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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Why are all children being immunised against flu?

383 replies

MiniChedda · 13/10/2016 21:29

I am curious about this, my y1 DC is due to get it at school next week.

DD had flu but it was no worse than a sickness bug.

Wouldn't it be better to give the meningitis vaccine instead as it's so much more serious?

OP posts:
hildredmubble · 14/10/2016 18:51

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

hildredmubble · 14/10/2016 18:52

redspottydress You linked to one very low powered study.

redspottydress · 14/10/2016 18:54

But there is a theory that the flu vaccine increased children's risk of catching other respiratory infections.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423139

redspottydress · 14/10/2016 18:56

Hildred - that's as maybe. Let's remember who has all the money and motivation to fund these studies. (And then pyblush them or not, deoending on the outcome) Besides which even the Cochrane report on adult flu is hardly going to convince anyone that they have a moral duty to have the flu vaccine.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 14/10/2016 18:57

verbana did you read my post (page 5 I think) my healthy 10yo dd nearly died of flu, if you had any idea of what I went through you would be first in the line to get your kids vaccinated. Its for the grace of God and the amazing NHS that she is sat next to me now. She has no underlying conditions, is a strong (does tons of sports, eats healthily) and usually well child. There was no reason to think that flu could have potentially killed her.

As it was after 48 hours of a high temp her lower airway swelled up so much that she could no longer breathe unaided, to see your child struggling and unable to breathe is the single most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed. She needed 2 days in ITU ventilated and was on various sedatives, antibiotics, steroids and pain killers. The whole experience was as i'm sure you can imagine incredibly traumatising.

Just because you don't know anyone in rl that this has happened to, doesn't mean it doesn't happen and won't happen to your kids.

This was caused solely by flu, they tested her for everything no secondary bacterial infection was ever found.

I still can't believe it happened tbh but it did.

redspottydress · 14/10/2016 18:57

Publish. ... depending

Antivaxx · 14/10/2016 19:09

hildred I reported your post about verbena. Totally unnecessary

Verbena37 · 14/10/2016 19:17

Hildred lowering yourself to call me stupid kind of neutralises anything you've said so far in this thread.

I'm not stupid.
I've got 8 GCSEs, four A levels, a 2:1 BSc degree, a diploma in health and social care, I'm a doula, breastfeeding peer supporter, I'm a trained mental health peer supporter and was a training midwife.

Now call me stupid.......didn't think so. Hmm

Dawndonnaagain · 14/10/2016 19:26

Tell the government to stop scaremongering and giving out compensation payments for disabilities caused by vaccinations
As has been pointed out, they rarely do.
I still await your peer reviewed evidence...

kali110 · 14/10/2016 19:29

Don't think they'll remove that post somehow Confused

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 14/10/2016 19:31

It makes a very good point. Although I hope that no nurse would say something quite so stupid and ill informed just to stop an argument with a patient.

thinkfast · 14/10/2016 19:33

I can't get a vaccine for my son. Up to and including age 4 they do it at gp. Age 5 and over they do it at school. However school is just vaccinating years 1 and above. Ds is in reception. Can't find anyone to do it privately as children get it on the nhs. Grrrr

hildredmubble · 14/10/2016 19:41

So, a failed midwife? Hmm Was that the "critical appraisal of evidence" module?

HoobleDooble · 14/10/2016 19:41

I had bad flu about 16 years ago, it was bloody awful, but had a silver lining in that, after 2 weeks of not leaving my bed to have a cigarette, I managed to kick my smoking habit.

Wouldn't recommend deliberately catching it as a method though!

adagio · 14/10/2016 19:41

wow this thread is a right bunfight! Flowers to all who have had horrible hospital experiences - very thought provoking so thank you for sharing. I am pro vaccine anyway but stories like those really brings it all home.

Thanks to the poster pointing out sainsbo have it on offer - very useful.

My 3yo dd will get it when it is offered - I may now call the doctors to chase up next week. My 8month old isn't entitled (too young) and as am not pregnant I won't be offered it either, but might hunt it down at a pharmacy - will ask the doctors first if I can pay them as I think it will be helpful to have it at the same time as 3yo nasal spray to encourage compliance!

AmbivalentGirl · 14/10/2016 19:49

Oh silly me, your 8 GCSEs and doula qualification obviously completely outrank a medical degree.

hildredmubble · 14/10/2016 19:51

You can't buy it privately from the gp surgery where you are a patient, I don't think.

crashdoll · 14/10/2016 19:53

It's impossible to have sensible discussion with someone who has name changed to goad and who posts grinning smilies and silly words "byeeee" when it's hardly a laughing matter. It's pathetic actually.

Verbena37 · 14/10/2016 20:01

Gosh.....leaving this now because i hadn't said anything personal to anybody and now, certain people can't be nice.

Hildred I didn't fail midwifery. I left because my son had a diagnosis of ASD and so I chose to give up on my dream of becoming a midwife to care for him.....not that I need to explain myself to you.

And Ambivalent girl I wasn't saying any of my qualifications outranked anything......just pointing out that I'm obviously not stupid! Let's hope it isn't you with the medical degree....treating patients having a disrespectful attitude like your's!!

Natsku · 14/10/2016 20:02

You don't have to be stupid to be ignorant, plenty of intelligent people are ignorant of some things.

JacquesHammer · 14/10/2016 20:11

antivaxx what? My choices to keep my kids alive?

Yeah.....I think I will live with your outrage thanks.

Grin
Shurelyshomemistake · 14/10/2016 20:18

I find this all so distasteful.

Can we not just talk about this on the basis of actual, scientific, peer-reviewed evidence?

Which according to my literature review, tells us this:

A tiny minority of children who receive vaccinations - for flu or other infective agents - will suffer adverse effects and possible life-altering injuries.

The overwhelming majority of children who receive vaccinations will not suffer adverse effects.

The reduction in deaths attributable to flu, or serious disability from flu, outweigh, statistically speaking, the number of cases of vaccine damage or serious adverse effects from flu vaccination when the data's looked at for, say 10 years. Note: this does NOT mean that deaths or serious disablement from vaccine damage are insignificant. They are heartbreaking for all concerned. But then so are avoidable death and disability from flu - and there are more of those.

The flu vaccination varies in efficacy from year to year.

The mortality rates and rate of sequelae from flu is much higher at population level than the rate of flu vaccine damage, at population level.

And that's it.

Vaccinate, don't vaccinate, whatever, but if you disagree with the above, then what evidence are you using to back up your argument? I am completely willing to engage seriously with anyone who presents credible evidence reaching different conclusions to the above. It's just that no-one ever cites it Sad

mimishimmi · 14/10/2016 20:21

I've had the flu vaccine twice. Both years I got a really bad case of the flu afterwards whereas I normally never get it. Never risked it again Grin

dinosaursarebisexual · 14/10/2016 20:23

Awaiting lack of autism in the Amish anti-vax bingo.

Shurelyshomemistake · 14/10/2016 20:30

Anti vax bingo. There's an idea.

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