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.

Both my children have had all of their immunisations.

My son contracted pneumococcal meningitis and septicaemia at 8mo, which got into his heart and destroyed his aorta, meaning he had to have open heart surgery at 10mo. He was in heart failure and he nearly died. The strain he contracted was a very rare one, not covered by the vaccine. If there was a jab that covered that strain I'd give it to both my kids in a heartbeat.

If my baby boy's meningitis and endocarditis had been caused by a more common strain that I'd chosen not to vaccinate against then I'd never forgive myself.

Please please vaccinate, don't go through what we had to unnecessarily.

clalpolly - but it does highlight the issues with trying to define 'legitimate reasons' for not vaccinating. Some health professionals have told you not to, others are saying it's ok. Which group do you go with?

"I receive advice from specialists who say don't."

You said previously you were advised by the MS Trust, which was odd - as they clearly and publicly state on their website, very different advice with a list of references.

It doesn't change the fact you've not been "protecting those with vulnerable immune systems" when you could have because you are not uptodate with current information. Maybe start with self first, berate others second.

I go with the latest advice from health professionals.
Once health professionals tell the general population "meh, do what you like" you can follow that. Until then you should vaccinate if you can.

Ok. I'm totally lying about the information I received from health professionals to make a spurious point and to piss you off. Happy?

Clapolly has clearly said that she will check with her HCP. Lay off.

You haven't pissed me off :-)

You said you were told by the MS Trust you couldn't be vaccinated- they clearly do not support what you were saying with regards to not having vaccinations. And that information is in the public domain and they have backed it up with peer-reviewed papers.

"Lay off"

No, I won't - not after some of the things that Clalpolly has said in this thread about people who chose to not vaccinate and put other's at risk. It is hypocritical she isn't following her own argument with her lifestyle, and it's pretty sickening how she has slammed others too.

All if my three have always had all available vaccines.

I remember worrying about DD1 and DD2 with MMR because it was in the nineties at the height of the Wakefield controversy. Glad I did it though.

They have always had all recommended boosters too, and despite that DD1 still managed to finish her first year at uni by developing mumps.

Thanks Bertrand. In Petals' world, much like my small child, changes are made by the click of a finger.

Clalpolly - hahaha.

Really? Honestly, you've been quite horrible, and now very hypocritical.

Anyone who chooses not to vaccinate their child without a valid medical reason- and such reasons do exist is putting their own child and others at risk.

Anyone who posts vaguely about there being a risk of death from vaccination without backing up or qualifying the statement is scaremongering.

"Anyone who posts vaguely about there being a risk of death from vaccination without backing up or qualifying the statement is scaremongering."

I said vaccinations come with risks, one of which is death. It is a fact, not scaremongering and i shared the evidence for that, as well as the organisations that state it, as well as the fact that every health care professional raises it as a risk with you before they vaccinate.

"is putting their own child and others at risk."

No they are not, not necessarily. There child may never be exposed to the illness that the vaccine is for. Therefore there is never any risk to their child, or to others by not vaccinating.

I'd say the bigger risk is actually people walking around claiming that they rely on "herd immunity" when actually they could be vaccinated. Clearly, they are not being counted in the official "relying on HI stats (because technically they don't) and this could be skewing the actual percentages of who isn't being vaccinated due to choice and who can't be vaccinated quite severely.

It does build into a bigger picture of poor "evidence" on both the pro and the anti sides of the vaccine debate. Both are equally just as scary.

This does actually raise a bigger issue of which health care professional disseminated this information as we could have another situation similar to that that was seen in Belgian a few years back - do we know this HCP is sharing this misinformation with others? If so how many others? And is this part of the wider problem of why vaccine uptake in that area is not hitting the required 90% rate to maintain herd immunity

I said vaccinations come with risks, one of which is death

But you made it sound like a bigger risk than it is, on purpose.

Not vaccinating comes with risks, one of which is death. You didn't say that for balance, did you?

To be clear: the chance of dying or being injured from vaccinating is much smaller than the chance of dying or being injured from not vaccinating.

"But you made it sound like a bigger risk than it is, on purpose. "

No I didn't. Again, I am not anti vaccinations - it is a simple fact that one of the risks of vaccinations is death. This is shared by every health professional carrying out the vaccination.

You're stating the bleeding obvious, repeatedly. To make a particular point. Don't then pretend to be not making it (I see you've been taking lessons from bumbley on that, her MO completely).

It was actually Clalpolly who made this comment -

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

That is the only time "likely" or any other probabilities were brought into it. My original post stated "PetalsOnPearls Thu 29-Jun-17 13:32:21
Clalpolly And one of the risks of vaccinations is death too." and was in response to this post :

"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." - Clalpolly

Funny how that reliance on herd immunity has worked out isn't it?

Funny that we can't rely on herd immunity because so many dimwits won't vaccinate because of shit they heard online?
Fucking hilarious.

I am not pretending anything.

There is a risk of death from vaccinations.

As you are always told by the health care provider when you go and have your vaccinations.

Oooo personal insults are back again. Not sure what you hope to achieve with that?

I rely on information from healthcare professionals, researchers, peer-reviewed journals (lucky enough to have access to all of the good ones and most of the ones worldwide)... And i did share information from the internet - valid information - on vaccinations from the MS Trust - not all internet information is bad.

I feel guilty that I didn't get the whooping cough vaccines while pregnant with my youngest. His older sister was only 2 years older and it hadn't been offered then so I assumed it wasn't really necessary. I feel bad every time he coughs! I can only blame pregnancy brain and tiredness.

Mummamayhem

Don't read this thread as some think it's akin to putting your child in a car without a seatbelt, child neglect, drink driving with your child in the car or that you're a dimwit.

I have friends who do and friends who don't and in complete honesty the unvaccinated ones are never ill. Whooping cough was rife when dd2 was tiny and am glad I had her vaccinated against it as it just looks so awful. I have lost a daughter through pneumonia so know how heart breaking it is to go through hell. I just wouldn't risk it.

Not vaccinating doesn't necessarily mean you will contract the disease you haven't vaccinated against. So you need to consider the risk of actually contracting the disease alongside the risk of side effects if you do when you're comparing it to the potential side effects of vaccination. It's not a direct potential side effect of disease vs potential side effect of vaccination comparison.