Anti vaxxers

[Tinhatsallround]

So the anti vaxxers seem to be out in force on social media at the moment and I'm finding it difficult to hold my tongue. I don't feel it's a choice in parenting that I can chalk up to a difference of opinion. AIBU to cut them out of my life and leave them to it? Or do I just change the subject when it cones up? I'm not sure I can stomach the selfishness of it.

Applebite, if you're making that comparison you also have to factor in the risk of actually contracting disease alongside the risk of complications if you catch it.

I think anti vax is a bit of a misnomer. I think vax-sceptic would be a better name. That is, that many who elicit not to vaccinate their child aren't against if in the sense they believe it's never done any good but believe it to be the wrong thing for them at this time.

Firstly, I am very pro vaccine. There. Nice and clear.

What I am concerned about is when I went for that whooping cough vaccine when pregnant I wasnt ALLOWED to read the patient safety leaflet and the midwife stated it only contained whopping cough (it doesn't...).

Why wasn't I allowed to make an informed decision when I asked advice? If I have to trust my newborn with someone, I expect to be told the truth and full information.

Anyhow, it was null and void as she hadn't ordered any vaccine so I didn't get it 🙄.

Also Applebite, the 1 in 5 statistic includes complications such as diarrhoea, vomiting and ear infections. Not pleasant but not usually considered serious (in the UK - obviously much more of a risk in developing countries)

Isadora, some people are against all vaccines. Some are just 'cautious vaccinators' and will delay/spread out vaccines and selectively vaccinate/ use alternatives to those on the schedule (e.g. single measles). There are some people who will accuse anyone who strays from the schedule of being 'anti-vaxx' but IME very few parents have given no vaccines at all unless they have a family history of severe reactions e.g. an older sibling.

Ziggy

Littlecaf - yes that's right - DS damaged by vaccine, twin DD fine. Vaccinated at 15 months. In our case we had plenty of video evidence and health visitor/nursery reports saying that he was a bright NT baby and even ahead of his twin in many areas.

Since this happened I have joined many different groups and forums and there are many thousands of parents with vaccine damaged children. There are numerous heartbreaking before and after videos online, the worst one I have seen is of baby triplets who all became severely "autistic" after being vaccinated.

I was always a staunch pro vaxxer but this experience has changed my mind. There is something just not right about the vaccination industry as a whole - the huge rise in "autistic" children, the increase in environmental illness generally, the financial incentives given to doctors surgeries for reaching their vaccination targets, the huge amount of profits made by big pharmaceuticals. I just wonder if the companies are using cheaper unsafe ingredients and more metals in their vaccinations to massively increase profits without regard to our children's health.

I suppose I would just urge people to build up their baby's strength and resilience before vaccinating, delay as long as possible and space them out as much as you can. Be extremely careful with premature babies or those with digestive issues. I wouldn't wish this experience on any other family.

I've never had any issues vaccinating my children. My 5 year old was fully vaccinated and I didn't even think twice.

I fell pregnant last year and I had my whooping couch/flu jab during pregnancy. Then I had my daughters first vaccines.

Thing is that after she had those 4 vaccines including the 5in1 and the rota virus, she suddenly and I mean suddenly stopped making a single noise except crying.

Previously she was cooing and interacting and laughing. Honestly it was like a different child overnight. She was completely and utterly silent for 10 whole weeks when she started to make some noises but they were limited.

She's now 6 months and still behind in her noise making.

Am I worried? Yes. I don't know if the vaccines have done something. And I'm terrified to get any more. But she's booked in to get the rest of them (I delayed them when this happened).

I want her vaccinated and I want her protected and safe. But I'm petrified that she's taken a mild reaction to them and additional ones could do something more severe.

Honestly it was so scary like a switch clicked and she was suddenly vaccent and silent.

Now I do understand those people out there who are sceptical of vaccinations.

Ultimately I will get her vaccines up to date and I will continue to vaccinate her as I'm to afraid not to but it's a really scary place to be.

Vacant*

Emily what a horrible experience for you.

I agree with an earlier poster that often the response of the NHS is near on hysterical if a parents questions or queries a vaccine.

My DS had a stomach condition that Drs thought might be an autoimmune illness. But when I indicated that I thought I should delay ( not refuse but delay) the MMR until his condition was properly diagnosed/sorted their reaction was OTT.

They told me that there was absolutely no way that the vaccine would make his condition worse ( even though they didn't know what he had). Unsurprisingly when j asked for that guarantee in writing, no- one was keen to give it.

There has to be more openness about possible side effects as without this the medics lose their credibility.

DS had the MMR at 3 years just in case anyone wants to berate me for being an anti vaccer.

Kiddo has their 1year jabs tomorrow. This is making me so paranoid (I wouldn't have any problem if I had faith in my GP or the government. Neither has a great track record for telling the truth or doing things because they are right rather than cash incentives)

sorry bumbley, but i must agree with the PP on a different thread who called your anti-vax agenda "sinuous". look at the rise in cases across romania and italy at the moment. there's your stats - there's what happens when people stop vaccinating. let's hope no more children die of something so preventable in this day and age.

That's chilling, iron. I really hope your little one is okay

glueandstick - don't let it make you worry. but do ask any questions that you want to ask of the dr and if they can't answer them, ask for someone who can.

if an anecdote helps you, DD had a nasty reaction to men b (turned out to be a combination of a bad local reaction on her leg and my inexperience as. parent), and so i dreaded MMR. and i did come on here and i did ask lots of questions and people were v helpful. in the end she didn't even notice she'd had it, once the shock of the actual jabs wore off.

Emily, I don't think there is a 'rise' in autism. There has been a rise in diagnosis of autism, where in the past a child may have been labelled with being 'difficult' or brain damaged etc etc.

Dontpokethebear - unfortunately that's not true. The amount of children with autism is phenomenal. There are now autism friendly cinema showings, shops including Tesco and Toysrus have autism hours. Six schools in our area have autism units plus there are two specialist autism schools. Our local swimming pool has a session for autistic children and it's completely packed. There are at least 1 in 5 children with the condition at the moment and if it continues to rise at the same rate it will be 1 in 2 by 2025. There have always been children with difficulties but not to this extent.

Applebite, I don't have an anti-vax agenda. The information I gave you about measles complications comes from the NHS. It says nothing about not vaccinating. The person who accused me of being 'anti-vaxx' on the other thread is one of those people who thinks using a different schedule/selectively vaccinating is anti-vaxx. (She also has other issues me that go back years) The single measles vaccine is still a vaccine.

With* me

The NHS' reacted disdainfully to me when I struggled with breast feeding but , in the same baby clinic, bent over backwards to accommodate another new mum with vac myths floating around her head. Plenty of time for her; none for me because I was some breastfeeding failure who wouldn't help them meet their targets easily.
So forgive me while I guffaw at this "NHS doesn't respect genuine concerns/ hysterical Facebook theories" idea.

Emily I'm sorry you have had that experience, sounds awful.

Can anyone point me to any scientific evidence, medical studies, journal/published evidence of vaccination damage?

Littlecaf this might be a start.

Littlecaf I'll try to find some evidence but here are the links to the government's vaccine damage claim form. You get £120k for a vaccine damaged child.

www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/overview

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4356027.stm

Littlecaf, there have been a few payouts recently for narcolepsy caused by the Pandemrix vaccine.

Sorry Emily, I meant that autism has always been around but it has been mislabelled/misdiagnosed as something else rather than a condition in its own right.

Not again

If you don't like people's views on fb just unfollow them if you can't unfriend.

Anti vaxxers, flat earthers and Holocaust deniers all share a common platform.