To wonder why on earth you would not vaccinate your DCs?

[olimpia]

I hear from another thread that some people choose not to vaccinate their DCs at all and I'm genuinely interested to hear why because I can't think of a single reason not to. I can perhaps understand opting out of the MMR if someone believes the bad press (not that I do) but all the other vaccinations? Why, oh why?
(not a troll! Just relatively new to MN)

Did I tell you that I love you today MrsDeVere cos I do you know :)

That's what I was trying to say less eloquently of course.

Oh I see what you mean reindeer
However, Of the people I know who don't vaccinate, and it does tend to be mmr specifically. They tend to be the people who have researched and researched the subject and not taken the decision lightly, but for specific worries over their children's health. I don't know anyone (obviously no indication that it doesn't happen) who wouldn't vaccinate for no reason, laziness, or thinking herd immunity will cover it. What would be the point. If you don't think the vaccine will harm your child,it's probably easier to get it done than not get it done.

Raindeer = x-posted. Ironically I would still consider the decision in my case a lifestyle choice

MrsDeVere
Want to get angry with me about a few plenty of women who will not allow their darling dds to be vaccinated against hpv because it may make them promiscuous!

Btw reindeer I do agree with lunar's last post
With your child it is a known risk, with many it is an unknown or potential risk, I guess it's weighing up that risk for your own child whilst maintaining community responsibility that's important

Mince, the vaccine could harm my child but I would risk the vaccine over the risk of my child catching measles which would cause him innumerable problems. He could die from measles, as could DH (post transplant and on steriods patient). Single vaccines are still available at a cost for those who don't believe in the MMR, so there isn't that excuse.

Lunar, I am not judging you, if you feel that your decision not to vaccinate is a lifestyle choice then that's up to you. But I agree with your decision not to vaccinate in your case. I'm really not against you, I feel for you and I'm not against you in any way. :)

Dont get me started on that one dawn !

Catsdon'tcare- I must admit I had thought about it and read about it a little. I was called up short by DS' pead who, during a discussion about MRI scan he was recommending for other issues, and said "and of course we still haven't traced the cause of DS' autism" (ie they tested chromosome but not had the opportunity to look at brain structure).

Dawndonna - really

I my lay understanding of autism there is a genetic predisposition (still identifying the gene) that then has a trigger. The question is whether there is something in that vaccine that acts as a trigger.

Well quite. I am not against single vaccines per se, I do think they should be available more freely
Unfortunately in my case, my child can have neither for various medical reasons

I know what you meant reindeer (not about me being eloquent).
I know what you mean about vaccinations and chosing not to and understanding why people dont but wishing they would.

Its complicated innit?

single vaccines are available at a cost.
and for those of us who don't have the money?

I suppose I mean If I took the decision not to vaccinate I would on some level still feel I was being irresponsible.

Put very bluntly a child is better off vaccinated with autism but alive, than dead from measles. Put that way my decision is entirely lifestyle. But perhaps i'm being overly hard on myself. I do know that doing what I do now about autism and vaccinations, I'm not sure I would be happy making the decision either way round.......

I think i might be one of those mums that doesn't vaccinate but then rushes to vaccinate after contact

Well it depends very much on your own circumstances doesn't it
Reindeer, took her decision based on her knowledge of her families medical histories and goes with what is less risk to them
If you balance the risk of your child catching then dying from measles against a risk that they are very likely to have problems post vaccination, then you are going to go with the lesser risk

Lunar, I know several parents who wouldn't vaccinate after contact. They are all older parents who have had/had siblings who have had the illnesses and come out the other side with no ill effect. I don't think that I would vax after contact, the exception being when I was immuno compromised and caught CP as an adult. I wasn't aware at the time that I could receive medication for it and I'm still not aware of whether that would be a vax or some sort of "antidote" but would have accepted it had I known as I was incredibly ill (as in at risk, rather than just awfully rough) and I had little children who could have been orphaned as a result.

the problem is you can never truly know the risk

your child could catch measles and be just fine. your child could be vaccinated and be just fine

or your child could catch measles and die, or be vaccinated and die or be severely affected by it

you can't know until you do it, and then it's too late. so you are making a decision on a set of "potential" risks, and even then we don't actually know all the risks, especially those related to the vaccinations (IMO)

it's such a hard decision to make. I had decided to do single vaccines once my boys were around 9 or 10. But now I can't get the single mumps vaccine and it isn't looking likely to make a comeback.

DS1 has also been diagnosed with autism, and we suspect our youngest is on the spectrum too (he has not had any vaccinations at all)...

with regard to herd immunity... my priority is my children. Yes, it's selfish, but I'm the only one looking out for them and their health and wellbeing is more important to me than anyone elses.

YANBU

YANBU.

They stopped giving TB jabs as routine, and surprise suprise, TB cases are on the increase.

Unless there's a genuine medical reason for not vaccinating, it's selfish and complacent to rely on the immunity of the responsible majority.

Vaccinating after contact (unless as you say in exceptionally changed circumstances) just makes a mockery of the decision doesn't it
If you decide not to vaccinate then you have decided that having the disease would be less detrimental to the child than the vaccination
Vaccinating after contact, if it is widely done, does add weight to reindeers earlier argument that many do not vaccinate because they assume herd immunity with cover it
That thought does disturb me

i think though that some people choose not to vaccinate with an aim to doing in later, and just hope that their child will not be exposed to the disease before then.

which is why if they are exposed they then bring the vaccination date forward

Do people actually think that autism can be injected into a child ??????

Some people really have some very strange ideas about autism. One of the biggest areas of research into autism at the moment is the role of the immune system. So far it's known that it's often involved in some way in autism (I.e people with autism often have immune systems that react differently to those without autism) but that exactly how it is involved is poorly understood.

Autism isn't one thing btw.

I would find it strange if there are people not vaccinating without any concern - there is a lot of pressure to vaccinate.

My younger two aren't vaccinated because my eldest regressed and is now very severely disabled indeed. Given family history (and sequence of events for him) his immun system almost certainly played a role.

whoever said this:

A big part of why i haven't is because i don't think they are necessary in this day and age when we have clean water and sanitary living conditions.Natural immunity is the best immunity IMO.Breastfeed,eat whole foods,be healthy,stay away from chemicals,theres no reason why you would catch diseases if you do these things.

brestfeed and stay away from chemicals and you won't get measles or mumps? bwahahaha

right........ I totally forgot that breastmilk was so utterly amazing that it can prevent measles

A few things:

We don't have herd immunity(and never have) to MM and R in the UK.
We don't have herd immunity to whooping cough (because the vaccine only provides temporary protection)
There are still outbreaks of the diseases in countries with above 95% vaccination coverage (the required level for herd immunity apparently)
People choosing not to vaccinate is not always to do with Wakefield and the MMR.
For those of you who think it's ok not to vaccinate if there are medical reasons - sadly, some people only become aware of those medical reasons when their child is vaccine damaged. This may stop them vaccinating future children but wouldn't it be nice to know what those contraindications are so that children don't have to be sacrificed like that? The only way that is going to happen is when people stop denying vaccine damage.

That is all for now.

If the human race is so good at being "naturally immune" then why have so many people suffered and died during the world's innumerable outbreaks of diseases?

bumbleymummy do you also take into account the much larger number of children whose lives have been saved because they did have the vaccines?