To ask if you decided not to vaccinate your children

[Mintpepper]

Do you regret it? Did they catch any of the diseases that they could have been vaccinated for and what was the outcome?

And anyone who did get their children vaccinated - did they catch any of the diseases anyway? And do you regret vaccinating for any reason?

This isn't intended to start a debate for or against vaccination generally as that's been done many times, I'm more just interested in your personal experiences if you'd be willing to share them. Thank you.

There is no firm evidence that it causes complete sterility, but there is firm evidence that in can and does reduce sperm counts.

One of the arguments for it being better for children to contract it in childhood. The mumps component of the vaccine is less effective than originally thought. Hence the outbreaks in older teenagers/adults at university etc.

Which is why, as a pp said, you speak to your gp about getting top ups for your children in their late teens.
You don't say, "fuck it, it only lasts properly for x number of years".

"No offense but why would your compromised immune system be of anyone's concern when making decisions for their own kids? Surely everyone considers their kid's health more important than some rando."

This viewpoint only works if you are also equally as vocal and supportive of "my child caught a disease and died because someone else decided not to vaccinate their child. Im totally fine with that though because it was their choice."

Because choosing not to vaccinate is choosing for everyone, and other people are also choosing for you.

But how would your child catch said disease if they were vaccinated? And if they weren't vaccinated, then that's the risk you take - why would you blame someone else's kid for giving you the disease?

And yes, it is their choice and I respect that. Why on earth would I expect people to think of my kids when making choices for theirs?

I nearly gave up on this thread at page 8, but the posts since then are very interesting, indeed fabulous, thank you all from a retired dr.

Twenty (?) yrs ago the chat at the school gate was not what Tony Blair had done with Leo but what we doctors had done with our children. I guess if you can wade through 8 pages of the usual, often vitriolic, replies (unlike OP who seems to have returned to the office) then you really have something to offer. So I will add a couple of things: I had MMR in my 50's. I exposed DS to rabies vaccine in utero for the benefit of his big sister. No one caught anything, no more autistic tendencies than his grandfathers or father (me) and no regrets.

Name change , herd immunity. I and others rely on it. Mess with it and people can die. But if that's ok with you, then fine. Might as well drink and drive while you are at it.

Not vaccinating your child is something people do because they believe it would be of benefit to their child....like if they're had adverse reactions in the past.

Drinkdriving has no benefit whatsoever. It's not really comparable.

Clalpolly And one of the risks of vaccinations is death too.

Leaving aside those who cannot have MMR due to likely adverse reaction, myself included, vaccinating your child is socially responsible. Like not drink driving. The consequence of either could be the death of other people.
I rely on herd immunity to keep measles away from me. As does anyone one else, young or old who is immunocompromised and/or physically can't have the vaccine (as agreed by a qualified medical professional- not some berk on Facebook).
Undermining herd immunity for no legitimate reason is equivalent to drink driving . People can die because of your selfishness.

Petal - prove it.

I'm now in my early 30s. My parents didn't get us the whooping cough vaccine or another vaccine (can't remember which other one) as they were concerned about an autism link myself and my sibling both caught whooping cough. I was a young baby so was extremely ill with it, and now have a permanent hoarse sounding voice, along with ongoing respiratory issues such as asthma, regular chest infections etc.

Very angry at my parents for making such a stupid decision. It's the child that suffers the consequences, not the parent, it should be compulsory to be vaccinated.

WHO organisation, 2017. Clearly stated on their information on risks of vaccinations, clearly stated by HCP before administering vaccinations.

I've been unable to vaccinate DD due to a near fatal reaction to the 5 in 1. My boys are both fully vaccinated.

She has had one illness that is vaccinated against. I go through life terrified she will catch another but as the NHS are unable to offer vaccination via a different route and we can't afford to do it privately I have to live with that.

If it's possible to do so I'd always vaccinate.

" People can die because of your selfishness."

People can also die form your selfishness son insisting they vaccinate their children with a vaccination where death is one of the risks.

My dd is at higher risk of death walking to the shops to buy ice cream. Should I never let her out?

Clalpolly I'm also immunocompromised. I don't like DD not being vaccinated.

Unless that trip to the shop would lead to anaphylaxis it's not really comparable, is it?

Knocked down by a car - the most likely cause of death when you walk to the shops.

Unsupported allegations that vaccines are likely to kill you are irresponsible rubbish.

"Unsupported allegations that vaccines are likely to kill you are irresponsible rubbish."

No where have I used the word 'likely'. The fact I said there is a risk of death is backed up by WHO, CDC, every single health care professional that administers vaccinations, because you know what, there is a risk of death.

I also can't be vaccinated; it doesn't make me shout out that there are no risks to others. There are risks with them, and one of those risks is death.

You still haven't answered whether I should let my daughter go down the road to buy ice cream because, despite her Road sense, some drunk driver could kill her if she has the misfortune to be hit by their car?

I'd like to see the figures for death as a direct result of vaccination, please.

Clalpolly That decision is for you to make as a parent, that's part of the role of being a parent - to assess the risk to their child; to assess what they feel is the acceptable level of risk for their child, and indeed what risks are not acceptable to their child.

It seems you do not understand this basic concept in parenting.

Clalpolly - if they have mumps as a child there is a lower risk of complications. Around 1/3 cases are completely asymyomatic. If you haven't had mumps before you hit puberty you could be vaccinated then but, given that it isn't as effective as originally thought, you won't necessarily get immunity from it so you could still be at risk as an adult when there is a greater risk of complications.

These vaccinated but non-immune people could also be contracting and speeding the diseases. It seems unfair to always point the finger at the (very few) unvaccinated children.