I actually do think anti vaxxers have a point to a certain extent

[HairHereThere]

Like with ANY medication/treatment there are risks
I feel the government are letting us down with such a one sided ‘vaccines are safe’ argument and how they never want to admit that vaccinations cause problems.
I think, I’m some cases they do. Not being able to claim under the vaccine damage scheme for under 2s gives the wrong message too it’s just too.......defensive ?

If they said actually there is a risk, it’s small but it’s there and we’re honest then had more of a balanced reasoning that yes there’s a risk but it’s a choice and presented it better that the scaremongering would die down

I’m theory I’m anti vax but I’ve vaccinated my children fully because I believe it’s a risk but a risk that is worth taking if that makes sense.
Some I spent to though are terrified and feel there’s such a brick wall up around balanced discussion and it makes things worse ?

ALL medications from Chemo drugs to Calpol have the possibility of a negative side effect for a certain amount of people taking it. Vaccines are no different. That fact does not make Paracetamol unsafe and a drug to be avoided does it?

I always ask for the leaflet to read before the appointment.

On the gov website it says that to be eligible to claim a child has to be min age 2? Why would that be when so many vaccinations are done before age 2
I can’t find much else about it but would like to know more

So if a baby had some kind of severe reaction to the 8 week vaccinations for example why would they need to wait till age 2 to claim ?
Or does the reaction have to be from age 2 to be eligible ?
It would make more sense to just have a vaccine damage scheme that you are eligible from the first vaccination you have

Just because the claimant must be at least 2 years of age it doesn’t mean that the vaccines had to be administered after the age of 2 to qualify.

Why age 2 though ?

Possibly because the level of disability that would need to be proven would be hard to establish in a child under the age of 2?

I think Continuity is correct. I just had a quick look and you can claim for a vaccine given whilst pregnant. You have 6 years to claim.

My brother and I didn't have the combined MMR as kids, as both my dad and his sister developed seizures remarkably soon after theirs..

Not sure what I think about it to be honest, some people of course will react, it's just how it goes, all drugs have side effects, some more significant in a small number of people than others.

I think offering the jabs individually is a good idea.

I don't/can't have kids, so haven't ever really had to consider it any deeper..

My brother and I didn't have the combined MMR as kids, as my dad and his sister developed seizures remarkably soon after theirs

Are your dad and aunt only aged 31?

Or did they have the MMR as adults?

1. Who on earth felt the need to report this thread? How ridiculous.

2. Why is it being taken down? The censorship on this site has become absurd.

And this is precisely the attitude. Not being able to discuss both sides and work through issues and fears. Discussion shut down and it doesn’t help 😔

Ludicrous

Absolutely ridiculous to delete this thread. And proves the point that if you don't toe the party line you are not allowed to have an opinion.

I sort of agree with you OP. And I'm no anti vaxxer - I've got my dc all their vaxs on schedule and even purchased extra ones privately (men b which is not provided as standard where I live).

However like any medicine, food, activity or anything, there is risks and it isn't "anti vax" to acknowledge and discuss them.

There are so many threads on here along the lines of "is it OK to hang my clothes on the line outside while my baby sleeps inside?". And there are 1000 responses saying no way, the house could burst in to flames/aliens invade/murderers enter the house/car crash in to babies room. Events that are 1 in a billion chance are discussed as basically certain.

I agree Hair.

I'm shocked.

Sorry, everyone. We posted in haste there. We're going to leave the thread to run but we will remove any posts that we think contain harmful advice, as opposed to simple discussion and opinion.

Maybe I should have titled it different? But I really feel that open discussions would help Amd this thread had been quite informative and measured

Thank you mnhq

Hi OP our kids are all fully vaccinated. However recently with everything that’s been in the press it has occurred to me that as parents we aren’t able to fully asses the actual immediate risk to our individual children in the same way we do normally. For every other medicine I would give them I get a sheet with warnings possible side effects and correct usage instructions. I wonder why this doesn’t happen for vaccinations. I think perhaps that some of the risks for a tiny minority that would be on a sheet like this might put some people off. One of our kids had to have booster mmr after the booster because of a local measles outbreak. At the time I was unhappy about it but I still allowed it as I knew of a girl at school who sustained brain damage that ruined her life after contracting measles.
At the moment I am worried about giving the kids the HPV vaccination after reading about serious life changing side effects and harms that have been proven but not really publicised widely. David Healy has some excellent articles on the harms of HPV.

The people I’m speaking to in person and the groups I’m active in will not currently tolerate anyone trying to justify the risk v benefit of vaccinations

I’ve asked this upthread but I’ll ask it again - how do you have a reasoned discussion with people that won’t engage? Because most of them won’t - if you’re a reasonable person who will listen to actual medical professionals then you will agree that vaccinating is best for everyone that doesn’t have a medical reason not to.

If you’re not that person, then you’ll bend any conspiracy theory you like.

how do you have a reasoned discussion with people that won’t engage? Because most of them won’t - if you’re a reasonable person who will listen to actual medical professionals then you will agree that vaccinating is best for everyone that doesn’t have a medical reason not to

But the opposite is also true. How do you have a reasoned discussion if the medical professional won't listen to you and just tell you that vaccination is best [full stop]? Without being willing to e.g. give you data on the risks of the illness vs the risks of the vaccination.

I'm glad this discussion seems to have stabilised. Lots of good points being made about simple, clear communication, and how a medical professional could better respond with a bit of empathy to understandable (if not justifiable) concerns.

It's an emotive subject because unfortunately a parent choosing not to vaccinate doesn't only impact their child, but people that child comes into contact with. Who wouldn't be angry if they had to suffer because of the actions of someone else? But as others have said, getting angry at people who you consider to have made a bad choice won't help you change their mind - if it did, Brexit would have 100% consensus! - but engagement and discussion can move the dial.

Good thread HairHereThere, thanks for posting!