To be filled with fury at increase in measles cases

[GivenAndDenied]

We've had a letter sent round my DD school recently, telling us of an increase nationwide, and in our county, of measles, and offering advice on what to do to protect children.

I get that there are some children (and adults) who cannot be vaccinated for genuine health reasons relating to other existing health conditions. And my fury is absolutely not aimed at them. If everyone else is responsible and vaccinates their kids, then these vulnerable members of our society who cannot be vaccinated will be hopefully protected by herd immunity.

But it makes me furious that because of people listening to woo and bollocks about vaccines, that we are having an increase in life-threatening illnesses, and getting letters about how best to protect your children. How best to protect your children is to goddamn vaccinate them.

Therefore there is a risk. It is up to parents to balance the risk they feel the illnesses present versus the risks of the vaccination. Some illnesses are no-brainers like meningintis (for me). I think for other illnesses it is more nuanced eg mumps for girls or rubella for boys.

I agree with you it’s about balancing risk. And as every single thread on this topic states, there are people that don’t vaccinate their children for valid reasons. ‘I don’t believe it’s necessary because I’ve done my research’ is not a valid reason. It’s a justification for lack of an action.

I think it’s interesting you mention meningitis. Imagine 30 years from now and meningitis has been virtually eradicated because of the available vac. Then imagine blogs saying it’s dangerous and causes XYZ
condition and the risk of vac damage is too high.

Not for random MNers who want to show how much they are worrying about society. No you don't. If you saw a disabled child on the street and someone told you they'd suffered after having a vaccine you'd hurry swiftly on and and thank goodness it wasn't yours. Lets not be hypocritical.

What has this got to do with anything? If I didn’t vaccinate then saw a child who had a vaccination injury I could smugly think to myself at least I prevented my child from suffering that fate?! Hyperbole works both ways you know.

@Isadora2007

Do you really believe that parents who have chosen not to immunise and whose children have subsequently suffered from measles, are going to expose themselves to criticism on a thread like this? Given how they might already be feeling about their decision in retrospect.

And do you not think that it is quite likely for parents who are frustrated that their immunised child caught measles are going to be actively drawn a thread like this to share their experiences?

Honestly, in the most polite way - how could you think that this thread was more representative than the demographic of children presenting to an actual hospital ward with measles?

The doubts about all vaccines and MMR went back to 1980.

I had my first child in 1979, severe asthma and excema. No. 2 child in 1981 was low birth weight and failed to thrive. So no whooping cough vaccine for them. They both caught it. It was so distressing. They vomited so much, my husband and I just held then over the kitchen floor and let them vomit. It was the beginning of the ‘are vaccines safe’ stuff. After seeing my children so distressed, they all got their kids vaccinated.

Just do it mummies! Save your children! (And other peoples’

There are some anti-vaxxers who refuse things like anti-d or vit k injections as well

Yep. And many of them refer to them as vaccines as well just to compound the stupidity

It astounds me people think babies should take a risk, no matter how small, for adult women.

They're not taking the risk for adult women though.

They're being vaccinated so that babies being carried in the wombs of those adult women are not disabled by the adult woman catching rubella.

And they're being vaccinated to ensure herd immunity so that those adult women who cannot achieve rubella immunity don't catch rubella, thus ensuring that their babies don't end up disabled.

It astounds me people like you think we should risk babies being born disabled to save people like you with tiny brains from having to do the right thing and just get their children vaccinated.

I sort of wish only the people that refuse to take the vactiontions should get ill and have the worse side effects from the diseases but sadly the people refusing the vaccuntate rarely suffer the conquences its the people that have poor immune systems that are most often to die and suffer the life changing effects of these easily preventable diseases.

Mumps, measles and rublla are all nasty illnesses that cause long term harm that were nearly erradicated until fucking idots like Adam Wakefield got people thinking they were adnormally dangerous.

People saying Vaccanutions are dangerous statistically your child is MORE LIKELY to die crossing the road or traveling in a car yet they are quite happy to take the risk of driving yet the minimally risk of the Vacantions is too high its beggers belief....

I do have a friend who was very anti-vax till both her children got whooping cough. She was told by her anti-vax friends that they'd get better really quickly. They didn't.

At that point she started listening to both sides of the argument and realised what a dick she'd been.

grimbles

Putting on a seatbelt is not the same as injecting a cocktail of poisons into your body that have a chance of causing an adverse reaction. As far as I'm aware, no one ever died from the simple act of putting on a seatbelt.

But of course, no one wants to believe, or wants to know about the enormous numbers of vaccine damaged children.

Than god there is someone on this thread with some common sense Itstimeforanamechange

semester My child was also seriously ill with whooping cough.

He was vaccinated.

Your point?

I'm immunocompromised. It's shit.

@starutopia there are people on this thread with common sense and it's not you or @timeforanamechange

Diana Imagine 30 years from now and meningitis has been virtually eradicated because of the available vac.

You are aware that the meningitis vac does not cover every strain?

I'll put this to you. We need to educate over this vaccination. People stupidly believe that because they're vaccinated, the symptoms that their child presented with cannot possible be meningitis. Versus the parent who didn't vac and therefore acts quickly. The vaccination is not 100% effective and does not stop you getting it.

We weren't vaccinated , wasn't thought of back then.
me and my siblings all had it, my youngest was the worst, she was quite poorly.
We all got over it all right though as did all our friends.
I can understand why we do it now though, and all my dc eventually had it. One was a little later due to health reasons.
However, I don't think badly of those who choose not to, it's up to them.
it won't stop the spread by other people bringing it into the country though, and you can still catch it if immunised.

Deprived areas and those with a lot of minorities are the lowest rates.

It's a lack of education / communication / relationship building with these communities which is the major issue

I think you will find "minorities" have the same education and communications as everybody else, and goodness knows what you mean by "relationship building"??????.

For all those talking about the chicken pox vaccine - are you aware that it only lasts 20 years? Your child would therefore need to remember to re-vaccinate in 20 years time, or risk being exposed as an adult, which is much worse. However, if you have chicken pox as a child, the chances of getting it again as an adult are very slim.

I am very pro-vaccine. I had DS vaccinated privately against Men B as he wasn't eligible under the NHS scheme and got the BCG as, when he was little, we lived in the one London borough that didn't vaccinate but he was going to swimming lessons just up the road with kids who were vaccinated.

However, when I looked into the chicken pox vaccine, I decided I would only consider it if he hadn't had it by the time he left primary school as the chances of forgetting to re-vaccinate are too high.

Bluebird- why not?

@starutopia there are people on this thread with common sense and it's not you or @timeforanamechange

Why don't I have common sense? Because I don't just spout your side of the argument and provide an alternative viewpoint? Not sure what you are basing your silly comment on as you know nothing about me. There IS a risk because otherwise we would not have vaccine damage legislation. That is a fact. Therefore it is up to parents to make an assessment of the risk.

What has this got to do with anything? If I didn’t vaccinate then saw a child who had a vaccination injury I could smugly think to myself at least I prevented my child from suffering that fate?! Hyperbole works both ways you know

My point is that MNers smugly talk about how they have vaccinated because you have to do it for those in society who can't. I think that is a load of rubbish because if they saw a vaccine damaged child they wouldn't try to help at all. It's virtue signalling of the worst kind.

You are aware that the meningitis vac does not cover every strain

I am aware of that yes. In fact we have several vaccinations covering several strains but not all are available on the NHS to all age groups.

For all those talking about the chicken pox vaccine - are you aware that it only lasts 20 years

Evidence please.

it won't stop the spread by other people bringing it into the country though, and you can still catch it if immunised

exactly which was the point I made right at the beginning of the thread.

I suppose vaccinations also wear off eventually whereas if you've had the illness you are actually immune (I flippin well hope I am immune to rubella now as I had it twice and then the vaccination at 12)

I meant you are immune for life if you have had the illness.

And for those who refuse to believe a risk exists: www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment

Government website. Not fake news.

I have been quite unable to speak to a mum at school after she refused the flu jab and said she was a proud anti vaxxer on our class Facebook page. (But she put her statement on there with rainbows and 😂 faces so that's ok right hun lol) I'm grateful that we have vaccines, our kids shouldn't be at routine risk of deadly diseases, and a kid came down with measles at my DSDs school last week. Worrying.

Awful selfish attitudes here, and a real lack of logic.

for those who refuse to believe a risk exists

People are perfectly aware there is a very small risk in vaccinating. But most of us are also smart enough to compare that risk to the much much much greater risks of not vaccinating.