To ask you to talk some sense into me re: MMR

[Temporaryname137]

Just booked DD's first MMR jabs and I can't help but be really nervous about it. I know it's far better than the alternatives, I know it's far better than risking spreading nasty diseases to people with compromised immune systems, I know Wakefield was hugely discredited. But I can't help feeling irrationally wobbly about it!

Please help me to see some common sense?

[Soubriquet]

The illnesses are much worse than side effects

Don't risk your child's health

[PurpleDaisies]

Recognising your worries are irrational is the first step. You're absolutely doing the right thing for your daughter. Would it help to chat up your health visitor/midwife/GP? This is one time when Google isn't really your friend-there's a LOT of quackery out there. I'd stick to the NHS website or patient.co.uk for information.

[amusedbush]

Vaccinate your kid. That's it.

[PurpleDaisies]

Chatting up your chosen health professional isn't the way forward...just chat to them! Oops.

[QuilliamCakespeare]

I've had mumps and it was bloody miserable. I was in agony, looked like the elephant man, and kept fainting. I was lucky enough not to have any complications but, still, I really wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Temporaryname137]

It's not a question of not having it done, by the way, so no worries there. I nearly died of measles as a 2 year old, and I had nasty mumps too. And DP has no patience with non vaccinating. I just want to feel happier about it, as you should if you are lucky enough to live in a country where it's given, and given for free!

Thanks all!

[MothertotheLordsofmisrule]

Please vaccinate, the illnesses they protect you against are horrible.

[Wantingtobeseen]

Agree with ArfarfanArf.

There is lots of very good research to show that mmr does not cause autism.
Genetics do play a role and there are likely to be other environmental factors too.
Research has shown no link between autism and mmr.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

My dd has MMR and she has ASD. However the two are NOT related. She had signs that she was different from birth. Very subtle but they were there.
DS had the MMS too. He doesn't have ASD.
Wakefield has not been 'hugely discredited'. He's been completely and totally discredited.
Try not to worry but it is horrid taking a toddler to be jabbed with needles. Worth it though to avoid measles alone!

[Kel1234]

Arfarfanarf- so nice to read someone shares my view. My brother has autism and associated conditions. He had the mmr, as did I before him and my sister after him. I study SEN at uni, and I 100% share your view that autism is genetic.
OP, the doctor who said there was a link was struck off. I never believed there was. I never thought twice about it.
Do it, for your child.

[BeyondReasonablyDoubts]

I've had measles and mumps and they are awful diseases that children do die of.
I'm also autistic. People don't generally die of that.

[x2boys]

i held off having ds2 having the mmr due to concerns about autism he had it in nursery by which point he had already been diagnosed with autism and learning disabillities nobody really knows the causes or autism and i personally beleive there isnt just one cause in ds case its thought to be because of his chromosome deletion but the mmr link as you say has been widely discredited.

[AndNowItsSeven]

My dd caught measles on the epidemic in 2012 she was 13 months old and due her immunisation the following week.
She spent seven days in hospital unable to eat or drink. She also developed pneumonia as a secondary infection.
She caught measles due to unvaccinated children.

[Temporaryname137]

I didn't put my OP well at all, sorry for confusion. An edit button would be great for idiots like me!

It's not autism that I'm worried about, although I am really grateful to everyone who's kindly shared their experiences and thoughts. I shouldn't have mentioned Wakefield. What I have is more an irrational panic that she'll go into a really high fever and die or be left with brain damage or something like that - I panic so much at the thought of anything happening to her!

[Boundaries]

It wasn't just discredited - Wakefield lied. He was struck off because of the way he carried out his research.

He paid for samples.
He was paid for advice by solicitors employed by parents who believed the MMR damaged their children.
He altered medical histories to fit his theory.
...and many other reasons to not believe him. The BMJ explains it well here: [[http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7452 ]]

[Smartleatherbag]

It is nerve wracking being a parent.
Trust me, any side effects are as nothing compared to the effect of measles. I've nursed kids with measles. It's terrifying.
Of course we worry, that's how we've survived as a species. Acknowledge that and accept you'll worry, but do it anyway.
Very best wishes

[redexpat]

Oh a bad reaction? Has dc reacted that way to any other vaccines? Im not sure what you get and when in the uk so sorry if this is his first and ive asked a stupid question.

[Temporaryname137]

She had a bad reaction to the Men B in that her little leg swelled up like a big sausage, and we ended up in A&E - all was absolutely fine thank goodness, but I don't think it helped my melodramatic worrying tendencies!

[Timeforabiscuit]

I'm doing a public health masters course, the wakefield paper was the first journal article we were given to critically assess.

I was ignorant of the paper, but as we had lectures on hierarchy of evidence, bias, importance of randomised and systematic sampling, it became apparent that the work was not of a quality.

Then i read up on the fall out this ONE paper had, it was monstrous, so many outbreaks happened, so many deaths - because the bmj published it people mistook this as a sign of rigour and quality

I cant emphasise enough how much you should really wipe that particular mmr investigation from your mind, yes vaccines can have side effects - but these are usually to do with the additives needed to either enhance the vaccine effect or storage ability. The mmr is a widely used, rigorously tested one - but still read the guidance and double check for things like egg allergy (although I believe these are being phased out).

Also, the vaccine schedule is really important i can well rember the ball ache that was booking in all these vaccinations - but having read through the bills of mortality on outbreaks, it just pales into insignificance.

[Candlelight123]

I spoke to my gastroenterologist about this as it was also reported that the vaccination can cause crohns & I have crohns. This is what she said:
The risk of brain damage, deafness and other serious complications from catching measles is far far higher than a 'theoretical' risk from mmr.
The cohort for testing was flawed, it was done on kids of an age where typically autism presents and children taken from a particular ward in a hospital.
The report should have never been published and under more stringent recent guidelines would have never been allowed to be published.
My kids have had it.

[Okkitokkiunga]

I was totally prepared for DD to have a reaction (PFB). I had calpol on standby was hovering over her. A couple of hours after jab she started to get upset, red faced crying and then screaming. Whipped my calpol out, dosed her up but t didn't work. I'd gotten so caught up in watching her for a reaction, I forgot to feed her. She was starving. Major parenting fail.

[whyayepetal]

Hi OP, I remember this feeling so well. DD1 had her vaccinations at the height of the Wakefield furore, and I was very nervous. What convinced me was my HV, who had previously worked as a MW on the neo-natal unit. She had been shocked by how serious these illnesses could be, and confided that she was worried that her own daughter was unable to have the MMR due to an allergy. She was aware that, because so many people were opting out at that time, the "herd immunity" that she was hoping would help protect her daughter would be less effective. I went ahead with the immunisations feeling that it was definitely for the best. Hope all goes well for you at the appointment.