Measles … I don’t understand!

[dol1]

Dd has had the vaccine at 12 months. I’ve been watching news and there is apparently a ‘surge’ in cases now. The second vaccine for it isn’t until she’s 3… does this mean she could well get measles between now and then?

Her vaccine will cover her until she’s due the next one. But no vaccine will absolutely guarantee that you don’t catch the illness, but it should mean you have a milder dose if you do get it.

The surge is because there is a huge rise in people not vaccinating their children, not the vaccine wearing off early.

It's particularly obvious in diseases that are thought of as "old fashioned", so people underestimate the risk they pose. And, selfishly, they think other children will be vaccinated and therefore protect their own.

There was a spike in whooping cough this year too, again because idiots haven't vaccinated their children

There is a campaign under way now, and it has been for a couple of months now, to offer MMR to those who have missed doses. Unfortunately there will always be some who don’t have the vaccine.

Thanks. So dd should be protected until her next dose anyway?

1st dose is 93% effective
2nd dose bumps that to 97%.

So the majority of the protection is from her first dose

The vast majority of children don’t really need the second dose and are fully protected from the first one. The second one is only of benefit to the tiny minority of children who didn’t gain immunity first time round, but we don’t know who those children are without blood testing all of them so it is more efficient just to give every child two doses.

And if she does get it in all likelihood, she’ll be absolutely fine. It is immunocompromised and already unwell kids who fare badly from measles. When I was growing up our parents would literally take us to peoples houses when they had measles so we could all catch it and be done with it.

Which country and decade was this?

I've never, ever met a parent who wanted to expose their child to measles, even those who chose not to vaccinate.

A small number do not gain full immunity from one dose, hence the booster. An even smaller number do not get immunity then. Chances are your dc is already covered.

Have you pointed out to those friends who have chosen not to vaccinate their children, that then not 'exposing' them to a disease is oxymoronic?
Or that you are not always aware they have exposed their unvaccinated child to a disease?

And if she does get it in all likelihood, she’ll be absolutely fine. It is immunocompromised and already unwell kids who fare badly from measles.

This isn't true. Anyone could have a bad case and end up dead. Then there's the healthcare cost of treating those who have it badly and need a stay in hospital. Why risk it when there's a safe, effective vaccine?

One of the biggest at risk groups is babies who haven't yet been vaccinated. They should be protected if everyone around them has been vaccinated, but if people don't vaccinate that herd immunity isn't there

This is dangerous bollocks .

You are thinking of chicken pox (which still can be dangerous, I vaccinated mine against it)

Three in a thousand who contract measles will die, it kills perfectly healthy children. It is an awful disease.

When I was growing up our parents would literally take us to peoples houses when they had measles so we could all catch it and be done with it.

I think you are confusing measles with chicken pox ("pox parties" etc). I don't think anyone has ever tried to knowingly expose their child to measles.

Agreed. I'm very surprised that anyone would choose to expose their child to what people considered the nastiest of the childhood diseases. I'm sure the poster didn't intend this, but that narrative fuels the 'measles isn't so bad so we won't bother vaccinating' argument.

@ThePrologue - no I didn't point anything out to the people who hadn't vaccinated their children. I wouldn't class them as friends, but acquaintances who were very sure of their decision. My face probably told them what my thoughts on the matter, though.

Where I live (London) we were advised at MMR jab 1 to get the second dose of MMR at 18 months instead of waiting until 3 years to get full protection faster, which is exactly what we are doing next week

My mum's generation had 'measles parties', like we had chicken pox when we were younger.

Yes, I’m surprised to read that too. I’m a 60s child and had the old measles jab that was used before MMR.

People did try to get their DC exposed to chicken pox as it was believed if was easier if caught young- but I’ve never heard of that being done with measles. My DM certainly knew that measles can sometimes strike hard and can be fatal, even if it’s not usually that bad.

Thank god we know better these days.

‘tis true.

There is a Malory Towers book where Alicia faints in an exam and everyone is frightfully relived when it is ‘only’ measles

Same except no one told me it was different to what’s in the red book and I’d had my first abroad so I had no clue and DS was a little over 2 when I had a stroppy call from the nurse asking why he hadn’t had it.

OP I wouldn’t worry as they will have protection from the first vaccine but if you are in a big city, especially London, I think it’s definitely worth a call to the GP to see if they do the second one early. My experience was that they didn’t contact me until well over 6 months later.

This just isn't true. Measles is terrible, I know as I had it and I was ill and off school for 6 weeks , I was very very lucky I was left blinded or with some other permanent disability . I still remember how much the light hurt my eyes. My step father has damaged eyes from a bad dose of measles.

I think it was chicken pox people did this with. I remember being treated like a leper when I had mumps.

This is dangerous nonsense I lost family members (who were perfectly healthy before) and others who were left disabled by it.
Aa for measles parties yes they were common but ONLY for children who HAD ALREADY BEEN VACCINATED! It was to help improve the efficiency of the vaccine as the single dose vaccine was not as effective as the modern MMR.
Please stop spreading harmful and dangerous anti wax propaganda

True! But she does fail the School Certificate! 😦