To ask my Dr to give baby ds his MMR before a trip to the UK?

[honeytea]

I live outside the UK in a country with very very high MMR uptake but we are due to visit the UK (south Devon) in July.

I have read that babies over 6 months in outbreak areas are being given the MMR, I will be visiting an area with very low MMR uptake load ofhippies I think the chance of measles being there is fairly likely there is an outbreak in north Devon at the moment and I guess it is likely to spread.

The problem is that I am breast feeding DS, my plan was to bf till he is 1 but I have had measles. My mother claims that I caught measles from my measles vaccine (pre MMR single vaccine) I gave measles to my younger brother so it seems it really was measles I am scepticle as to if i contracted it from the vaccine.

My HV has said that because I have had measles my antibodies will interfere with the MMR because ds will be getting antibodies from my milk, they also don't usually do it untill after 9 months.

Should I stop bf so ds can have the vaccination without it being effected by my antibodies?

Has anyone had their baby vaccinated early despite not living in an outbreak area?

I just want to keep ds safe.

Back in 2010, my DD was given the mmr jab at 10 months as a precaution as we went to France on holiday where there was a measles epidemic. She then had her usual mmr jab just after her 1st birthday. I had given up bf by then, but I would definately get the jab and carry on bfing.

Definitely vaccinate him...

What justabigdisco said ^

also, unfortunately NHS Direct wont be able to give you any advice because you are abroad. It's to do with nursing registration, it would be seen as 'practising abroad' without any knowledge of the local services (which I understand is silly when it comes to your query, but thems the rules )

I appreciate your concerns though. I think I'd be looking to have it done.

DS was still BF when he had MMR, it wasn't raised as an issue with me.

There is a zero percent chance you got measles from a vaccination, don't make stupid decisions based on that theory.

When DS had his MMR the nurse asked me if I was still breastfeeding him; when I said yes she said "good for you!" and then jabbed him. No question of my antibody status or anything so don't see why there would be any difference for you given you had measles as a child.

If I were in your shoes and going to a measles outbreak area with an unvaccinated baby, I would be going to my GP and asking if there is any good reason NOT to have the MMR well in advance of your trip.

There was an explanation of this on radio 4 last week. The expert being interviewed said that the vaccination is normally given at 12/13months because this strikes the best balance between the gradual waning of the immunity passed on in utero and the gradual increase in risk that a baby will come into contact with measles as they start nursery / playgroup etc. vaccination given earlier is less likely to give long-term protection because the existing antibodies the baby received from mum will fight back. HOWEVER, where the risk of a young baby coming into contact with measles is higher than usual (like in Swansea at the mo), it is better to vaccinate early to give that short-term protection, but still vaccinate again at 12 months and 4 yrs to ensure the long term protection is given. So,my understanding would be that yes, you should get your baby vaccinated before returning to Devon, but make sure she's also vaccinated at the usual times.

You could probably find the interview on BBC iplayer , might have been on Inside Health...

Oh, and no reason at all to stop breastfeeding!

I am so glad that breastfeeding won't be a problem!

realtalk I am not worried about ds catching measles from the MMR I was just saying that this was the information my mother was given by a Dr, I have read that there is a difference in how long the baby is immune depending on if the mother has natural immunity or vaccinated immunity. I don't think I am making stupid decisions.

My hv said they won't give the MMR before 9 months I am looking into single vaccines but I don't think they do them in this country.

I might just bring ds to the uk and then pay for him to have the MMR privatly on the first day of our holiday.

Hopefully the outbreak won't spread to south Devon but with such low immunisation rates I think it is unlikely.

Had mmr and booster for both and other jabs for travel while breast feeding, first dd for three years, second dd still feeding at 2

In fact I was actually breast feeding as they had them done!

The first lot I had done in Singapore when we lived there, booster and the rest in the uk

Breeding didn't seem to come into it

I can't believe my eyes. Do you really think an early mmr vaccine could be more beneficial to your babies health than breastfeeding? The best thing you can do for your child is Breastfeed. If they did contract whatever it is you are terrified of, which is highly unlikely given you are sharing antibodies with them, they would get it mildly and be able to fight it off much more easily than if they were formula fed. Formula feeding will lower their immunity, and no vaccine is 100% reliable. Most cases of measles are in those who have had the vaccine... Not the other way around.

If I was going to Totnes, I'd be exploring any option to get immunizations in. I loved living in Totnes, but vax rates must be very low there. I used to have very sad conversations with cancer patients whose acupuncturist or homeopath had told them this would cure their cancer. That I don't miss at all.

I'm sorry but Dave a lot of that post is simply incorrect.

The majority of measles cases are in the unvaccinated population. Hence unvaccinated children being offered the vaccine.

Breastfeeding is brilliant but it does not offer the same level of immunity as the vaccination.

Formula feeding does not lower their immunity.

Dave, sorry but that is not always correct. My DS2 was breastfed. At 4 months he caught chicken pox from his brother, and was very poorly.

(His brother, who was formula fed from 10 days, was exposed to chicken pox numerous times, before he caught it at 3 years. He had a relatively mild illness).

Dave, that's a really daft post. Yes, breastmilk is wondrous stuff, but it can't and won't stop kids getting nasty diseases. As for the stuff suggesting the vaccine causes the problems, well, you've humiliated yourself enough by merely saying that, so won't attack it further!

OP, what the HV told you is totally illogical, if you think about it. Do all BFing mothers stop Bfing by 9 months? Of course not! If what she told you was true, it would mean that either millions of children worldwide were not getting vaccinated because their mothers wanted to continue Bfing them or or it would mean that millions of mothers worldwide having to give up BFing their children at a set age in every country where they vaccinate! Many mothers BF long after 9 months, and certainly long after all vaccinations have been done. I was always told to take DS off for a nice long Bf to calm him down after having his jabs (not that I needed telling!).

Am a bit worried about you getting such ignorant and illogical advice from a HV. Also sounds pretty anti-BFing too.

I was told that the antibody is quite large and may not get in breast milk and it can be " soupy" in baby but probably from the placenta stuff it got, not necessaryril breast milk.

Honeytea

I am also in a quandary, my DD will only just be 6 months two days before we go away, we are not going to a hot spot however I am nervous about the airport, plane and destination.
I was told there is no reason not to give her the MMR as soon as she turns 6 months, however there is no way of saying how quickly her immune response will be.
someone up thread mentions getting it the day after being exposed.

I am also concerned that she has just had her other jabs, so an awful lot going in .....

I spoke to a senior person in immunisations who said pretty much what Poosnu said re placenta etc.

Why people higher up the chain in the NHS cant manage to filter down simple info to HV etc is beyond me. It makes everything v confusing,

anyway, I hope you sort it out - its so worrying isnt it!

My daughter was born in 1986, so was given the measles and rubella vaccines separately, as they did then. My son was born in 1987 so was given the MMR vaccine. As my daughter was with me when he was having it done the doctor said she would just give her it as well. I think so that she was also covered against mumps.

Even after being given the MMR jab and the separate measles and rubella jabs my daughter contracted measles a few years later. However, it was a very mild case. The doctors said it could have been much worse had she not been vaccinated. So yes, vaccination is not always one hundred effective to prevent the disease, but if the disease is contracted it can still help with the outcome.

Off topic a bit, sorry, but I recently visited Totnes and thought it was lovely. A castle, steam trains, walks by the river, easy access by train to other places, lots of interesting and original shops, a vegetarian restaurant (which made us very happy), in Devon and easy access to the rest of the West Country. We decided it lacked nothing except the sea, and that's only half an hour away. I don't know what it would be like as a place to live or bring up children but as visitors we loved it.

OK, as you were.

honey keep bfeeding and get him vaccinated in the UK if you can't get it done where you are :)

5mandthings I think that sounds like a good idea.

jan Totnes is very pretty, apart from the slightly odd attitude to modern medicine it is an amazing place and I had a very happy childhood there. If I lived in the UK I would live in Totnes. There is no sea but we would go swimming in the river :)

Luckily we are driving (the car journy across Europe probably hold more of a risk than a possible measles infection ) so we won't come into contact with people on the plane/train.