.. to be really hacked off with my Mum over vaccinations

[MrsTwinks]

Me and DH are TTC. A passing comment from a relative about my mum and doctors got me thinking about my jabs so thought I'd better get my rubella checked.

Just back from the doctor and it turns out all vaccinations on me stopped when I was about 2. Everything. Now IIRC 1988 was pre the MMR scare, but even so I could understand that, except its all of them. They have recommended I have a polio and tetanus now, but I'm also missing BCG etc.

AIBU to be really fucked off at my mum for a)kinda for just doing it to start with but honestly really b) never bloody telling me!!

I work with kids, shes been on at me to TTC for literally years, and not once has she mentioned me not having had my jabs. The tetanus one really fucks me off too because as a teen I cut my leg open really badly on rusty metal, it got infected so bad even the holes from the stitches got all infected and she didn't let/make sure I had a tetanus booster. I suspect also she never told my Dad because he went ape when I nearly didn't have my meningitis c when I was 17. He was a SAHP with me at first as he was a student so I wonder if maybe it was only him who took me in the first place.

I'm still really mad 'cos I ust discovered it ontop of alot of other stuff she did but now its like she coulda been playing russian roulette with not only my health as a child but my kid's if I hadnt thought to check it iykwim.

and breathe

I realised it was in response to Leonie's post, math. our positions (as you know from previous threads) are similar.

I still don't understand why you would have an issue with that post - as jimjams points out, tetanus from a clean, bleeding wound is highly unlikely.

If you are sure your child's wound is nice and clean then by all means go ahead and refuse the jab. But bear in mind that you can't actually tell what is in fact 'clean' with the naked eye.

I don't find it that difficult to tell the difference between a puncture wound and a graze tbh. One is a far higher tetanus risk then the other. As I've said already I woukd prefer my children to have tetanus cover but not if it means having to have a whole bunch of other jabs at the same time which currently is all that is on offer.

The difference I was thinking about was that between a wound that harboured Clostridium tetani or a spore thereof and one that didn't, in light of this statement:
'And yes, I will refuse tetanus jabs for mine when they have large cuts as well.'

(You could take advantage of an offer to have your child vaccinated against tetanus in the case of a trip to the A&E when the single jab is offered, Saintlyjimjams.)

You would hardly take your child to A&E for a graze after all.

No I couldn't math - their age means they are offered dtphib menc - no thanking you. Esp when ds3 is prone to seizures.

Ds2 will soon be 10 so we may be able to revisit choices then

A well oxygenated wound containing clostridium tetanii isn't really a problem though - unless it finds a dank unoxygenated area. So no of course I wouldn't go for a graze. I worry about puncture wounds. But tbh if I had a dirty puncture wound i'd be asking for passive tetanus as well - despite my however many previous jabs (although last one 20 years ago).

Yes of course not having tetanus jab is a risk. Everything is a risk - and choices have been made knowing what we know about their immune systems. We do have one fully vaccinated child so our choices have been made based on previous experience and test results from investigations carried out on him.

And if future test results change the 'model' we have for ds1 then we may change our mind about the decisions we have made to date. Unfortunately it's not really possible to carry out a lot of the tests that would give us more information on ds1 at the moment.

mathanxiety even in A&E single tetanus vaccine wouldn't be given - it's not available on the NHS in the UK. You may however be offered tetanus immunoglobulin if the risk of tetanus infection is high.

If interested in tetanus and tetanus-prone wounds you may want to look here at the HPAs protocol for tetanus.

I think that's the one I had in mind Sidge.

Oh good for you.

I don't live in fear either, despite having my DCs inoculated against everything going. Largely because I ignore the scaremongering and actually find out the facts about vaccines, etc.

LeonieDelt You clearly have your own reasons for not wanting to vaccinate your children, I understand that, but do you really not see any benefit in them at all?
Bunbaker says "How do you think smallpox was eradicated? Why do you think that polio is virtually unheard of in this country?" Do you not see the benefit there?

My own grandmother lost a least one sibling (some relations tell me it was more) to a disease which is these days vaccinated against. It was so common then. If there were no such thing as vaccines that would still be happening all the time. Would you rather that?

Actual facts leonie, not your imaginary ones, if thats whats confusing you. Do you have some kind of alarm, flashing lights when there is a vax thread on mn? You seem to leap in to action every time.....

Op YANBU to be angry with your mother if she actively prevented you from having the vaccines . I am pro vaccine , but have no issue with the likes of leonie who, for what sound like genuine medical reasons choose not to vaccinate . The issue is ,whatever your mothers reasonings, she should of informed you .

I have no issue if Leonie's children are unable to be vaccinated. Fair dos, not sure of the reasons but as I'm not a medical person I can't comment. But the utter failure to recognise that measles, polio, tetnus etc could be contracted and fatal to some children and that vaccines are perfectly safe for the vast majority of children makes me question her rational thinking!.

kind of funny seeing this argument from the point of view of an adult not getting them.

i still do not really understand people who refuse to get their children vaccinated. It seems as absurd to me as not getting a needed jab forgoing somewhere abroad because it may have a small risk associated with it.

Er minimisschief - many of the people on this thread (and the vast majority of those I know in RL) who have unvaccinated children also have older vaccinated children. Therein you might find your answer.

So you are happy to play russian roulette with measles, etc

I have yet to see any research that says auto immunity is affected by vaccines. Even the mytochondrial associations recommend that children with Mitochondrial disease should be vaccinated because the actual disease will do far more damage than the vaccine. The problem with MD is that the children are affected by fever, so in effect they are not vaccine damaged as such because they can the same response to an ear infection or the flu.
Mitoaction
"Vaccinations are critical in protecting the health of our children. All children, even those with suspected or known mitochondrial diseases, should receive the recommended vaccinations. The risks of these communicable illnesses outweigh the risk of vaccine-related reactions. Any causal relationship of thimerisol to incidence of autism has been disproven by observing the incidence of autism before and after eliminating this form of mercury from the vaccines. MitoAction encourages parents to talk to their pediatrician about these concerns."

"This sort of blinkered thinking makes my blood boil."

But they are safe for the majority of children. You have stated very valid reasons for not having your children vaccinated which I accept without question. My child does not have the problems your children do and so I have gone ahead with vaccinations and had no problems. Most children don't have these issues either. All the children I know have been vaccinated for everything and have had no adverse side effects.

"The problem is, you don't know for which children vaccines are dangerous until after the fact when your child is damaged for life. Russian Roulette with childrens' brains is not actually very funny."

Isn't it playing Russian Roulette by not vaccinating a perfectly healthy child? The benefits of vaccinating healthy children far outweigh the risks. In a cash strapped NHS I really can't see them vaccinating children if it was as dangerous as you make out. I accept that vaccinations carry a small risk, but I prefer to choose that small risk than the greater risk of my daughter catching the disease that we vaccinate her against. Life is full of risks, but I weigh them up against each other in a logical manner.

The problem with googling vaccinations is that there is very little unbiased literature about.

What difference does it make? they would have worn off by now?