SIL has not vaccinated my nieces

[Pittcuecothecookbook]

My baby has been booked in for her vaccinations soon. I asked my sister in law, who has primary school aged kids, about the experience and I was flabbergasted when she said she didn't get their jabs. I can't quite believe it!

When I asked why, she said the risks outweighed the pros but she struggled to articulate what the risks were beyond 'potential death'. I said that that was also the downside of not getting the jabs too! She said she was persuaded when her friend said that the jabs couldn't be undone if her kids had a reaction.

AIBU to be shocked and quite disappointed about this? I'm not looking forward to it by any means, but the eradication of many awful diseases and protection against those still prevalent is surely a non negotiable?

When her kids don't get these diseases, she'll be vindicated but that will likely be because the majority have had their jabs rather than proving jabs were unnecessary.

I imagine I'll get over this - my child will be protected - but I'm just at hearing this news.

And they aren't your nieces they are her children, it's not all about you

politicalcorrectness, older adults will have had a lot of these diseases naturally (especially measles and mumps, I imagine, but also stuff like whooping cough) and therefore have acquired immunity, so won't be passing them on.

It’s a FACT that vaccinations save lives. Lots of lives. People who don’t vaccinate their kids probably believe the earth is flat and the Holocaust never happened. Numbnuts

All these frequent threads about parents not vaccinating only help reinforce the idea in my head that if I ever have kids I'm getting them vaccinated so that they are protected. Don't want them getting a horrible disease just because some parents are lazy or stupid.

politicalcorrectnessisgreat

I am a GP, I know a lot of GPs (and other docs, nurses, midwives, physios, paramedics and even some proper scientists). I don't know ANY folk with these jobs who have not vaccinated their own kids.

They are my nieces and I love them, and I don't want them to get unwell. I certainly don't want my currently unvaccinated newborn to get ill.

Does anyone know if my baby will be protected after the 8 week jabs?

My DH (despit being a wonderful man in many other ways) is anti-vax. All of our children are fully vaccinated though because, after comparing the separate research we both did to back up our arguements, I absolutely refused to compromise. Anyone who hears him talking on the subject would probably be surprised to hear that his kids are vaccinated. Maybe he's even forgotten that they are... it's not a subject I'm interested in talking to him about any more.

But if hearing that someone doesn't vaccinate shocks people, I think they need stronger constitutions.

You don’t think it’s shocking that people make a choice that could potentially lead to the unnecessary death of their child?

Really none of your business OP

Fuck off miss contrary

Aka don't have kids/don't give a shit about my kids

I was shocked as it was so unexpected. My SIL is smart and I'll shocked/surprised (whichever you prefer) she didn't have a better argument for it

She had the conversation with her sil. That’s why she’s worded it the way she has.
Op unfortunately some people in life just aren’t that bright. There isn’t a great deal we can do, other than hope that the responsible masses having ther dc vaccinated will be enough to protect your nieces/nephews from the horrific disease, disability and death that vaccinations protect against.

It always beggars belief to me that people think the government would spend billions vaccinating the population for over twenty years, with something that could harm their health. I mean really what would the benefit be from the government other than potential £££ in compensation payouts if things were to go wrong.
Some people jst have a lack of critical thought.

OP, my understanding is it takes a while for immunity to develop - it won't be instant post-vaccination, no, but after a certain period a certain percentage of vaccinated people will have an immune response, and this rises towards (but doesn't quite reach, usually) 100% with each successive vaccination.

FWIW I would still be cautious about contact even after the first lot of jabs, because of the dangers of measles acquired as an infant.

pitt vaccinate your baby as per the guidelines. Please do not be swayed by all this uneducated crap

I am a GP, I know a lot of GPs (and other docs, nurses, midwives, physios, paramedics and even some proper scientists). I don't know ANY folk with these jobs who have not vaccinated their own kids.

Good for you. I do.

It is unusual and pathetic imo

Pittcuecoe
Your baby will not be fully protected after the 8 weeks vacs.
After the 3rd set he/she will be more protected but MMR is given at 12 months so still not protected against measles (the most important of the MMR 3 to a baby). I think it is your business to be concerned about the potential impact on your child of exposure to older non vaccinated children when there are measles outbreaks in particular in Europe at present. However you probably can't change your SiL's mind as anti- vaxers are pretty immune to logic/science in my experience.

I mean really what would the benefit be from the government other than potential £££ in compensation payouts if things were to go wrong.

They do pay out rather a lot actually.

This country has high levels of hygiene. Polio was fierce before hand washing. The number of cases went down when hand washing came in, before the vaccine.

Hygiene poverty is a real problem now in this country and it’s only going to get worse as we head back in time due to Brexit.

Who’s to say what might happen?

Political which of the current vaccinations are they paying out compensation for?

Has she had none of them ie not polio and tetanus and diphtheria and all those as well?

Because that is really shocking.

I —sort of— get why people are concerned about the MMR. I don’t agree but there was a big scandal about it and people just don’t see MMR as very serious diseases. I don’t agree and think they need to understand the science better but I sort of get their logic.

But not vaccinating for sodding polio?!? And diphtheria?

I work in a microbiology lab, where everyone knows the symptoms of the diseases that are being vaccinated against and the relative risk (and there is, a small one, as there is for any intervention) of vaccination, versus catching the diseases.

Every single person from lab assistants to consultants vaccinates their kids. I can't think of a single exception, and we do talk about it.

The GPs I know are also all very pro vaccination, I've personally never met one who isn't.

The only people I know who don't vaccinate don't have a scientific background, and seem to view it as a lifestyle choice along with eating organic and doing yoga. Nothing against yoga or an organic/alternative lifestyle, that's got a lot of pros, but they should vaccinate.

Even if their kids get over one of these vaccine preventable diseases, they might pass it on to someone with a lowered immune system who doesn't.

Some people choose not to vaccinate their children. Some choose to vote Brexit. Wherever you look there are thick uneducated people who do stupid things

^^
That attitude, right there, is why Leave won.

Sorry to derail OP.

Op, your baby won’t have the MMR til 12months. I’d be nervous about the risk of measles particularly as there has been an outbreak locally. Perhaps speak to your GP/nurse at baby’s first jabs if you are worried.

Hey political so what’s your scientifically based argument? I thought Halloumi had a good point based on knowledge and experience. You?