic’ with ‘the pandemic response’. The Irish authorities chose to take the unethical approach of inflating the public’s anxiety levels by using covert psychological techniques as a means of exerting influence and control over their behaviour. This anxiety has inevitably been passed on to children. On top of that, extended school closures and mask mandates have of course done further psychological damage to children. To now be using this damage inflicted as a justification for child vaccinations is beyond the pale. And as if an injection is magically going to undo the psychological damage anyway.

    It would be interesting to do a country comparison of children in Sweden where schools were kept open and masks weren’t mandated. I’d imagine there’s a lot less anxiety.

    1. Cian

      The lucky Swedish children that were able to go to school.

      Pity the hundreds of thousands of children that lost their Mormor or Farfar to the ‘rona. Yeah, I’m sure there is no anxiety or other mental health problems caused by the deaths.

          1. f_lawless

            It’s telling when you resort to a strawman argument. I never said anxiety didn’t exist in Swedish children. I’m saying I expect levels to be significantly less in comparison.

            To quote Donald A. Henderson, the twentieth-century’s most acclaimed disease eradicator who’s credited with ridding the world of smallpox

            “Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted. Strong political and public health leadership to provide reassurance and to ensure that needed medical care services are provided are critical elements. If either is seen to be less than optimal, a manageable epidemic could move toward catastrophe.”

            https://www.aier.org/article/how-a-free-society-deals-with-pandemics-according-to-legendary-epidemiologist-and-smallpox-eradicator-donald-henderson/

            The relentless fear-based messaging and extreme coercive measures imposed by the Irish authorities were inevitably going to do lasting psychological damage

  8. Haroo

    Bodge, for all your highlighting and putting things in bold, maybe you should have stressed this paragraph:

    ““I would strongly encourage those aged 12-15 years of age with underlying medical conditions, those living with a younger child with complex medical needs, or with an immuno-compromised adult to accept vaccination as soon as it is offered,” she said.”

    Am I wrong or is she “pushing” it on those who could spread it to younger kids/adults with compromised immune systems or underlying conditions or those in this age group who themselves have underlying medical conditions?

  9. Madam x

    You really need to look at long COVID too. In healthy adults long COVID is a reality. COVID affects every organ in the body. Vaccinating a young person should also rule out long COVID. but only in time will we know

    1. E'Matty

      Except, they simply cannot make such a claim where the actual risks involved in vaccination are not yet known. We don’t yet know at all what the risks of vaccination are for the young. We do know that blood clots and heart inflammation have been more prevalent in younger recipients than older recipients (hence the initial suspension of AZ and J&J vaccines being administered to under 50s and similar in many countries). We don’t yet know if this will be the same or even worse again as the age profile reduces. And that’s just the few now known adverse reactions, none of which were detected during the trials. You should apply critical thought when analysing information from all sources including Official sources.

      1. OnlyFoolsAndHorses

        Oh thanks for the lesson E’Matty. Does this ‘critical thought when analysing information’ involve reading the presentation or is that part optional?

        Slide 2 “Current COVID-19 mRNA vaccine policy”. Your comment is moot.

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