Mental health at stake when parents disagree over vaccinating children
As major producers continue COVID-19 vaccine trials on children younger than age 12, some families are experiencing parental disagreement over whether to have their children immunized.
Psychologist Syras Derksen told CTV Morning Live that like any issue on which parents may differ, if handled carelessly, the vaccination question can lead to negative mental health outcomes for all involved, especially the children themselves. He said parents must work through the disagreement and come to some united front before they address the issue with kids.
“Children do really well in a secure environment, when they feel they can know what to expect and that their parents are on the same side. When parents disagree strongly, it creates anxiety. For mental health, for anxiety, for depression, for good behaviour, for being able to trust future relationships, it’s good to model discussion and potentially disagreement, but not strong disagreements, poor behaviour or fighting,” Derksen said.
Derksen advocates using some familiar conflict resolution strategies for working through whether children should get the COVID shot. He said being a good listener and trying to keep an open mind are proven pathways to meaningful discussion.
“What that entails is listening to an opinion you don’t like and being patient with it, repeating it back to the other person and making them really feel that you’re trying to understand them,” said Derksen.
Derksen also suggested that waiting until the other person has had time to process your position before entering discussions might be productive. He acknowledged that when it comes to the COVID vaccine, as the start of school looms in September, the decision whether to vaccinate takes on an urgency, but with time can also come a new perspective.
“One thing you can expect is that disagreement or different opinions about vaccinations in July, this month, will be a different reality in September, that’ll be a different thing if people are disagreeing, then it will be different again in December. Sometimes agreement will come from just waiting,” Derksen said.
Derksen said it may be valuable to bring the child’s physician into the discussion and that people often consult professionals when they’re in trouble or when they can’t agree. Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for Manitoba’s vaccine implementation task force, is one professional who has been addressing concerns about vaccines in her public statements and community outreach efforts.
“They (COVID-19 vaccines) were approved, and they were shown to be safe and effective. In the same way as other vaccines, the science behind these vaccines is solid,” Reimer said in a news conference Wednesday.
Reimer said both Pfizer and Moderna are now working on trials for children aged six months to eleven years. She said results for the five to eleven-year-old age group may come out in September and that based on those results, manufacturers would then seek Health Canada approval. Reimer also said while an exact date is not yet available, Health Canada imay approve a second vaccine, Moderna, for the 12 to 17 age group before the start of the school year.
Derksen said disagreements are part of life, but before becoming stuck in them, people should ask themselves whether they’re worth disrupting or potentially destroying a relationship.
“People get into arguments, they become closed and defensive and they’re not generally open to changing their opinion. You want to create an environment that’s creative and cooperative.
Hopefully, that will create a discussion where you can kind of talk about what your feelings are,” Derksen said.
-With files from CTV’s Nicole Dubé and Kayla Rosen
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.