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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Measles-anyone have any experience of it?

228 replies

hellymelly · 05/11/2008 21:58

My daughters are not vaccinated and there is a measles outbreak here.We have agonised over vaccination and so far we have opted out but measles does frighten me,and reactions vary,my GP is naturally very pro vaccination,the homoeopath I spoke to feels differently,I have been to several lectures about vaccination and I still can't decide.DH is thinking maybe we should give the girls the single vaccine.Does anyone have any experience of measles?How bad can it get? I had it as a child,everyone did,but I don't really remember what it was like.

OP posts:
reikizen · 06/11/2008 17:15

2 of my siblings had it and they were poorly but no lasting side effects (apart from life long immunity!)

herbietea · 06/11/2008 17:19

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StewieGriffinsMom · 06/11/2008 17:21

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goingfor3 · 06/11/2008 17:31

My children and I had it last year. It was awful for all of us. I was 16 weeks pregnant and miscarried and then my two daughters caught measles from me about a week later and it was only recognised when the girls had it as the dr's didn't even consider my illness to be measles.

My children have now had the mmr but I wish I had given it to them sooner.

debzmb62 · 06/11/2008 18:31

i,m not sure how you post links on here but
i found this for you also maybe look up mmr on the nhs website for more indepth info
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6970525.stm

merryberry · 06/11/2008 19:10

i'm very sorry to hear that goingfor3, i wish you well with your name plan!

beeper · 06/11/2008 19:14

MMRII is a live attenuated vaccine. All the components are live viruses.

Package insert http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf here you can read the ingredients and risks before you decide.

They are supposed to have taken the mercury out.

beeper · 06/11/2008 19:14

here

Original poster
hellymelly · 07/11/2008 21:12

Yes MMR is a live vaccine.We have taken advice from people who have spent years studying vaccination.Michele Odent is a doctor and he has done very extensive research and he has strong misgivings about the current programme of vaccination.We have also spoken to a doctor at great Ormond street and the sticking point was the risk to children with our family history.My husband is a biologist and even he is finding the info out there contradictory and confusing.I don't know how I would live with myself if my daughters were damaged by either course of action so I am fence sitting and panicking.I do take seriously the risks to other people from us opting out,but most of the cases here seem to be in vaccinated children anyway. In fact for the first time my girls are not really well enough to be vaccinated now anyway as they are still getting over another virus so God knows what we will do.

OP posts:
Original poster
hellymelly · 07/11/2008 21:24

Beeper I read your link and it was very interesting-I now wonder whether my baby may be less likely to gain protection from the vaccine as she is still breast fed frequently and I have had wild type measles,also the shedding of live vaccine by people post vaccination is intriguing.

OP posts:
SmileyMylee · 07/11/2008 21:29

I had measles as a child and lost the sight from one eye.

From what my mother says it was pretty much touch and go with me whether I would live. But off course you have to weigh this up against all the research on side effects.

Blandmum · 07/11/2008 21:33

People have to make the choice that feel right for them.

I am old enough to have had it as a child. I was around 9-10 and I can still, 36 years later, remember how horribly ill I felt at the time.

Far, far iller than with the worst bout of 'flu. temp, vile heachache, couldn't stand to see light. I ended up being off school for 6 weeks

micku5 · 07/11/2008 21:38

My dd2 has Di George syndrome which has resulted in partial immune deficiency. There is a chance that if she catches measles or chicken pox she could die.

I too have erm ed and ahh ed about giving her the MMR or single jabs but the risk is too high to ignore and after advice from her immunologists and parents of other children with Di George I have decided to give her the MMR followed by the chicken pox vaccine in Dec.

Original poster
hellymelly · 07/11/2008 22:30

Well micku5 that is a horrendous situation to be in as I can imagine your worries about either vaccinating or not are overwhelming,i wish your lttle girl well for the jabs.
I guess for all of us there are risks either way and both risks are real and serious and we are used to living in a relatively risk free society compared to previous generations.I want an answer that means my girls will be completely fine and I think that is impossible to find.I truly don't know how to come to decision,but other people's experience and views are helpful so thankyou.

OP posts:
micku5 · 07/11/2008 23:44

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that MMR shouldn't be given when the child is ill or has been poorly... contra indication.

Could you please give me more info on that. I don't recall coming across that when I was reading up on MMR, knowing me i probably missed it.

Dd2 is due to have MMR is 1.5 weeks time but currently has a chest infection. I don't to make things any worse for her.

christywhisty · 08/11/2008 11:42

contraindications and precautions

bigTillyMint · 08/11/2008 12:17

My DS's best friend had it at 9mths or so, and he caught it from her... so did most of the nursery who were too young to have had the MMR.

They had high temps and were pretty unwell for a few days.

My (older) DD and DS's friends older bro did NOT get it as they had had the MMR.

mum2mp · 04/12/2008 17:22

I had measles when I was about 10 I think (am 38 now) and I have never been so poorly before or since. I can remember dinosaurs eating the curtains!! I was very ill and fortunately had been vaccinated. When I had my two children, it was an easy decision, I couldn't take the chance that they would get measles as badly as I had had them or worse so they had to be vaccinated. My youngest daughter was born in the States and had the MMR there, no controversy about the vaccination over there.

beanieb · 04/12/2008 17:24

did people really die from it back int he 1970's? Everyone I know had it and they are all alive today. How come it's so bad these days?

pagwatch · 04/12/2008 17:31

I had it when I was about five
5 of my 7 of my siblings got it too ( unsurprising as we shared two bedrooms)
Most of my cousins got it as well as, in common with usual practice then, they were all brought around to try and get it to get it over with.

We were all fine. No additional symptoms or complications.

We all had mumps too BTW.

My DD may have had it last year but Dr is unable to confirm as it was so mild. She is unvaccinated as her brother developed ASD after his MMR

lulu41 · 05/12/2008 11:02

My ds had it when he was 10 months - not well for a few days no complications - runny nose rash - gp diagnosed as he had a classic symptom of Koplik spots on his throat - never even though about not vaccinating mine - good luck with your decision

LedodgyChristmasjumper · 05/12/2008 11:07

I had it when I was 6 all I can remember is feeling very cold in the middle of summer whilst playing in a friend's sand pit. It's all a blear then and the next thing I can remember is my mum and nana laughing and coming to show me my face with a mirror and that was the day the rash had moved to my face I thought it was hilarious so must ahve been getting better. I think I was very ill though at it's peak and was dilirious with a temperature. I have also had rubella and mumps. There was a vaccine scare at the time so my mum didn't get me vacinated.

CatchaChristmasStar · 05/12/2008 11:11

A family member of mine decided against vacination and their ds got measles. He's now completely deaf. Get the vacination!

I really don't mean to scare, but it is so important, why have you opted out?

lovecat · 05/12/2008 11:15

I had measles when I was 6 - it was horrible, I remember having to sleep and lie down in the kitchen as it was the darkest room in the house, feeling like death for about 2 weeks. I have poor hearing in one ear and VERY bad eyesight (although my mum wears glasses no-one else in our family needs to and her prescription is -2, mine is -8.5!) and the Drs said a while back that they think it may be measles-related.

I was born in 1966 and I remember a girl in my class was vaccinated because her mum worked as a receptionist in the doctors, so she was a bit of a guinea pig for it - she was the only person my age I've come across who was, though.

Goingfor3 - so sorry to hear that - fingers crossed for you

pagwatch · 05/12/2008 11:16

I have opted out because my son had his MMR at 18 months and almost imediately regressed, lost most of his skills and is now profoundly autistic.

I am not remotely prepared to risk it with his sister

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