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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:
ELMOchristmascountdown · 05/12/2008 13:48

yes there's complications from the immunisations. but equally as bad side effects to the measles. and the odds of getting them are worse with the measles.

but has anyone actually died? and if so. the odds of that will still be far lower than if you catch meales.

everyone has to take a gamble (as no matter what you do there's a chance of after effects or death)

you have to choose between put your luck on the jab or disease.

you have much better odd if you choose the jab imo.

much much better odds.

measles are more dealy than the jab IMO, more chance in a 1 to 100 situation of dying or being left with a lift time illness from measles than from a jab.

i understand why you want to avoid if you know your child is more likely to suffer a reaction to the jab.

but if your children are healthy. and you have no reason to suspect a reaction. the odds are better stacked if you get the jab then running the gaunlet of surviving measles, and finding a doctor who will recognise it in this day and age quickly enough.

snickersnack · 05/12/2008 13:48

ds was nearly 10 months (so too young to have been vaccinated). He was very very unwell - lots of trouble breathing, completely unaware of where he was, and very dehydrated. It was extremely scary. And now, 8 months later, there's a concern it may have slightly damaged his hearing - we're just waiting for a referral.

I know there's a tendency to dismiss measles as "just another childhood disease" but it can be incredibly unpleasant. ds was misdiagnosed (only confirmed when we got the blood test back a few weeks later) despite the fact I was fairly convinced he had measles - I remember the doctor saying "of course, if I thought he had measles, I'd be very worried right now"

Would have vaccinated anyway even without seeing it, and there's now no question in my mind.

sybiltherednosedreindeer · 05/12/2008 13:55

My cousin had the measles when I was about 6. He was slightly older. He died as a result of complications from the illness. Having said I didn't give my ds the mmr as he has very severe excema and an egg allergy, but he did have the single jabs, well spaced out.

snickersnack · 05/12/2008 13:59

jimjams - "If you do have a vaccinated child (and you know it has worked) best thing you can do is expose them to a measles case. Will boost their vaccine immunity so it should last for longer.". Is that really right? If so, that's heartening - dd had the MMR at 15 months, and the week before ds's rash appeared she was constantly kissing and licking him even when he was obviously not well. At the time I just remember thinking "at least the vaccine worked", but it would be nice to think it did her some good as well...

trixiethepixie · 05/12/2008 14:16

My best friend has a viruology phd and told me the consequences of a measles outbreak with unimmunised children is very, very nasty. I'm not hestitating to get my son vaccinated, and he is getting his mmr later today. Early, I might add as our health center is worried about the possibilty of an outbreak, especially coming up to the Christmas season when people are visiting each other.

I must admit I am still a bit worried about it, as I took a reaction to my rubella infection as a child but couldn't forgive myself if he caught measles. I understand you're in a difficult position but I would get the single jabs if I were you.

CoteDAzur · 05/12/2008 14:22

hellymelly - I had measles. Twice. Once under a year old (and obv got no immunity), and then at age 8.

I remember I had a high fever and was quite ill, stayed in bed and read lots of books.

Honestly, it was not that bad. At no point was anyone worried about me (my mother is a pharmacist) and waited for the disease to run its course. In those days, where I lived, children were expected to have the childhood diseases, and everyone I know, without a single exception, has had measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox.

dontwanttobejumpedon · 05/12/2008 14:23

jimjams - are single measles jabs safer than they were when you and i were children? I don't know if i had the jab, i know i was supposed to, but i got awful measles aged 11. Really verging on getting ds single jab now but seriously worried that he will regress, given his history.

thegreatescape · 05/12/2008 14:27

I had measles as a child and it was really nasty. Its different to chicken pox in that it can leave you with permananent damage - sometimes very severe brain damage. I have had my kids MMR'd.

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 14:31

Pretty much the same jab I think dontwant- same as is in the MMR as well.

My experience of measles was the same as cotes

hannahsaunt · 05/12/2008 14:32

I grew up with a boy in my church who was perfectly healthy and normal in every respect until he had measles. He developed measles-related encephalitis and ended up paraplegic and profoundly mentally disabled; his body was twisted and tortured in his wheelchair and he was totally incapable of anything after that. His parents were fantastic and he was cared for at home until he died about ten years later. It was absolutely awful. There is no way to know that it wouldn't happen to your child and when it does it does so 100%. MMR has been used in the USA since 1972 (I think, early 70s anyway) so there is a long history of it being an acceptable vaccine. Ds 3 is getting his on Monday.

Spillage21 · 05/12/2008 14:53

Getting your DCs vaccinated at the time of an outbreak is too late. And saying 'yes but I had German Measles/Measles and I'm fine' is irrelevant, as is saying 'our children are healthy and can fight off diseases'. The thing about these diseases is that you can't predict who will be victim to the worst effects...the diseases are indiscriminate.

Yes the majority of children will probably be fine, but there is a small but significant risk that the disease could lead to long-term morbidity, or even death. Personally I believed the risk from the effects of the diseases (which are proven) were far higher than the risks of a reaction to the vaccination (which are unproven).

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 14:56

Which reactions to a vaccination are unproven?

I mentioned in the post above the person brain damaged who received an (inadequate) payout from the vaccine injury compensation fund.

ELMOchristmascountdown · 05/12/2008 14:58

ok. we know that 1 in 100 kids with measles die or have lifelong permenant damage.

whats the odds to a reaction to vaccination?

dontwanttobejumpedon · 05/12/2008 14:58

it said in the stats TheBlonde linked to that most cases outside London at present are linked to the travelling communities - no idea if that is correct.

dontwanttobejumpedon · 05/12/2008 15:00

wher are the oddsa about 1 in 100 children please? The odds i have seen are very different. Not trying to belittle the disease. Genuinely interested.

Also, risk factors for the jab are not the same across the board. some children, a small minority, much more at risk.

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 15:00

Well depends on your family history. If you have a family history of vaccine reactions then your risk of a reaction is quite high.

1 in a 100 is a huge overestimate for a child in the UK.

Spillage21 · 05/12/2008 15:01

I'm thinking of autism and when I was considering the vaccination for my son.

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 15:02

In 1989 when there was a lot more measles around the UK dept of health was stating that 1 in 5000 cases would cause encephalitis. Many of those will recover without long term effect, so I have no idea where you've got 1 in 100 from unless you're mixing in data from developing countries and communities not previously exposed to measles.

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 15:06

The death rate is often quoted at 1 in 2000 but in 1980 in the UK there was 139,487 cases with 26 deaths so that's not 1 in 2000 either.

For a healthy child the death rate will be much lower than that even. And they now have a treatment for measles (iv vitamin A).

ELMOchristmascountdown · 05/12/2008 15:07

just got it from reading ealier posts

By notcitrus on Fri 05-Dec-08 12:03:32

just skimmed rest after it. never seen it being questionned so assumed that had been looked up/verified.

i hink the 1 in 100 covers all the different after effects that occur from getting measles.

partial deafness/blindness,death. not just the e..... (aren't on right page to stick and paste)

ELMOchristmascountdown · 05/12/2008 15:08

encephalitis

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 15:08

Well the risk of autism isn't equal for everyone either.At birth DS2 and ds3 were 100 times more likely to develop autism that the babies in the beds next to them. In actual fact ds2's risk was probably slightly lower, whilst ds3's was considerably higher.

Not everyones risk from the disease or the vaccination is the same. So you can only make a choice based on the information you have on your family.

Spillage21 · 05/12/2008 15:08

Well those parents with a child in special care on a ventilator with measles-related encephalitis I'm sure will be most relieved to know that there won't be any long-term effects...

jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 05/12/2008 15:09

Well there's a huge difference between deaf in one ear (my mother) and brain damage (ds1).

VirginBoffinMum · 05/12/2008 15:10

Friend of the family had it as a baby in late 1980s. He was due to have been vaccinated, but had a cold so his mother put it off for a few weeks, and in the meantime he caught measles. He nearly died, was left with neurological problems and impaired vision and hearing. As a result I get my children every vaccination going. I am just so relieved this is on offer, and for free as well. We are very privileged.

Really this is such a nasty disease that it needs to be taken seriously, and to boot the risks of autism (if there are any - I am not at all convinced by the 'evidence' and I read a lot because I am a big fusspot when it comes to my kids, and know my way around academic papers) are much lower than the risk of seeing your child permanently damaged or even killed by this disease. At least go for the single vaccine if you are scared of the triple.