Do I need vaccinations?

[LarryGreysonsDoor]

I was born in the mid 70s and I’m not sure what vaccinations I had.
I know that I had both whooping cough and Scarlett fever, as illnesses, not vaccinations.
I’m guessing I didn’t have the measles or mumps vaccinations as I recall lots of children having both illnesses when I was little.

My question is, assuming I didn’t have the vaccinations should I have them now for the sake of children, rather than myself?

I'd certainly consider it. Who would look after your children if you got any of those illnesses?

Can you not get tested for immunity?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/mmr-vaccine-when-needed/

Speak to the practice nurse. They will be able to either check what you had or tell you if you are eligible to have them now.

Oh, I don’t have children, but I am primary school staff.

I remember having the Rubella vaccine at school now I come to think of it, and according to that link I would have had the measles vaccine.

If you were born after 1970 and are unsure of your vaccination status, you should be able to get MMR on request from your GP. And whilst you're there, you couid ask about catch-up availability for any others you're not sure about.

Do you think your parents didn't vaccinate you at all or that you've missed some, or not had newer ones?

If you think you had the vaccination schedule for your age, then I would only be having something like chicken pox (if I hadn't had it already) as an extra. Basically, there will be other staff at the school in your age bracket I'm sure, and they have probably had the same vaccinations.

If you don't think you've had any, then check with the GP or nurse and see what you can have now (and whether you'd need to pay).

I was born in 1975. I've been vaccinated against (at least) tetanus, diphtheria, polio, rubella, TB, and measles. There was a pertussis vaccine but my parents declined it (and I caught whooping cough). Everyone caught mumps in those days too which was just vile.

There was a DPT scandal in the mid-1970s.

Rather than lose vaccine coverage completely, the NHS continued the older DT, leaving in use until public confidence was restored (and indeed until after the new acellular version of whooping cough vax had been in uncontroversial use for a while.

As a side note, letting the older NHS measles jabs lapse for admin reasons only (they were and are perfectly safe and effective) at the height of a scare, was I think a major misjudgement. And has of course contributed to the gaps in the herd, as so many DC were not immunused in the late 1990s (before Wakefield so thoroughly debunked).

No vaccine is effective in the population if people aren't receiving them. And I think you get better results when you work with people's health beliefs, rather than just shouting them down (no matter how much you might think the person is misguided) or leaving people feeling alienated or even bullied.

You could get a blood test to check immunity levels for some of the key ones. I've always done this before pregnancy (recommended by my GP) as my DM isn't 100% on the number of doses/shots I received and my GP office doesn't have all the records. Could be worth asking if that's an option for you?

I was born in 75. I contracted measles, mumps and whooping cough as a child. But was vaccinated for polio, tetanus and diphtheria. I only missed out on some of the vaccines as I was allergic to egg as a child.
I was given vaccine against rubella and offered BCG.

As an HCP i’ve had to have immunity tests done and they cost around £50