Why aren't people vaccinating against measles?

[TableTurners]

Just read about the measles outbreak in Enfield and Haringey at the moment - just wondering why a lot of people aren't vaccinating again measles these days?

Apparently the UK has lost it's measles free status or something, just seems weird to me that we're letting something old fashioned like this go rife again.

There are similar issues with polio too.

As a society we are regressing. Lots of potential causes however this is a public health issue - vaccinations have to be mandatory unless there are extremely compelling highly exceptional medical reasons why children can't have them.

It should be compulsory for children entering education to have relevant vaccinations and as a double incentive if vaccinations aren't completed benefits should be withheld.

Which is interesting considering ethnic minorities have the lowest uptake:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6geyjd15lo

It’s so depressing isn’t it

As someone with vaccinated children, I think it’s sinister how many people on here want to take parental responsibility away and force vaccinations. I believe that to be an incredibly slippery slope. I asked some questions around my child’s schedule innocently (I like to know what’s going on) and was greeted by a very hostile and rude nurse who implied I was an anti vaxxer. That sort of behaviour turns people off (not me, but I can see how it would). One of the changes I was asking about, was my child’s second dose of MMR has been brought forward by a year to counter the rise in measles.

You can bleat on about forcing herd immunity but there are better ways in a democratic society, it starts by education and not shaming parents for having questions.

Covid did a lot of damage with its bullying and hysterical nature around vaccines. It will take some time to reverse it.

Well done OP

see that backs my theory about who it is

Because measles had been kept at bay for so long that people alive today have no direct experience with the devastating complications that come with it, especially for young children. There was a reason that a vaccine was created in the first place.

Those parents aren’t questioning - they think they know best because they’ve done their research - absolute twits

school is compulsory - it’s hardly been a slippery slope

it should be compulsory full stop for me

When it comes to Public health and herd immunity you shouldn't have a choice to opt out. If you want to opt out live in a different country.

This!

My point is I was questioning innocently why it had been moved forward and instead of an educated response, I instead was greeted with a barrage of anti vaxxer style insults and fears around my child dying - and not trusting google.

I wasn’t trusting google, I was asking the nurse who after further questioning didn’t actually know. In the end I checked with the Dr as I think it’s reasonable to ask why a second dose had moved from 3 years to 18 months.

That’s my point, maybe it’s not just anti vaxxer maybe it’s parents wanting to know what their children are being injected with.

Lastly, the MMR is now being combined with chicken pox which to some such as myself is great, but others may be fearful as it’s the first year of this in the uk. Sometimes fears or doubts are reasonable.

We live in a democratic country which I know upsets people like yourself.

It works in other countries, would work in UK

If tax free childcare and funded hours was dependent on vaccination unless a doctor stated they couldn’t have them I suspect rates would shoot up. Unlike primary education, nursery and taxpayer subsidies for your kids are not compulsory, if you want government subsidies you follow government advice!

Then what do we do about people from other countries who arrive here and have vaccine hesitancy? Genuine question.

I wasn’t talking about your experience - you got your children vaccinated - I was responding to your last comment about why

Yes but I’m saying my experience of asking for further information was met with distain.

So I think the education aspect and transparency needs better effort so parents don’t look at Google for information. I don’t believe in enforcement, sickens me the idea of Drs actively taking children away from parents to vax them. Even if I’m personally annoyed at people who don’t vaccinate.

They wouldn’t take them away - they’d just get vaccinated at school

im not with the argument that it’s low education - I think it’s the opposite - saw it all with some acquaintances during Covid - thought they knew better

Oh my god, I am a bit flabbergasted by these responses.

I suppose I'd heard about the anti-vax stuff happening after Covid but it went over my head, I'm not on Facebook or any social media so this passed me by. I had no idea it had become ingrained - I work in retail and we had a guy who worked with us who freely told anyone who would listen that the government are trying to inject everyone with a tracker chip in their arm so they can "watch our movements" but we all just laughed at him, no one took that seriously. It's scary to think that more than one or two odd weirdos are believing this crap.

Thanks for your answers, guys.

@MightyDandelionEsq I had similar when I had a very specific question about timing and illness and vaccination for one child - the assumption was I was anti vaccination despite me just having had one child just done.

I had to cut them off and asked the question very forecfully - didn't put me off vaccination was just very annoying.

I do think the could offer top up vaccinations at school age - but I too worry about making it compulsary and think grey area needing them for state education but if there are epidemic outbreaks it may come to it.

are vaccinations compulsory in any country? Does any on know?

maybe North Korea!!

Wow just had a look - a lot of Europe

so it’s not out of question for here

Thank you; I’m glad someone else can empathise.

https://ourworldindata.org/childhood-vaccination-policies

89 countires apparently -- with further 20 making it mantatory to access schools.

I don’t think it would shoot up. There would have to be exemptions for children who cannot have vaccinations - my DD has had the ones she can but isn’t allowed others - and people who really didn’t want their child vaccinated would just find doctors who agreed with them

If your child has only had the 12 month mmr are they quite at risk of measles ? I assume yes?