Update on yesterday's post about changing physician attitudes towards the mRNA shots

So many stories! It's already clear the Zeitgeist has changed and many doctors - especially pediatricians - have decided to pretend the Covid vaccines don't exist.

Yesterday’s post struck a nerve.

Physicians, nurses, and patients from all over the world have already sent hundreds of stories. (Interestingly, Australia is disproportionately represented - the six-month Omicron wave there seems to have cracked confidence in the vaccines.)

I plan to look at this topic from several angles, but the change in attitudes among pediatricians is especially striking. Several factors may be driving it. The risk-benefit of these shots for kids is particularly indefensible, the approval process has hardly inspired confidence, and pediatricians know that if they push too hard they risk backlash against all vaccines.

In any case, discussion of the mRNA jabs seems simply to have disappeared at well-child visits, even in the bluest cities and states.

A sampling of emails (lightly edited for clarity and length):

(NOTE: PAYWALLED FOR 48 HOURS)

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I have a 7 year old son with seasonal allergies...

My wife and I took our son to the doctors office in September (I believe) as he had a severe migraine. The doctor, without prompting strongly suggested we should give him the vaccination and wanted to discuss why we were hesitant, all in front of my son, which irritated me very much...

Fast forward to last week, we were at the doctor's office regarding my son's allergies, and my wife and I were shocked that the issue of vaccination did not come up. In fact, she asked if he was up to date on all of his standard ones, which he is.

It was like we were waiting for that question to come and it never did.

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My son is 11 and we see his pulmonologist every 4 months for asthma. I adore this pulmonologist and we have had a wonderful relationship with him for seven years.

Our doctor had been encouraging the COVID vaccine for pediatrics since before the roll out. He enrolled his own children in the trial. Every visit since the trials began, he asked about and strongly encouraged both masks and vaccines. I was beginning to dread these appointments bc my son was unvaccinated…

Our doctor was not concerned about side effects and heavily promoted the vaccines. He told me “don’t worry, your son will not turn into a green monster if vaccinated.” My son remained unvaccinated.

I still adore this physician. He has helped us through many horrible, terrifying bouts of illness due to asthma. It’s hard to write negative things about him because he is so wonderful.

The last appointment we had in April, not one word was spoken about COVID or the vaccines. Poof! It was glorious. (Our Doc was still strong on masks).

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My 2 sons have been seeing the same pediatrician from XXX [large New York City-area practice] for about 17 years.

Through the years, he has been very conservative with antibiotics and basically anytime my kids were sick (not too many thank god) he would say it's a virus and there are no medications for it and we needed to just wait it out…

Each year he would ask me if I wanted my boys to have the flu shot and each year I would say no. He never pressed me on it and I always appreciated that.

In March of 2021 I took both my boys to their well visit. At that time teenagers were not yet approved for the vaccine. Although first responders were. Both my boys were part of the Volunteer junior fire dept corp and were eligible to get the jab. So he talked to both of my sons with me in the room and said they should most definitely get the covid shot and were lucky to be able to. When I said I would rather them have natural immunity he said that the shot was better. He said there was no reason good enough not to get the shot. He said "if I could give it to the 2 month olds that come in to see me, I would."

Since then, my younger son has been due for his well visit. I had been putting it off as I really didn't want him or myself to be badgered about the vaccine. Due to summer camps, I needed to get him in for a visit. His appt was last Friday. On the way in we discussed what we would say if Covid vaccine was brought up. My son had Covid in September and Omicron in December - he fared well - we figured that is what he would tell the doc.

Well, we didn't have to. The Doctor did not ask about Covid, speak about Covid and made no mention of the Covid vaccine. 

The only vaccine that was talked about was the meningitis one. My son was due for that vaccine and he received it that day.

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Hi. Took my 13yo for annual check last week. Pediatrician was very aggressive last year. Lengthy discourse on benefits of the shot, etc….  

Considered changing docs last year and skipping an appt altogether this year because I didn’t want to hear it again. This year she passively offered to tell us where we could get it if we wanted to. I think she assumed if we were going to, we would’ve already.
—

Last year when vaccines for kids were first approved, I got several emails from our pediatrician. Several "clinics" were scheduled to offer rapid vaccinations.  Those petered out late last year… after getting constant emails and phone calls that my kids were overdue for their well child visits, I finally took them in April.  I took my oldest, who turned 12 last September and my youngest, who had just turned 6.  Both female. 

This office still makes you "check in" from your car.  You aren't allowed in the building until your room is ready.  When we arrived, they were denying a parent entry to the office because when he checked in online, he admitted he had a sore throat.  So they refused to let him inside.  But yet, my kids went in for their appointments.  The vaccine was NEVER mentioned.  Not once. In fact, Covid never even came up.  It was weird.