To think there shouldn't be measles outbreaks?

[fatandhappy47]

Surely we shouldn't be having an issue with measles?
Had an email from school (secondary) 'reminding' us to keep kids off with measles, which got me thinking

All my kids band my friends kids of the same age had their MMR (however my youngest did get measles before this)

So why is it an issue in secondary schools of all places? Are people just not vaccinating their kids?

Have you not read the news reports?

yes it’s exactly because the uptake of the vaccine has decreased

I try to stay away from the news tbh

I’ve googled it for you
https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/19/surge-in-measles-cases-prompts-uk-to-declare-national-health-incident

I don't understand these parents. I had measles as a child (pre MMR). It was horrendous. I was so weak at one point my parents had to carry me to the toilet. Took me months to recover properly. I know 2 people who are partially deaf as a result of having measles.

Exactly this.

Andrew Wakefield has blood on his hands.

I have a friend who didn't do this vaccine. I will not speak to her about it as it would anger and upset me.

Maybe it's because people don't have faith in either the medical profession or the government? There must be a reason for vaccine uptake being so low. Parents won't be declining just because they can't be bothered.

Doesn’t he just. He’s such an awful bastard.

Another outcome of the pandemic

People who choose not get their kids vaccinated are the issue. The thing is, none of them are aware how serious diseases like measles can be because previous widespread vaccination has dramatically decreased the number of serious cases. They don't seem to realise why vaccines were developed for these illnesses to start with.

Anti-vaxx stupidity predates the pandemic

I think that's the reason too.

How so? Andrew Wakefields paper about the MMR was in 1998, and it seemed to really kick off when Tony Blair wouldn’t say if Leo had had it

While there can be serious reactions to vaccines, it's also incredibly rare. Anti-vaxxeers are often misinformed on this front, and regarding the seriousness and real long term implications of diseases like measles.

Parents who don’t get children vaccinated should talk to people who caught measles, it’s really not a good place to be having gone through it, personally I think they are totally deluded

Anti-vaxxers existed before the pandemic too.

People who choose not to vaccinate against measles are scum. It is bad enough that they inflict in on their own child but my 7m old baby caught measles from an unvaccinated child and she was very ill - mine should not have had to suffer because other people don't care about their own children.

I heard this on the radio yesterday

I wonder if the lack of uptake was because of the pandemic

My daughter has had the first 2 (?) as a baby and is due her next booster in a few months, she was a born during the pandemic (the last lockdown) and I can imagine other parents not wanting to take new borns into a GPs

My sister in law’s friends apparently gave their girls “homeopathic” MMR. I have no idea how anyone would think that would work, but SIL wasn’t particularly pro-vax either.

They are now in their early/mid 20s, presumably unvaccinated and possibly unaware of the risk they are now running.

I remember because all this was at the time my own children were due their MMR. I did get them vaccinated in the end, but I remember being worried and I remember the fact Tony Blair wouldn't comment on whether or not Leo had been vaccinated adding to my concerns.

I don't think the current low uptake can be blamed on a report that must be now over 25 years old? He was discredited at the time and I don't think he has much of a voice now.

I think there were some not vaccinating before hand, it has just made things worse. Added to people who just don't get round to things and the scare over the MMR vaccine (alternative is single vaccines anyway).

If schools were advised to refuse any residential trips for those without a measles vaccine, some more would do so, but it would not stop any anti-vaccer parents from failing to do so.

Not at this level.

My DD was due hers at the time all the Andrew Wakefield shit kicked off. I was so frightened. I got her measles vaccinations done separately as I’d read that was less likely to cause problems. I had measles when I was 9. There was no vaccine then. I can still remember how desperately ill I felt. I was off school for over a month. My hearing was permanently affected and I got hearing aids in my 40s as it was getting worse. The thought of any child having to go through such a horrible infection unnecessarily is just unthinkable to me.

I haven't studied the 'levels' but uninformed/badly informed anti-vaxxers have existed since vaccines existed. Those who favour 'natural medicine', often equally ill-informed regarding actual biology and pharmacology, have also existed for a long time. There's so much misinformation out there.