Radio 4's Today programme want your views on compulsory vaccinations

Not compulsory.

Obviously there are some cases where there are (or are likely to be) complications. Such children should not be vaccinated. Its all the more important that the rest of the 'herd' is.

Perhaps the parents who refuse the vaccinations should first be sent some good information and then if they still aren't convinced, be called in for counselling to try to ensure they are making a properly informed choice on behalf of their - and other - children.

single jabs not jars!

Yuck. No.
I am pro-vaccination and didn't hesitate to vaccinate my children. I wrinkle my brow when I hear others haven't had the MMR or single jars instead. HOWEVER they certainly have the right to opt out in my view.
I'm even quite a fan of big government but not when it means little people being wrestled out of their sobbing parent's arms so some administrator can tick a box.
Liberty. Equality. Fraternity.

Yes - measles can be dangerous and immunization is sensible in my view. But if the NHS/ government can't convince people of that with intelligently produced information then that's no excuse just to start being a bloody bully. Instead of rolling out a massive programme of compulsory vaccs put a bit more effort into convincing people and producing decent literature and education on the subject.

If it was compulsory I think you'd see Scandinavia developing some rather large British ex-pat communities.

I think vaccination is a wonderful invention resulting in decreased death rates from terrible diseases such as measles and whooping cough.

I figure, if modern science has worked out ways for us to get on with our lives with less illness, pain and suffering, you might as well go for it.

Why put your child (and other people's children) at risk of some terrible infection when there is an easy way to prevent it? And little good evidence that vaccinations can cause harm?

Oh, and I also think that we should improve the standard of science education so that when our children grow up they can appreciate these issues better when the time comes to get their own children vaccinated.

And actually, we all pay an awful lot of tax for our education system.

It's not free and it's not any medical association to decide who can and cannot go.

(btw i dont know anyone in rl who hasnt had them - think its a MN "thing" and in rl most people have them)

well I am the ultimate dullard as I am just Gp compliant, they say " go and have the jabs"
so I go

Sister was on phone " what jabs is he having"

me " i have no idea - whatever you have at 3 months"

her " you dont KNOW"

me "no"

mind you they get you when you are SO sleep deprived that resistance is futile.

It has. IIRC, most of the tribes in the Amazon were wiped out from colds etc that tourists took with them.

My point is, how are you going to make sure every child at school is immunised if there are children in that school who are from countries with an alternative vaccination programme? Are they all to be immunised before joining the school? If it's a blanket policy then how's it going to work? What about children with allergies to the ingredients of specific vaccines? They will not be protected either. Will they too not be able to start school?

I don't disagree BA, but there are limits to how much the gov can throw their weight around. I do feel that independant schools should be able to choose their own policy. If the gov want to make it for everyone they need to find a place where they can influence everyone. I genuinely think they can only make these policies for state schools. (We go to a state school BTW, this is not a "not in my backyard thing")

Fluffy, I still don't get your point I am afraid. Travel has always happened...?

Ds will be fully vacinated but you can't force others to do the same.

Provide parents with accurate up-to-date information that doesn't scare the wotsits out of them and let them make their own minds up. At the end of the day most parents will make the choice to vacinate their children as the alternatives are life risking.

Our town had an 18 year old die of measels who wasn't vacinated.

dxx

It's a threat Bonsoir. Vaccinate your child or they can't go to school.

I don't think a mothers immunity lasts very long GuessWhat. The immunity of a population needs to be above 70% (IIRC) to keep those unvaccinated protected from disease so it can be difficult to control.

They should have the chicken pox vaccine here I think Bucharest. It can get really serious in some people. I didn't mean to indicate that you are 'unclean', just that policies change all over the world, if there's people coming and going from areas that do not have a specific vaccination policy then this is not necessarily a good thing.

What has children's health got to do with children's education? The NHS and the education system are entirely separate. Parents' choices on education have absolutely nothing to do with government health policy.

None BA, it is to do with where (I feel) the government can reasonably make a stand. I feel they could have the right to make a stand with state schools but not with independant schools or those who do not attend any school in the classic sense.

Oh, we also have compulsory hepB and chicken pox vaccines here, so we're covered up to the hilt...I won't be needing my "unclean" bell any time soon......

Fluffy, very young children are covered by their mothers in the most part, that is why the vaccinations are done when they are, it is when inherited immunity will begin to run out.

GuessWhat - what on earth is the relationship between vaccination and where you go to school?!

Over here we have a vaccination card which we have to present ourselves to the school.
It doesn't seem to be a problem, tbh, I've never heard anyone question the system, or the vaccines themselves. Doctors here though are treated a bit as infallible, and a doc tells you to do something and you do it...Friends are always amazed when I tell them that vaccines aren't compulsory in the UK.

(I've just been roundly bollocked by vaccine doc trying to insist dd was "late" with her preschool boosters....(she has until her 6th birthday which will be in October so had to get stroppy furrin mum head on )

It does count but we're not talking about Brits going abroad. You can't order UK children to be compulsory vaccinised when there are children from other countries who are not. How's this going to work? I'm not intending to say that immigration/migration is a bad thing but this is one of the effects of people moving easily across boarders. Our healthcare system isn't going to be the same as in Latvia or France. There's going to be a giant proportion of the UK (adults/elderly etc) who are not vaccinated so where does this protect them? What about the babies that are too young to recieve their jabs? Not every country promotes immunisation, it's nothing about where they come from/who they are, it's fact!

Yes, I think childhood vaccinations should be made compulsory. Vaccination is not about protecting individuals but about protecting society at large; for a vaccination programme to be truly effective, everyone needs to be vaccinated.

With the proviso that people for whom vaccination represents a risk because of underlying health problems be exempted on a case by case basis.

Fluffy, if all british children are vaccinated then peoople coming in with these things would not be a threat would they - because all our children would be covered.... I am not really seeing your point.

I think it is reasonable to ask for children to be up to date with vaccinations when starting state school - or have a medical reason not to be. But only when the system provides complete, up to date and correct information on vaccinations and any side effects.

I feel independant schools should be able to make their own decision and those who HE should have the same choice.

Having said that, how would it be done? Would all the children have to have a vaccination card similar to dogs? Perhaps they could be microchipped with vaccination details linked to their chip number?

Realisitcally it would mean that schools would have to apply to GPs for the information for every child, every intake. This would mean schools would be even more overworked, GPs would have even less time to actually practice and short notice transfers etc could be help up for weeks waiting for GP reports - damaging the childs education.

The idea is not abhorant to me, the implementation is impossible IMHO.

semantics I'd say.....
You are right of course and we should also stop all those nasty Brits who haven't been vaccinated going abroad and infecting foreigners.
Or don't they count?
FFS.

Did I say immigrants? nope

Please learn to read before you get the claws out!

There are other countries in Europe that do not have any immunisation policies. When people come here, either to work, live or on hoilday then they may bring bugs with them. What's the point of the UK forcing children to be immunised when there are other children/adults entering the UK who are not?

I think that there is a middle ground here.
I am strongly pro vaccinations but would not support compulsary vaccinations. What I would like to see is a system whereby just prior to school entry there is a discussion between non-vaccinated children and a HCP. A similar discussion should take place for all non-vaccinated children already at school. I know that there are some parents out there who would strongly defend their right not to vaccinate and I would support this, but I suspect that there are even more parents out there who did not vaccinate at the time for a variety of reasons but may be happy to do this now that the scientific community is giving such a clear message.