To not understand why parents choose to not vaccinate their children

[HeartStrings]

Just that really. I've heard something about vaccines linked to autism but I don't understand why risk your child getting sick in order to avoid that

You've really not heard about the Wakefield scandal?

Because there is a trend of not trusting experts or science

There is a rise of the conspiracy theory

The Internet has led to a rise in people doing their own 'research' which is basically googling and then believing the results and not thinking about the source or quality of the study.

I saw some research about how children who had one type of vaccine in NZ were then more ill. It was a link on social media and had loads of people saying how they were now going to not vaccinate and how finally there was proof etc. I looked into the study. It was about 100 people. Not enough to be valid. It was sponsored by a company that pushes alternative remedies so will be biased. It was based on self reporting and was obviously of more interest to people who don't vaccinate as there was a much higher proportion of ubvaxxinated children than for the general population. Questions were things like 'how often do you take your children to the doctors / give antibiotics' etc which of course are going to be lower for people who don't believe in vaccinations are going to be much more likely to avoid 'western' medicine. So the whole study was a sham. But no one was interested in that just the headline that vaccines make children more ill as it validated what they already thought.

Other reasons are that the diseases we vaccinate against are usually mainly obsolete now so people just rely on the herd immunity of others (they know the chances of actually catching these diseases are low but don't acknowledge this is due to vaccinations)

They haven't seen the damage that these diseases can do. They think measles is just a spotty cold and don't actually realise it can kill and has quite a high percentage change (1 in 15) of lifelong complications including deafness and blindness

Also there is a load of half truths and mis information out there. For example that the flu vaccine can give you flu (it can't), that illesses are actually spread through the vaccine shedding (they don't as it's such a weakened version of the vaccine) and they are full of formaldehyde to make you ill (they do contain this but in miniscule amounts which are actually a tiny percent of the amounts anyone is exposed to daily and any excess is just secreted in urine)

Lastly you have clueless celebrities saying things like it's better to space vaccines out as having them all at once will overload the immune system. Despite studies showing that vaccines have less strain on the immune system than babies and toddlers are exposed to every day from doing baby and toddler things like picking up old food from the floor and licking shoes etc

Because it’s not compulsory and people can choose not to from their own ( misguided ) free will.
Some children have conditions which mean they can’t be vaccinated
They believe conspiracy theories

People fear risks they don't understand more than risks they think they understand, regardless of real likelihood of harm. Google Paul Slovic if you want to get into it. I think this graph is old (early 90s?) & vaccines have moved to upper right nowadays, actually.

Because they are ignorant and selfish

I've heard something about vaccines linked to autism
Completely debunked and proved to be untrue btw. The doctor who did the faked research has been struck off.

Because the impact of diseases that routinely killed or maimed children are long behind us.

But lately, morons listen to other morons on the internet webs and think they know more than people like immunologists who have devoted their entire careers to developing vaccines that will keep us all safe, and ALIVE!

The result is that parents have stopped vaccinating, herd immunity has dropped, and killer diseases are making a come back.

I hate anti-vaxers. I would ban them from all public spaces if I had my way. I would certainly ban their children from attending school.

thenib.com/vaccines-work-here-are-the-facts-5de3d0f9ffd0

This sums it up well I think.

Oh ffs do we really need 2 threads a week on this topic. Do a search and read back on how others can't believe it and move on... rewriting the same shit won't change people.

Lots of reasons. This generation of adults haven’t seen children seriously ill with infections which sways their view.
They think that injecting allergens like egg is asking for trouble, like wise aluminium ( linked to dementia).
They think that diseases come in cycles and that it’s not the vaccines that have helped.
They think that pharmaceutical companies have us and gps in their thrall and are raling inloads of cash.
They think that you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

like MoneyPenny007 said, how about you look up what you need to know and maybe look on google????

Because people believe propaganda from unregulated websites rather than believing respectable large organisations such as the NHS or the WHO.

Because people believe that Andrew Wakefield was a scapegoat and did nothing wrong, and that his study of 12 children over 20 years ago is more relevant than multiple later studies disproving it.

Because people don't listen to reasoned arguments or do their own research, but see words like "mercury" or "formaldehyde" and freak out because they are bad.

But the internet is so untrustworthy. You can diagnose yourself with a serious condition on there just looking up symptoms for a cold! I only posted this because I saw something on social media about measles making a return, as it was apparently quite uncommon due to vaccines, and this is due to people who don't vaccinate their children and what frustrates me about people not vaccinating is that they're putting other children at risk. Not just those who don't vaccinate their children but newborn babies who naturally have low immune systems and are too young to have their first injections.

Also I apologise for starting this thread up and I didn't even think to check is there was already a thread on this issue (obviously) but this is something I feel strongly about.

My DD1 was hospitalised with meningitis when she was just 4 months old. Thankfully she's now a happy thriving 5 year old but it could have been a lot worse. The vaccine for meningitis wasn't available back then, had their been one I think it's safe to say she probably never would have got so unwell. DD2 is 1 and she's had the vaccine because it's around now.

Moneypenny it's a prevalent issue and I for one welcome ongoing discussions. Might be repetitive but there are kids out there at risk.

My kids are aged between 9 months and 8 years and until recently ( as in this month) have not had vaccinations .

This is because my paternal aunt was brain damaged by a vaccine and it has obviously affected her entire life . Vaccine damage is thankfully extremely rare but it is real , if you read the leaflets given out by health visitors ect you will see the DWP even has a vaccine damage payment fund . To deny vaccine damage is real is ignorant .

However , after years of weighing it all up and putting it off , I eventually decided to bite the bullet and start their vaccination catch up schedules . The nhs have actually been really understanding and have had many helpful discussions with me about my choices and supported me with my anxiety surrounding vaccinations and I know now that I've made the right decision to have them done .

My choice to not vaccinate wasn't based on the Wakefield scandal at all .

@KillingInThenameof764 in cases like you it's understandable as it becomes a fear of that happening to your children. You've not based a decision not to on internet research. In my eyes you have a solid reason as to why you chose not to.
Having said that I think your amazing that you've taken the steps you have done in getting them vaccinated, it can't have been easy for you