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Original poster

Anti-vaccination friends around newborn

219 replies

Originalusernameunavailable · 12/12/2019 11:50

Hello, NC for this.

I am going to start by stressing this is not a thread for opinions on whether to vaccinate children or not. That’s an individual decision for everyone.

I do vaccinate my children because I believe the pros outweigh the risks.

My newborn obviously isn’t old enough for any jabs yet.

The subject came up with a friend as to whether I would allow our friends who are anti-vaccinations to be visiting my newborn in my own home due to risks of them being carriers of any of the ailments the vaccinations cover.

I can honestly say it’s not something I had considered before. My thoughts are my baby could come into contact with lots of people who have various illnesses, germs etc.

However, I was wondering if I’m being too laid back or whether my friends are just being neurotic in terms of the visiting/contact?

As I’ve said, please don’t make this into a slanging match about pro/anti vaccinations, please take the question as it is -

Is it unreasonable to think unvaccinated visitors are putting a newborn at extra risk?

Unreasonable - don’t be ridiculous!
Reasonable - don’t risk it!

OP posts:
babba2014 · 12/12/2019 13:23

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Lifecraft · 12/12/2019 13:25

I do believe all parents have a right to parent their children how they see fit including the right to choose vaccinations

So you believe parents have the right to carry out FGM on their daughters? Or to beat their children black and blue?

Or do you think the state should have the right to protect children from stupid parents. Because I do.

Fr0g · 12/12/2019 13:26

presumably the risk is more the children of your anti-vaccinations friends/acquaintences.
Just because they are morons doesn't mean that their parents were as well.

Lifecraft · 12/12/2019 13:28

Children without vaccines cannot pass anything to your newborn!

Ok Pinocchio.

Span1elsRock · 12/12/2019 13:28

My DD caught whooping cough as a young adult. She was off work for 3 months, had fractured ribs from coughing and was incredibly unwell. She had all of her routine vaccinations as a child, so god knows how ill she would have been if she hadn't. She's now been left with a horribly weak chest when it comes to coughs, and she's on antibiotics again at the moment.

There isn't a cat in hells chance I'd let someone near my newborn baby that could pass that illness on.

Brunts12 · 12/12/2019 13:30

YANBU. I would not let my newborn around non vaccinated children or adults I knew of. Personally, I would not be friends with anti-faxxers in the first place.

Honeybee85 · 12/12/2019 13:32

Whooping cough is extremely dangerous for babies, esspecially under if they are months old.

I am really terrified of that one and the RS virus.
DH didn’t like to take DS to very crowded places (we live in a very very large city) when he was very small as he was even more afraid of these kind of diseases as I was as his mum.

Lifecraft · 12/12/2019 13:33

Personally, I would not be friends with anti-faxxers in the first place.

Exactly. OP, you need to choose your friends better. Look for people with an IQ into double figures.

Honeybee85 · 12/12/2019 13:33

Esspecially if they are under 6 months old.

babba2014 · 12/12/2019 13:33

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Equanimitas · 12/12/2019 13:36

My thoughts are my baby could come into contact with lots of people who have various illnesses, germs etc.

But why would you deliberately allow something that would massively increase that risk?

Lifecraft · 12/12/2019 13:37

This is to understand the unvaccinated and not to call them stupid. They are not stupid. They have reasons.

The main reason being they are stupid.

Equanimitas · 12/12/2019 13:38

Children without vaccines cannot pass anything to your newborn!

Would you care to give us the science behind that, @babba2014? What exactly is the miraculous protection against measles and spreading measles germs that failing to be vaccinated miraculously confers?

OrangeZog · 12/12/2019 13:39

@Honeybee85 surely you were vaccinated against whooping cough when pregnant though? That vaccine means your baby’s risk of whooping cough in the first couple of months is 91% reduced compared to a baby whose mother was not vaccinated.

ScrambledSmegs · 12/12/2019 13:40

I think, until your baby has had the first set of vaccinations at least, I wouldn't see these friends. Just be busy.

Measles (for example) has a 10-12 day incubation period so even if they appear healthy, they could pass it on to your newborn. Many supposedly 'mild' illnesses that we vaccinate against are potentially fatal or life-changing and I wouldn't take the risk.

QueenOfOversharing · 12/12/2019 13:41

My DS & I both caught whooping cough a few years ago. DS was due to be in Gt Ormond St hospital for major surgery & it was very nearly cancelled. Newborns are very susceptible to this - many of whom cannot survive it. Knowing how ill both my DS & I were, I would never risk it.

Elle7rose · 12/12/2019 13:41

Reasonable- don't risk it.

I caught Rubella in April (either my MMR didn't work or my Mum opted for individual jabs for Measles, Mumps and Rubella during the Autism-hypothesis years and missed one of the Rubella jabs- she can't remember) and it was nasty even without complications. The risk of your baby getting a very high fever even without complications is just too great.

Also a lot of the diseases we vaccinate for have long pre-symptomatic phases so you can't tell whether a child is coming down with Measles/Rubella or not because they start without symptoms or with mild cold-like symptoms (whilst still highly contagious).

notfromstepford · 12/12/2019 13:42

This is to understand the unvaccinated and not to call them stupid. They are not stupid. They have reasons.

The main reason being they are stupid.

@Lifecraft - brilliant Grin

lynzpynz · 12/12/2019 13:45

If it were me no I would not let them near my newborn. They are content with their choice to look after themselves, and ignore / deny that herd immunity protects our weakest. Not much you can do there, but put my newborn (one of the ones herd immunity levels cover as too young to be vaccinated) at increased risk of preventable diseases as a result? Hell no.

I have a biochemistry hons degree if it's relevant...

QueenOfOversharing · 12/12/2019 13:48

This is to understand the unvaccinated and not to call them stupid. They are not stupid. They have reasons

God, a fucking uninformed, ignorant rant - that'll prove your point. "Against Man-made Diseases"? REALLY?

Anti-vaxxers are not only stupid, they are ignorant, dangerous, ill-informed, and stupid, stupid, stupid.

Andrew Wakefield & his bullshit peddling, along with this load of cretins are responsible for preventable diseases being on the rise.

araiwa · 12/12/2019 13:49

Being anti - vax doesnt mean their parents were and they probably have had all the jabs.

But if you know they or their kids are not vaxxed then id be telling them to stay away

Pilot1 · 12/12/2019 13:49

the pertussis vaccine is meant to stop the symptoms not the spread of the illness. So someone who has had the DTAP could well be carrying pertussis and not showing symptoms. The worst possible scenario as you would have no idea they were ill.
Not to mention the fact that MMR wears off also.. so what do you do, start testing everyone’s antibody status.
YABU

firstimemamma · 12/12/2019 13:53

I'd never let them near my baby.

Also I'd never consider anyone who was anti-vax a friend at all in the first place. I couldn't have anything to do with anyone who was so careless with their child's welfare.

CanIHaveADrink · 12/12/2019 13:54

It is worth remembering that having a vaccination doesn’t make you immune to that illness.
You can have let’s the MMR and still catch measles (and spread it).
This year in the US it has been clear that the outbreak they’ve had was linked to people who had been vaccinated...

Plus if the parents are a against vaccines, it doesn’t mean they are not vaccinated themselves.....

Pilot1 · 12/12/2019 13:56

@babba2014 Flowers it’s pointless on mumsnet trying to put the other side of the debate. People aren’t interested in anything other than ill informed media soundbites