Anti Vaxx threads shouldn't be allowed

[turnthebiglightoff]

AIBU to suggest that anti vaxxer threads should be reported and removed? This site is so important to many members, impressionable women will inevitably take someone's word as gospel if they already have concerns themselves. I suggest the deletion message signposts to speak to your local NHS teams / GP / visit the NHS website etc. I don't think MN allows MLM promotion; arguably this is of greater importance as it could affect so many (children's) health.

Does anyone disagree? I'd be really interested to hear why. *I really don't mean this as a TAAT as I believe this is a wider issue.

I think posts on removing free speech should be removed.

OP, I completely disagree with you. Free speech is important.

I always get slightly confused about the vehemence against vaccines, yes, they have been known to injure some children... but that is absolutely no reason to stop the vast majority from having them.

In the same way as I am deathly allergic to penicillin, as is my mum, yet everyone accepts that's an allergy and specific to us and it's fine for most people to take.

Ditto nuts, eggs, dairy, wheat, shellfish.

It's very, very sad that children are harmed by something their prints have them in good faith, but the evidence shows overwhelmingly that the vast majority are fine and they have eliminated several lethal illnesses.

Maybe I'm less liberal than I thought.

Yes you are. It's only 'liberal' if people agree with you...

I don’t agree with policing conversation

This.

And in any event, it's not completely cut and dried in some instances. Firstly, someone died last year after being immunised against [yellow fever] (not sure) so clearly they are not always safe (I know we're generally talking about children).

Secondly the fact that vaccine damage legislation exists appears to indicate that things can go wrong. People have a right to discuss their concerns.

If someone is saying all vaccination is evil and a plot to make big pharma money you may have a point. But they'll get piled on by absolutely everyone if that's the case.

People with concerns should be able to air them and have their concerns dealt with kindly by other posters.

Can we please learn something from closing down people over immigration. We ended up with Brexit and a 5 year Tory government. Closing down conversation gets you nowhere. Allow people their views, deal with them, hopefully reassure them.

cologne4711
Good post and I agree with you.
Vaccines do much more good than harm, but no medicines are 100% safe for everyone.
Free speech is really important.

Trixie, I believe there was an interesting study which showed anti vaxxers often have very high education levels

It isn’t stupidity that is the issue

Hoik, there are multiple vaccines combined into one jab. That was what the op meant

Onceuponatimethen I know that's what the PP I was replying to meant and in my reply I said that combined vaccines have been shown to be safe.

I really don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, misinformation can be dangerous and we are talking about the health and lives of babies and people. On the other hand, if it's a forbidden topic, it can cause conspiracy theories. I think that a general warning from MN about always consulting your GP, something like that, would be a good idea.

If any parent takes the word of some randoms on an internet forum before making such an important decision

Then what would be the point of forums like this then? Mumsnet would cease to exist. Many/most threads of here are about important decisions in relationships, finances, etc etc.

Let them speak. Fair discussion. Their views are so ludicrous that I believe they will confirm with right thinking parents that vaccination is a good thing

So my views to be wary of vaccines because my daughter has had seazures after a vaccine or two is ludicrous? Right? And the mum who wondered if it was due to whooping cough vaccine as it was around that time she noticed her child,s learning difficulty is also being unreasonable? (I am not saying one caused the other but you can see why some people are cautious.)

That's a terrible idea, obviously.

I fully vaccinated my children I am not anti but vaccine injury is very very real and most anti vax have experienced this. One I know is a very informed biology graduate, Convinced it was the MMR jab.

I think banning anything like this is heading towards a totalitarian state and that's not we want for our future.

We need to be informed of everything including side effects and those that are injured and why?

I'm not an anti vaxxer but I think it's important to be critical and question things, not just blindly accept everything we're told. There are plenty of examples throughout history of big pharma/governments/medical professionals not always doing what is best for people's health. Plenty of corruption, plenty of scandal, plenty of evil. I don't think it's a good place to be to just accept everything you're told by authority.

It also concerns me how dismissive doctors can be to vaccine reactions, it actually makes me quite suspicious. DD had quite a few side effects to the MMR. I took her to the doctor at one point for something unrelated but mentioned how run down she'd been and constantly ill since the MMR and he dismissed me completely. Didn't even want to discuss it. Thing is... Her reaction was exactly what was listed on the NHS website as potential side effects of the vaccine. She basically had a mild, non contagious form of measles and it's not uncommon. Dr wouldn't talk about it though

Like pp I didn't have any jabs in pregnancy. I don't want to be your human guinea pig thanks.

I've never met an anti vaxxer who argued the autism point either. They have plenty of arguments not involving that.

Any thoughts on the posts from people who say they and their friends/families have been injured by vaccines, OP?

I’m neither anti nor pro vaccine. I believe it’s a personal medical decision that doesn’t involve anyone else. You talk of being influenced by ‘anti-Vaxxers’ but it’s fine to sway people’s decisions FOR vaccine,

that is absolutely no reason to stop the majority of children from having them

It’s a reason because if your child happens to be one of the children adversely affected by vaccines, it’s scant comfort that a thousand other children were just fine, thank you very much.

As the mother of an autistic child, I find the "vaccines cause autism" argument so offensive. Aside from there being bugger all evidence of a link, Its basically people saying they would rather expose their child to the possibility of deafness or death, than have a child like mine. Cheeky buggers.

Yes, vaccine damage does happen. As do side effects from Calpol, antihistamine, penicillin and so on. Nothing which contains any form of drug is risk free. If you have good medical reasons to believe that vaccines will adversely affect the health of your child, then I wouldn't let my DD by vaccinated either.

If there are no pre existing reasons to believe that your child will be one who experiences severe side effects, then realistically, the chances of them becoming severely unwell from the diseases being targeted, is much, much higher.

I wonder why we focus so much on the side effects of vaccines, when side effects of other medication can be just as serious?

I wouldn’t choose to have a child with autism, sir, and I do have a child with autism.

Free speech doesn’t exist on private platforms. MN can regulate what is posted (hence a lot of deleted posts).

I’d ban them if it stopped misinformed posters spreading bullshit. No matter how much you educate them and show them literal actual evidence they will still believe a random social media post or meme. It’s embarrassing how idiotic anti vaxxers are.

Ok so what about when parents start to notice unusual side effects of a vaccine batch? Or a new vaccine? And we’re not allowed to talk about it?
I still had my children vaccinated after one had a terrifying reaction immediately after the vaccine.
But it was an agonising decision tbh and one I still am not 100% at peace with.

@deareloise Me neither. But I prefer it to having a daughter who is dead because of measles. And that's what some people are willing to risk - death - so by their logic, autism must be a fate worse than death.

That I find very fucking offensive indeed.

@Thetellyisjelly I think you absolutely should be able to talk about it.

There have been a few of these threads recently, that ask that certain subjects be banned from discussion. It's really disconcerting.

We can't not allow people to discuss things in order to "save people from themselves". How patronising is that?