Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

999 replies

olimpia · 04/07/2012 20:49

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)

OP posts:
bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 00:15

"why have so many people suffered and died during the world's innumerable outbreaks of diseases"

How have so many people survived?

VolAuVent · 05/07/2012 00:16

Because they became immune, but so many more could have been immune had they been vaccinated.

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 00:18

Volauvont, it sounds like you think that the 'collateral damage' is worth it. I wonder would you think differently if the collateral damage was your child? Personally, I'd rather find out why certain children do react do badly to vaccines rather than just sweeping them under the carpet. Just. Y opinion though, fwiw.

VolAuVent · 05/07/2012 00:23

But it sounds like you think the potential devastation of fatal diseases is "worth it" if you can find out more about what you think vaccines may do...

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 00:25

How do you think they became immune V?

Humans managed to survive well into the 20th century without all the vaccines we have today. Fatalities from those diseases were declining - mainly due to improvements in sanitation, living conditions and healthcare. In the countries where those conditions have not improved, these diseases are still much more deadly.

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 00:26

So you think we should just vaccinate first and check for safety later?

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 00:27

And it's not about what I 'think' they might do. Vaccine damage is real.

Graciescotland · 05/07/2012 00:52

I met a woman who was utterly convinced, and convincing, that her two children had been vaccine damaged. If she'd of had a third there's no way she's of vaccinated.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/07/2012 03:06

Of course vaccine damage is real. I have worked with people (SS) who had LD because of vaccine damage. Many more who were disabled by in utero and childhood diseases, though.

TapirBackRider · 05/07/2012 03:54

Neither of my dcs were vaccinated - on the advice of a specialist from GOSH.

GothAnneGeddes · 05/07/2012 04:09

What does stay away from chemicals mean?

Does this mean you don't have H20 piped into your house?

ElaineBenes · 05/07/2012 04:53

Humans may have survived as a species, many individuals especially children did not. Google demographic transition bubblymummy. Such a strange and illogical argument to put forward.

jaggythistle · 05/07/2012 05:25

gothannegeddes yes we should probably warn cuddles of the dangers of dihydrogen oxide...

exoticfruits · 05/07/2012 07:08

why is that unfortunate exotic

Because I have a friend's DD who has been offered a fantastic summer holiday work experience, as part of her university course, and had her mother not had her fully vaccinated she couldn't have taken it. It is in UK. They wouldn't have taken her.

eragon · 05/07/2012 07:17

all kids vaccinated, even the food allergic one.

measles increasing etc world wide so is a bit concerning.
no herd to protect those who are not having vacinations.

its not so much the current generation of kids we need to worry about , its our grandchildren who will be carried in the wombs of unvaccinated population , then born in to it.

I am sure we will be seeing children in western world suffering with health problems previously not seen in parents and grand parents generation.

exoticfruits · 05/07/2012 07:21

I agree ergon - it is a problem to come.

amandine07 · 05/07/2012 07:22

YADNBU...this is a controversial topic and parents clearly have the right to make decisions regarding their own children.

However, with vaccinations it's not just their child, what about the children they go to nursery/school with? The ones who are, for whatever reasons, 'immune-supressed'...they are put at huge risk of contracting illnesses.

The concept of 'herd immunity' is very important and one of the core principles for how vaccinations work. What about common sense?

Once again, YADNBU.

minceorotherwise · 05/07/2012 08:08

It's common sense not to vaccinate the children who are at risk
We therefore need to do more research and put more funds into which children are at risk
Do we not have a responsibility to protect them too? Or as bubble always more eloquently puts it, is the collateral damage worth it?

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 08:13

Elaine, what's your point abou demographic transition? Are you trying to attribute it to vaccines?

I'm not sure what part you think is illogical. I think it's strange that people think that vaccines are the only things that keep us alive when we managed to get so far without them. That seems illogical to me.

Again, to recent posters. We do not have, and never have had herd immunity to m.m and r in the UK.

" its our grandchildren who will be carried in the wombs of unvaccinated population , "

You mean like we were? Like our parents were? Like our grandparents were? Like our great grandparents were? Hmm

"I am sure we will be seeing children in western world suffering with health problems previously not seen in parents and grand parents generation."

Probably. There is a lot of that around already and they aren't vaccine preventable.

VolAuVent · 05/07/2012 08:15

That's why I said "Unless there's a genuine medical reason for not vaccinating" bumbly. Yes of course there are exceptions and yes any genuine concerns should be scientifically investigated.

However for the vast majority, vaccination will be a good decision. As Elaine says, "Humans may have survived as a species, many individuals especially children did not."

BeingFluffy · 05/07/2012 08:18

Olimpia,
I developed Juvenile Chronic Arthritis as a result of the rubella vaccine I had when I was 16. Most of my young adulthood was ruined as a result. The doctors I asked could not guarantee that my DDs would not suffer the same result, therefore they have not had the MMR.

bumbleymummy · 05/07/2012 08:19

That's good Vol. so how do you think we should go about figuring out which children are medical exemptions?

Also, you realise that even vaccinated children are still dying don't you? Many individuals still don't survive...

VolAuVent · 05/07/2012 08:22

You can't necessarily know where the exemptions are, and no-one is saying vaccinations are perfect. But they are like any medical procedure - the benefits outweigh the risks.

minceorotherwise · 05/07/2012 08:27

Really? Would you have the same view if it was your child. If your child was damaged post vaccine, would you have a second child vaccinated?
When you go to the dr's to have the mmr, has any Dr ever asked for the child's history, autistic traits? Family history of autism? And pre disposing factors?
No, and you have to wonder what not, or you are just not doing justice to ensuring you have all the knowledge available before you vaccinate, not afterwards

saintlyjimjams · 05/07/2012 08:35

The problem with 'it's fine not to vaccinate if you have a medical reason not to otherwise you should' is that no attempts are made to identify those who might have a medical reason not to prior to vaccination.

I find that most people think that vaccination damage is fine, providing it isn't their child Hmm