To not give my children the swine flu vaccine?

[wintersnow]

I decided not to last year as I wanted to wait and see how safe it was but am reconsidering this year after several people have died. Did you give it to your children and what were your reasons to give/not give it?

And Pixie I do understand some of your emotion - my DS was on life support at one time and was very vulnerable when he came out of hospital, and I got very upset when people were cavalier about germs and protecting the vulnerable. It must be very very hard living with that all the time, if that is the case for you.

Leonie - yes I have. But this is rare. High infant mortality rates as a result of no vaccination are a significant risk.

Pixie, I second what has been said about your daughter and wish you all well. Rest assured, as a cancer survivor with a crap immune system I am indeed ultra-vigilant about illness in my children and am quick to isolate them whenever necessary. I get quite cross when others don't - there's a big difference between exercising choices which could adversly effect a person's children, such as vaccination, and. say, making the choice to take a child with chicken pox out in public because "Tarquin wants to go to playgroup" or whatever.

Mine were all vaccinated in February/March. Would that still confer protection? Am assuming it might....

Fingers crossed.

Leonie - so how do you feel the World Health Organisation should combat Smallpox, Malaria, Tetanus, Measles, Typhoid, Diptheria, to name but a few?

Vallhala...what about those diseases that are infectious before symptoms are obvious? Not being narky - just want to know how you avoid this.

Bit confused. Everything I have read on the subject suggests that all of the research studies show that SIDS is more common in babies that haven't been immunized? Indeed lack of immunisations seems to be given as a risk factor for SIDS? Given that SIDS is most common between 1 and 4 months which is when babies are immunized every 4 weeks could coincidence not be at work in respect of the anecdotal stuff on google?

Electra, I respect your decision not to immunize your own kids, though I don't agree with your reasoning, and really don't like the idea of messing with herd immunity, especially when there are children who have conditions which mean that they can't be immunized. My concern is though that by drawing this connresearch which seems to contradict the relevant research, you might put scare people into not seeking immunizations for vulnerable kids

Doh, meant connection not connresearch

And I meant scare, not 'putscare', perils of typing whimsy BFing wriggly baby

And I meant scare, not 'putscare', perils of typing whilst BFing wriggly baby

Oh dear, not doing well am I?

Laneigejaune - don't worry about the typing for your arguments make perfect sense.

Leonie, I still think vaccination is the answer. But my Dh is demanding to look at sports scores now. So I'll have to go. Yes, sanitation is a first step imv.

H'owto: start with clean water and sanitation, that's how we got better over here... bring western world civilisation to them and they'll also be healthy and clean.'

And yet the US, with such clean water and sanitation, experienced a massive polio outbreak last century, and continues to experience outbreaks of mumps and measles, which have proved deadly, among the unvaccinated.

Funny that.

I simply can't get my head round the reasoning of people who don't vaccinate their own children, and claim to be anti vaccine, but then rely on the fact that most of the population are vaccinated as protection for their own children

Surely this makes you PRO vaccination?
Or is it that people are pro vaccination,as long as it's done to other people's children not their own?

It just doesn't make sense as an argument.

Ok first post on MN
My son is not vaccinated at all and he won't be getting the flu jab. It is so fucking easy to preach when your on the right side of the vaccine reaction statistics isn' it?
My 34 year old sister was given the pertussis vaccine as a baby within minutes she suffered a severe fit and then a cardiac arrest. Her GP resuscitated her and she now is still in a wheelchair. The diagnosis a rare form of guilliane barre syndrome(a recognised severe reaction to vaccination) that she has never recovered from. On a good day she has the use of her hands and by use I mean just about hold a sippy cup.
My mum against her instinct was in her words bullied into giving my other sister her first jabs. She suffered a severe allergic reaction. You can imagine her guilt now. I will NEVER put the good of the herd above whats best for my child.

Leonie - unfortunately, without actual figures some of what you are saying just sounds too subjective.

But none of that was true in post-warII US, Leonie.

Yet there was an incredible outbreak of polio.

That couldn't be blamed on vaccines, poor sanitation or unclean water or mass unhealthy lifestyle.

But trying to discuss anything with some posters is like trying to teach a dog to read: a pointless endeavour.