To not vaccinate my children against flu this winter?

[Isseyesque]

We have been offered flu jabs for DDs age 2 and 4. Neither have any respiratory/asthma type issues, and generally very good health (have been very fortunate in that to date they have rarely gotten ill and never seriously, not been on antibiotics etc).

AIBU not to vaccinate them as they don't appear to be high risk? My understanding is that flu is most dangerous to people with weak immune and weak respiratory problems. If they do get it, they'll be unwell but ok, and develop some resistance/ resilience etc.

However, I'm now wavering as someone said they heard on the radio that it recommended small children DO get immunised as it will reduce the spread of flu and therefore be better for others who are more compromised. I hadn't considered that previously, not sure what to do now.

[Goldrill]

Mine will be having it. If it were just on their behalf I might not bother, but there are a couple of kids at their nursery who can't have it, and for whom the consequences of such an illness are likely to be severe. I think we have a responsibility to them to do it.

[2old2beamum]

Ignore last comment of mine.

BTW agree with Goldrill

[CarmineRose1978]

Rainbunny, I had the pertussis jab yesterday (in the opposite arm to the flu jab!) both my arms were slightly achy yesterday, the flu arm more so. And now the injection sites are both a little sore to the touch, but no longer aching. I haven't had any sniffles or similar, though I had a bit of a headache last night... Could have been coincidence, though.

[Rainbunny]

Carmine - it would have been nice to get the flu and pertussis jab at the same time but I guess I'll have to have another sore arm next week!

[SoonToBeSix]

Yes yabu and naive also having fly doesn't build up a resistance.

[ShakeYourTailFeathers]

I'm absolutely stunned at some of the conspiracy theories on here.

That the jabs are only offered to make money for the pharma companies. That vaccines increase disease, that being otherwise healthy stops you catching communicable diseases

WTAF?!

[Stratter5]

Oh, I love all the conspiracy shit, it makes me roar

You can't cure stupid.

[tobysmum77]

you can't cure stupid but to assume all policies are correct isn't exactly intelligent either. The idea that immunising all children from 2-4 but not a 5yo with asthma is completely bonkers. And tbh parents have to look after their own dc so it's a bit of a weigh-up if it's only about protecting others I think.

The doctors phoned me back and are now saying that dd1 should have been identified as at risk in the first place. So that's good news at least and I will also be getting my younger one done. ...

To get identified as high risk is an annual battle though ime also with dh.

[tobysmum77]

stratter sums it up actually 'they make it up as they go along' yep, spot on.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

The last two counties I have lived in (singapore and USA) will not allow children into school, public or private, unless they are up to date with the respective country's vaccination schedule. You may gain exemption for medical or religious reasons but these have to be substantiated in writing by recognized professionals (religious leader, medical specialist etc). I wonder how long it will take for the UK to catch up......

[Rainbunny]

Butterflies - where I lived (San Diego) there was a very high rate of exemptions for religious reasons. It's so easy to do and the schools don't have any power to override it. You don't have to have a religious leader or a doctor sign off, you literally just check the box in a form and no further evidence is required. If you want a non-religious exemption then you do have to get the form signed by a medical practitioner stating they have counselled you. (California Law, passed 2013). As a result San Diego has been the site of the worst whooping cough outbreak in the nation a few years ago, nearly 2000 cases and 10 deaths. San Diego also gets regular measles outbreaks every year now.

A growing number of paediatricians refuse to accept patients that won't get vaccinated now. I don't know if that's having a beneficial impact though.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

Interesting, maybe its a state thing - I'm in Texas.

I would like to know the number of deaths in otherwise healthy (non immuno compromised) patients as a direct result of receiving vaccinations. Can it possibly be more than deaths caused by not vaccinating? Seriously folks....

Interesting reading from the WHO

[wobblyweebles]

Butterflies - where I lived (San Diego) there was a very high rate of exemptions for religious reasons. It's so easy to do and the schools don't have any power to override it. You don't have to have a religious leader or a doctor sign off, you literally just check the box in a form and no further evidence is required

Yep, same here in New England. It's easy to tick the form to exempt from the requirement to vaccinate. Not so many people do it here though.

The only thing I had to substantiate was that my children had had chickenpox (I got a letter from the doctor). They would still be allowed to attend school without evidence of either the disease or the vaccination, but if there were any cases of CP at school they would then be excluded for 10 days.

[MustChooseASecondary]

Vaccines are a miracle.
My grandfather lost both his parents to smallpox before he was even a year old. Thankfully, this is kind of tragedy ishighly unlikely to happen to other children in developed countries now.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but only facts are facts.

www.mamamia.com.au/news/vaccination-myths-busted-by-science-cheat-sheet-on-immunisation/

[MustChooseASecondary]

Your link is even better than mine butterflies, but I just wanted to second your thoughts.

[Chippednailvarnish]

Butter when my DH returned to the UK after living in Kenya as a child he wasn't allowed to start school until they were provided with immunisation certificates. That was in the 1980's so I'm not sure when it changed.

[gareth1237]

At a time when the NHS is cutting services, closing hospital's but spending millions on immunizations for the flu, which most people catch once or twice if ever! in there lifetime, all sounds a bit suspect to me. I agree with immunization for life threatening diseases but not the flu, use some common sense!!

[Nanny0gg]

gareth1237

Did you read the thread?

[Idefix]

Having watch my 2 dc suffer with flu aged 3 and 4yrs I wouldn't wish it on anyone, they were really wiped out by it, lost a huge amount of weight, missed 3 weeks of school/nursery and really took weeks before returning back to their old selves. We now always have the flu jab every year.
Not just for us but also to help build up the herd immunity for those who can't be vaccinated.

[LilMissSunshine9]

Well I am neither here or there on the matter because what it comes down to is the CDC or whoever it is decide which three strains of flu is predicted to occur in the year and that is what is in the vaccine - so if they get it wrong the vaccine is useless and there has been times when they got it wrong.

[MillieMoodle]

I think it's down to personal choice. I have a flu jab but DH doesn't. DS has the nasal spray. He is susceptible to winter colds etc and they usually end up going onto his chest (resulting in hospital stays) so I dread to think how poorly he'd be if he got flu.
Also my dad has really severe asthma (he also has the flu jab) and I do anything possible to avoid passing on colds/germs/viruses to him.
My auntie also had severe asthma and died from an asthma attack which was brought on by a cold/flu type virus so I am possibly more paranoid than most

[Hulababy]

My 12y DD is part of the large pilot scheme going on this year - for y7 and y8 children in selected areas.

I have had flu once in my life - horrid illness. Very debilitating. And potentially dangerous.

DD isn't in any vulnerable group. But there may be others in society who she comes in contact with who are. So for me, it seems better to immunise her now it is being offered. She will be offered some protection for an unpleasant illness, and vulnerable people in society will not then catch flu from her either.

[Hulababy]

The one DD is being offered is the nasal spray.

[StarUtopia]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but having read through a number, I can't find the answer to the question/concern I have about the nasal flu vaccine for kids.

The question is...if the school is vaccinating 200+ kids with a live vaccine all on the same day, surely if your child doesn't take the vaccine, they will get sick anyway because the live vaccine sheds?

Or is this completely rubbish?

Really don't want to put unnecessary toxins in my kid, but if that many other children are having it and it's contagious, I'm in no place to make a decision really.

Anyway advice would be great!

[Ttbb]

But they will also develop resistance from the vaccine-that's why it works. Do you know anyone who would be vulnerable if exposed? Like a grandparents or someone with a compromised immune system? What is more of a hassle to you the illness or getting the vaccine? I've always view flu jabs as non essential. Never had one but am considering one this year for the whole family to avoid spreading it to older relations.