To think Andrew Wakefield has blood on his hands for causing so much distrust over the MMR?

[chicaguapa]

That's it really. He's caused so much damage with his stupid little study. It was years ago, he was struck off, the study was discredited, but people still don't get the MMR because of it.

[CoteDAzur]

I forgot to say: I had no complications from either of the two times I had measles. All my friends, their siblings, and their friends also had measles, and nobody had any problems.

People of my generation remember when everyone had these childhood diseases and are hence less prone to emotive language, hyperbole, and insults on the subject of non-vaccination.

[poppypebble]

Lovely for you Cote. I nearly died and have long-term complications.

[CoteDAzur]

Not so lovely for you. Were you not taken to a hospital when symptoms started?

[CoteDAzur]

...symptoms of the complications, I meant.

[poppypebble]

I was taken to the GP, the encephalitis didn't set in till later, when of course I was admitted to hospital. Luckily I survived that, but it was touch and go. The eyesight problems remain, unfortunately.

[SimLondon]

There have been payouts totalling to millions in this country for vaccine damage. There have been many parents who are convinced of damage following the mmr, I've read some of their accounts on mumsnet, how many of them have been asked to take part in a scientific study? To my knowledge none.

No vaccine is 100% - some eg mumps are probably 60-75%.

No-one wants to risk their child getting ill though.

I personally went down the single vaccine route and I think that choice should be freely available to everyone.

[goestoshowyouthough]

The payouts in the US and Italy make me wary of the vaccine. Before those I was happy for my dc to have the mmr, given that the Wakefield study was discredited. I can't get my head around why if there was no case to answer whatsoever, compensation was paid?

No one wants their dc to be at risk of illness, but I need to medical profession to be able to answer this question to give me full confidence. The stock answer is "the study was discredited", but that's not the question I'm asking.

[recall]

So people honestly believe that you can inject Autism into a child ?

Get a fucking grip !

[poppypebble]

Jenner had to put up with people thinking they'd turn into cows, so I suppose this is an improvement.

[BlackeyedSusan]

I remember wakefield. he had already been discredited by the time my children were ready for vaccines. it still niggled, a lot. i also remembered that my mum nearly died of measles pre nhs. I vaccinated. ds has autism... he was showing signs before the vaccination though, and it is not as bad as having a child who has died from measles.

[saintlyjimjams]

I had uncomplicated measles and was sent to play with my friend who had whooping cough while I was better but still quarantined :70's childhood:

My mum however has lasting damage from measles (deaf in one ear).

But well, ds1's disability is a different kettle of fish really, - and we have done everything we can to decrease the risk to ds2 and ds3 of regression (or actually of developing other family conditions). This has involved talking to doctors, to researchers and examining in some detail our own family history.

It was much easier to make decisions when we thought we had a child with an average (i.e. very low) risk of regression. Bit of a shocker of a decision when you know you don't.

[saintlyjimjams]

Do you know much about autism(s) recall or poppy?

[blueemerald]

Whilst I think that AW and the media are mostly to blame there is also the fact that in America when my mother rang for vaccine information (I have a chromosome disorder and she was concerned about vaccinations) and a courier brought 3 or 4 telephone directory sized books to our house. In England the women snorted, said they didn't supply that infomation (beyond the leaflet) and put the phone down.

After thalidomide and other medical scandals combined with the above attitude and the fact that payouts have been made abroad I don't blame any parent for being conflicted.

[poppypebble]

I have two relatives with autism, saintly, but I obviously don't know as much as you.

I do know, however, that had my measles been the result of non-vaccination, I'd bloody well never forgive the person who stopped me getting the vaccination.

[whois]

Andrew Wakefield is a total shit for what he has done. Mainly subjecting children to seriously painful and invasive investigations with no justification. Lumbar puncture anyone?

The damage to MMR take up should be blamed more on the press and on the large swathes of the population that don't understand research, risks, statistics etc

To me, if you don't get your child vaccinated (without and actual fucking valid reason like child is immune compromised), my opinion of you is basically scum. Fucking selfish compromising heard immunity like that for precious Tarquin.

[saintlyjimjams]

Oh right. So you don't know about the research into immune dysfunction and autism them?

I have spoken a bit to ds2 (not ds3 yet) about it - he'll get taught it at school soon anyway so will no doubt form his own opinion. I explained in simple terms what we felt had happened to ds1. He knows what severe autism is like, he lives with it. Well eventually he'll be responsible in some way or another for someone with severe autism for the rest of his life - which he's aware of - so he understands the impact of severe disability on family life.

[redspottydress]

Really whois.
I believe the mitochondrial issue is that the vaccine can cause fever. In children with mitochondrial disorder any metabolic stress can result in regression. There is a systemic study carried out recently which suggests that half of all children with regressive autism also have mitochindrial disease. Which is obviously several hundred times the rate it occurs in the rest of the population.

[lottieandmia]

whois - do you think nasty, insulting and aggressive and inarticulate postings are going to make people agree with you?

How dare you call people scum when they are trying to do the best for their child?

Would you vaccinate your child if you knew they would be damaged as a result?

Thought not...

[poppypebble]

I also understand the impact of severe disability on family life - being the daughter of two severely disabled parents and the carer of a severely disabled person myself.

I also know that my life would be a damn sight easier without my visual impairment.

Anyway, we aren't ever going to agree. To eradicate smallpox took compulsion, so vaccine refusal isn't a new thing and is never going to go away.

I have had the MMR myself, aged 15.

[CoteDAzur]

Why did you have the MMR vaccine, poppy? Were you worried about mumps?

[poppypebble]

Because I had measles aged 4 months - therefore not necessarily conferring immunity. Measles was going around my town and the whole school trooped into the hall to have the MMR.

I had already had the mumps vaccine as a child, and rubella aged 11.

[macdoodle]

Ans still no one is prepared to take personal responsibility for their actions, unbelievable. This is how it is nowadays, always has to be someone to blame.
Only a matter of time before this epidemic kills someone :(

[saintlyjimjams]

Redspottydress - ds1's NHS neurologist was very up to date on the mitochondrial research. He was happy to test ds1 as well (but we refused because it would have needed a GA and wouldn't at this stage tell us much about treatment).

Well them poppy you'll understand why we've been so keen to avoid a regression in either of ds1's siblings.

Luckily we have had access to helpful doctors over the years.