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Original poster

Childhood vaccinations?

55 replies

Vaccin · 11/07/2023 14:40

Could anybody point me in the direction of somewhere I can find reliable information surrounding childhood vaccinations please?

I wasn't vaccinated and I would really like to know where to go to get the knowledge I need to make an educated and informed decision so that I can do what's best for my baby.

OP posts:
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6
Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 18:36

CurlewKate · 11/07/2023 17:59

If you have A levels and start now, you could be an immunologist in, say, 9 years? Then you can do your own research......

I don't have A levels and I don't want to be an immunologist. I just want to learn about vaccinations so that I can have some knowledge about what they will be putting in my child's body.

Anyway I've had lots of helpful links now.

OP posts:
mnlk · 11/07/2023 19:43

The main reason people question childhood vaccinations is because they have no direct knowledge of those illnesses - measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough etc etc

Most of us have no direct knowledge of those illnesses BECAUSE vaccines have successfully prevented those infections.

Don't mess with your child's health. Unless there are valid contra indications against a particular vaccine (E.g known allergy to an ingredient) or a serious underlying condition when a clinician has advised against vaccination), I suggest you follow the UK NHS approved vaccine timetable.

Your child is far more likely to come to harm if they are unvaccinated than to be damaged by a vaccine.

Annaishere · 11/07/2023 19:56

There are some that you should probably definitely just get as the risk is so high if they catch the disease i.e tetanus and meningitis. You will need to look at medical journals and studies to come to your own conclusions

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
TheIsleOfTheLost · 11/07/2023 20:02

Every web page will have an agenda for being pro or anti vaccinations. My view is that all medical treatments carry risk, but are generally done because the benefits outweigh the risks. Your child might be unlucky enough to have a vaccine reaction, but the chances of them having bad effects from a virus is higher and with worse potential effects. I remember being really angry when ds2 had chickenpox, as he was really suffering because our government chose not to have it in the vaccine program like many other nations.

CurlewKate · 11/07/2023 20:04

"You will need to look at medical journals and studies to come to your own conclusions"

So long as you have the training and expertise to interpret them. Or you could trust the WHO and the NHS.

MrsTerryPratchett · 11/07/2023 20:22

Annaishere · 11/07/2023 19:56

There are some that you should probably definitely just get as the risk is so high if they catch the disease i.e tetanus and meningitis. You will need to look at medical journals and studies to come to your own conclusions

I studied statistics to degree level. OP doesn't have A levels. Do you genuinely think she will be able to read medical journals and interpret the results? I can only do it with a run up.

OP, the NHS and pretty much every other responsible healthcare body advocates for them. They have read the studies.

Sidge · 11/07/2023 20:28

https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/

This is an excellent website. I give immunisations and often refer parents to this website as it’s so comprehensive.

Home

https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/

Jenandberri · 11/07/2023 20:31

I wasn’t sure about vaccines but we went ahead but declined the rotavirus and started the others later (12 weeks not 8) and split them all up and it was fine .
If you’re worried you can just have one at a time

Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 20:32

MrsTerryPratchett · 11/07/2023 20:22

I studied statistics to degree level. OP doesn't have A levels. Do you genuinely think she will be able to read medical journals and interpret the results? I can only do it with a run up.

OP, the NHS and pretty much every other responsible healthcare body advocates for them. They have read the studies.

Show quote history

Haha, definitely not! The NHS website has been helpful as I find it uses quite simple explanations.

OP posts:
Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 20:32

Sidge · 11/07/2023 20:28

https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/

This is an excellent website. I give immunisations and often refer parents to this website as it’s so comprehensive.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 20:33

Jenandberri · 11/07/2023 20:31

I wasn’t sure about vaccines but we went ahead but declined the rotavirus and started the others later (12 weeks not 8) and split them all up and it was fine .
If you’re worried you can just have one at a time

Can I ask you why you chose to start them later and not to have rotavirus? Of course, only if you want to share. I didn't realise you could choose to have them later.

OP posts:
Jenandberri · 11/07/2023 20:38

Vaccin · 11/07/2023 20:33

Can I ask you why you chose to start them later and not to have rotavirus? Of course, only if you want to share. I didn't realise you could choose to have them later.

Show quote history

My daughter had huge amounts of mucus and blood in her nappies from 2 weeks old and was really quite unwell so we decided (with the agreement of our gp) to not have rotavirus as we didn’t know what was wrong (turned out to be severe allergies). That was also the reason we started late as she just wasn’t well, I was so anxious about overloading her system as had no idea why she was bleeding and I asked if we could do one at a time just to see how she was and the gp said it was fine. We had 2-4 weeks between each vaccination depending on how dd reacted , she was quiet unwell after the men b ones but was fine after a week each time . The gp said they are happy to accommodate requests to split vaccines as they’d rather get immunisation done with a different schedule rather than not at all

Daisybuttercup12345 · 11/07/2023 20:38

You could toss and coin and live with the consequences if you don't vaccinate.
Or you could do the sensible thing and protect your child.
There is plenty of information these days. It's not hard to find it!!!

YorkshireIndie · 11/07/2023 20:48

If it is any help I split the one years and pre school booster imms into two parts -MMR first and then the others a month later as I felt there are too many in one go and not relying on the first set of imms which are time sensitive. Also questioned the hep B aspect as they are not tested to see if they have an immunity towards it.

With the pre school imms I did a lot of talking with my LO about the importance of it and that it would give him strength and magic powers. Can be not doing with all this pussy footing around it because if they see you are worried then they will be

Jenandberri · 11/07/2023 20:54

We did the first mmr at age 2.5 as well instead of 1 year as dd was having severe developmental issues and severe meltdowns so we didn’t want to cause her distress till it settled a bit (she has autism)

YorkshireIndie · 11/07/2023 20:56

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

HowcanIhelp123 · 11/07/2023 20:57

If you want to look at the benefits of vaccines, look at the huge huge huge drop in childhood and infant deaths due to these diseases since they were developed. Infant death is down from 150 per 1,000 to only 4. Recent vaccine programmes giving under-developed countries these vaccines has reduced infant and childhood mortality by over 75%. Having a vaccine can either prevent yourself or your child from getting a disease, or make it much less serious if you do get it. Bacterial meningitis for example kills 1 in 6 people that gets it, even with treatment (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/meningitis).

It also protects others. Clinically vunerable people cannot have certain vaccines and catching the disease would likely be deadly, by being vaccinated you can't be the cause of that person getting the infection that could kill them. It reduces spread of disease generally.

Especially if you have a girl, vaccines help them if they decide to have children. Many of the diseases you can vaccinate against can cause defects in babies if caught while pregnant (e.g. rubella, measles, chicken pox).

By all means decide to give your baby vaccines privately on an adjusted schedule. I've known some with premature babies who decide to split up vaccines into more sets over longer periods of time for example. But unless there is medical need please please vaccinate your kids and get yourself vaccinated at the same time.

Meningitis

WHO fact sheet on meningitis provides key facts and information on transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, outbreaks trends and public health response.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/meningitis

Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 20:57

So sorry to hear about that @Jenandberri hope your little one is doing better now!

@YorkshireIndie she didn't even remotely imply that so I don't know why you're being so ridiculous.

OP posts:
Original poster
Vaccin · 11/07/2023 21:03

As of right now I've decided I'm going to go ahead with the 6in1 vaccine, haven't read up on the others yet.

OP posts:
Sidge · 11/07/2023 21:14

Bear in mind we give the vaccines we do because of the benefits. We don’t give them for shits and giggles and they cost a fuckton of money. They certainly wouldn’t be given without very good reason.

Public health initiatives like vaccination have changed the landscape of child mortality and morbidity. We are privileged to have them.

HonoriaLucastaDelagardie · 11/07/2023 21:15

measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough etc etc

Polio.

I was in the first cohort to have the polio vaccine. I knew people only slightly older than me who had polio before the vaccine was available, and were left permanently disabled. They were the lucky ones.

kenadams86 · 11/07/2023 21:18

Maybe ask for a phone consultation with your practice nurse. There is also some information in the red book which you'll get once baby is born.

Vaccines are around for a reason and have eradicated many killer viruses. Your babies fragile and immature immune system needs all the help it can get in those early years

Plonkydonkey · 11/07/2023 21:33

Hi, as an adult you can contact your gp practice who will refer you to get your vaccinations and advise of the childhood schedule.

If in Scotland then vaccination for adults is outsourced to vaccination teams and an email to fitfortravel via their website is useful. Your gp practice can also refer you in. Paediatric schedule is managed by childhood vaccine teams and can be contacted via gp practice or health visitors. Schools and nursery can also help with that.

eatyourveggies · 11/07/2023 22:11

The Oxford Vaccine Group - independent information about vaccinations and infectious diseases.

www.ovg.ox.ac.uk

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