to worry about using the tube? (MMR)

[mamabellasworld]

We currently don't live in the UK and I am planning on coming over to London with DD to visit. Of course I am looking forward to the trip, however I am worried about using public transport, i.e. the tube. DD is 14 months old and has not yet had her MMR jan, so I am really worried about exposing her to the crowds that you (of course) encounter in London when travelling on public transport, visiting museums, shops etc.
DD will be getting her jab next month, but for various reasons I could not schedule the trip for any later than this month.
I am aware that I might sound totally crazy (yeah, go on, tell me :-)), but pls do let me know: How did you deal with being around crowds, using the tube etc before your child had their MMR jab? Did you worry at all?

Didnt worry at all.

What would you do? stay in for the first 18 months>?

I wouldn't worry because your child is as likely, if not more likely to catch something from other children that she presumably has contact with.

If you are really worried, can you get her jab early? MMR can be given earlier if needed.

My DC have never had the jab. It would not occur to me to worry tbh. The place they are most likely to catch it would be school or nursery but even then very unlikely.

Why the tube in particular? .

If you think about it rationally, there must be children under MMR immunisation age living in London, and they must occasionally leave the house and travel by public transport to crowded cafes, museums etc. Unless London babies are like baby pigeons, and you never see them.

Does she have no immune system? You do realise humans come equipped with one generally, aided by good nutrition? They arent a open canvas for evil germs to pounce on.

I live in London - had no qualms about taking my kids anywhere and everywhere pre MMR

YANBU - there is currently an outbreak of measles across Europe which is worse in London and the SE (linked to an epidemic in France). I am not sure what I would do in your position. The OP is obviously thinking about the tube as it is an enclosed warm space, which would be a great place for incubating germs.

I think however, the likelihood of catching it may be minimal and as previous posters have said, there are babies under the MMR age who will be travelling on the tube. It's not like you are doing it everyday, it's just for one trip, so the odds of your child getting it are dramatically reduced.

Measles info
News article on outbreak

You dont automatically catch something because you are exposed. Like i said, humans do have an immune system. It does the job its meant too.
None of mine have had the mmr and dd1 now lives in London and travels daily. She never even gets colds.

My dd caught measles from a child at nursery. She was under the mmr age and he had had the jab in the morning. Despite warnings to keep him off for the rest of the day, the parents ignored it.

My dd is healthy and has never been affected by it.

Neither of my dc will have the mmr (no point now for dd).

Your dc is more likely to fall down the escalator than catch measles, mumps or rubella from one trip - hold hands tightly, they are steep!

Have a great vacation.

The mmr scenario is a red herring - although it will increase the emotion around aibu of course.

You are asking how to deal with an unvaccinated child on the tube because you fear there may be a risk.
No one can tell you there is no risk.
No one can tell you your child is likely to be harmed.

So you simply need to treat the risk rationally and decide if the benefits of the trip are worth the small chance of harm or is your fear of measles so great that you need to stay at home.

And only you know that.
No one on the Internet can tell you anything that will make this anything other than what it is -which is your decision.

It is parenting.

If you can, just try and avoid the crowd times - commuter mornings and 5-6pm. This is not to avoid disease - I think you knowing that you are being a tad irrational - but just to make things more comfortable space-wise for you and the children.

If you deal with these fears, you will have achieved something.

Remember that 20 yrs ago, no one had immunisations against these diseases. Most kids caught them and were fine. A small minority were not, which is why the vaccinations are a good thing. But it seems irrational to avoid crowded places in a city where most kids will have been immunised on the offchance that your kid catches it. Yes, there is a risk that your child could catch measles, mumps or rubella AND be one of the small minority of unlucky ones who don't just feel a bit unwell but have lasting effects but that is a pretty small risk. There are risks every time you make a car journey (someone else falls asleep at the wheel/drives like an idiot) or cross the road but you don't (I assume) avoid doing those things or worry unduly about them.

I'm a Londoner and all of my friends with kids have taken them out and about (including on the Tube).

But as punk says,please do try to avoid peak times. Not only will these be uncomfortable for your child, they will be uncomfortable for everyone else in the carriage.

of course we had immunisations against these diseases 20 years ago, don't be ridiculous!

maybe avoid peak times if you are that paranoid, but does your child live in a vaccuum where you are now???

I had an mmr 20years ago mine didn't work though

I'm 37 and was immunised against measles and rubella as a child, amongst other things. We were expected to get mumps in those days though.

Of course children were immunised against diseases 20 years ago!

On the OP I think that your child is more likely to be exposed to illnesses in places where there are other children - nursery, playgroup, that kind of thing. There have been some measles outbreaks around here and they have centred around schools.

I would not worry about taking an unimmunised child out on the tube / in london at all.

What an odd op!

Where do you live now?

arf- my sister is 30, and had the measles vacc.

I brought my 3yo DD2 to London last year and she enjoyed copious journeys on the underground and London buses. She hadn't got the MMR yet (I have a policy of not giving MMR to my kids until they were 4yo - she's immunised now!). She didn't even catch the flu!

So I would relax and enjoy your trip.

Seriously? Everyone who has children under the age of MMR jabs in London seem to manage perfectly fine.... As said above, I would avoid the tube like the plague between 7am and 9.30 and again in the afternoons between 5 and 7, only because they are unpleasantly full of commuters, no room for buggies etc. The rest of the time the tube is (mostly) uncluttered and a great way to get around with them. I wouldn't say you need to worry at all.

Thank you so much everyone!
We live in a fairly big city in Germany at the moment and I do realize that there is always a minimal risk, even in a place less crowded than London.
Thanks for your thoughts on this as well as your tips regarding travelling with a toddler. I'll definitely try to avoid rush hour.
It's going to be our first trip outside Germany and I think I am just a bit nervous about travelling alone with DD for the first time.

Your biggest problem on the tube is likely to be discovering it isn't like your lovely German transport system: clean, reliable, modern, but more like a descent into hades....

That was a typo - was supposed to say 30 years rather than 20.

I am 35 and wasn't immunised against measles, mumps or rubella as a kid (although I did have the latter age 12 which was standard then - because of rubella's harmful effects during pregnancy) and had all 3 as a child. My parents were not anti-immunisations, they just were not offered! I heard of measles parties so kids could get it out the way (I didn't go to these but they were not uncommon). The point is that the immunisations are a relatively modern phenomenon.

I am v surprised to hear that someone 37 was vaccinated against measles. None of my peers at school were. And I don't believe my younger cousins were either.

We had them 30 years ago too. Measles vax is nearly 50 years old.