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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

New Nanny with unvaccinated own child

51 replies

FrenchMagpie · 08/04/2016 16:13

Has anyone been in this situation?

Our lovely new nanny starts soon - initial impressions are great and I'm really pleased to have found her. However, I've just found out that she doesn't believe in vaccination and her own child (13 months) is not vaccinated against anything. Also, she herself did not have whooping cough/Flu vaccination in her pregnancy.

I am expecting DC3 in the summer and I'm not sure how I feel about my nanny being in close contact with my newborn.

I feel very confused. It is, of course, her choice not to vaccinate her child. But am I putting my children at risk?

Is this common? Do you ask if your potential employees are vaccinated? And any nannies, are you vaccinated and how do you feel about this?

Thanks for any input

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Hassled · 08/04/2016 16:16

You're right that of course it's her choice but I am so pro-vaccination that I don't know if I could get past this. But is her unvaccinated child actually going to have any contact with your DCs? Presumably the nanny herself will have immunity to the MMR diseases?

lavenderdoilly · 08/04/2016 16:19

I am immuno-compromised, have never had measles so I rely on herd immunity. We have no measles herd immunity in our area and so I kept my dd clear of eg swimming until she was vaccinated. I have to take my chances for myself. I personally would not allow anyone access to my newborn if they were not vaccinated. Prepare for vitriol from some other posters.

littleducks · 08/04/2016 16:24

Realistically the MW delivering your baby could be unvaccinated and you wouldn't know.

GraysAnalogy · 08/04/2016 16:25

I personally wouldn't want someone who 'doesn't believe in vaccination' taking care of my child.

AveEldon · 08/04/2016 16:26

Is your nanny bringing her child to work?

Original poster

FrenchMagpie · 08/04/2016 16:38

Oh, please, no vitriol. I'm pregnant (and very emotional) and just worried about my children!

The children won't have any contact with her child. She herself has been vaccinated for MMR etc but did not have the Whooping Cough jab in her recent pregnancy and I am really most worried about that (initially). My DS1(3) had suspected whooping cough a few months ago (despite being vaccinated) and I had many discussions with his doctors about the vaccination. I understand WC in newborns (before they have initial 2 month jabs) is potentially fatal.

It is absolutely her choice. But I have to make the best choices for my children too. I'm so confused...

OP posts:

AveEldon · 08/04/2016 16:43

I think you are worrying unnecessarily
The whooping cough vax in pg is to protect the newborn - the adult should be protected from their childhood vax (in theory)

PotteringAlong · 08/04/2016 16:50

Are you going to keep your child in the house so they don't come across any unvaccinated person?

You cannot recind a job offer because you do not agree with a choice they have made for their own child, who has nothing to do with the job offered.

AveEldon · 08/04/2016 16:53

Are you having the WC jab?

NickNacks · 08/04/2016 16:54

I believe in vaccination but the whooping cough one is new so I didn't have it in any of my pregnancies. I'm a childminder so understand the risks of diseases to young children. Would you be equally as wary of me?

zoelife111 · 08/04/2016 16:57

personally, I would not be allowing her child into my home

NickNacks · 08/04/2016 16:58

She's already said they won't have any contact.

UmbongoUnchained · 08/04/2016 17:01

I wouldn't want an anti vaxxer having anything do to with my child.

VilootShesCute · 08/04/2016 17:04

Surely if your child is going to be vaccinated they'll be covered? Not that vaccinating stops people getting the illness they're jabbed against but your little one will have hers at 8 weeks I presume? If she's a nanny she should have good awareness of these diseases and be careful about who your tiny one comes in to contact with. Keep them locked in your home for the first few months and keep her child away from yours you are the one in charge after all she should respect your view and decisions.

ItsLikeRainOnYourWeddingDay · 08/04/2016 17:07

Yanbu. The amount of time she will be spending with your child would concern me.

I would find a replacement.

Original poster

FrenchMagpie · 08/04/2016 17:10

I had WC jab in my last pregnancy (2014) and I am told I am still covered. If I wasn't covered, I would have it again, no question.

NickNacks - have you been asked about your vaccinations and are people wary? I'm genuinely confused as to whether this is something I should be asking/worrying about. Her views on vaccination came up in conversation, I hadn't even thought to ask her? Do you take unvaccinated children as mindees? Or newborns who have not yet been vaccinated? As I've said, I'm initially most worried about my newborn.

As for keeping the newborn in the house so that they don't come across unvaccinated people (PotteringAlong), I thought that was indeed the advice for newborns prior to their initial jabs. Not being housebound, I mean but avoiding swimming, large groups of children etc. Just being careful I suppose?

OP posts:

Snooksbury · 08/04/2016 17:10

If she didn't have children herself she wouldn't have had the whopping cough vaccine either - would you still be worrying then?

AveEldon · 08/04/2016 17:14

The NHS advice is for you to have it in every pregnancy, no matter how close together they are

NickNacks · 08/04/2016 17:14

I have never ever been asked about my vaccination status nor that of my children. I do find out about the children I look after though, mainly for records in case they fall ill in my care.

I've been a cm for 7 years and looked after dozens and dozens of children, though never newborns.

FuzzyOwl · 08/04/2016 17:19

French I gave birth less than a year ago and will do so ago in a few months, and I still have to have the whooping cough vaccination again. It is for the unborn child and not the mother. Please speak to your surgery, because you should be having it again (probably now if your child is due in the summer).

FuzzyOwl · 08/04/2016 17:24

The second to last point on the NHS site here confirms that you need to have the whooping cough vaccination for every pregnancy that you have.

Whatsthematterwithme · 08/04/2016 17:27

I am a nanny and when I applied for positions overseas last year, it was a requirement for me to have the whooping cough vaccination (amongst all others).

Original poster

FrenchMagpie · 08/04/2016 17:28

Fuzzy & Ave - thank you. I will check again although I'm not yet 28 weeks. If I need the WC jab, I will absolutely have it. Especially in these circumstances!

NickNacks - thanks also. As I said, I didn't ask her, it just came up. Out of interest, would you take an unvaccinated child into your care? Would you need to inform the other parents?

Snooksbury - good question. I am not sure. I guess thats why I'm a little caught off guard.

I am genuinely confused about what to do, so thanks for all your input

OP posts:

NickNacks · 08/04/2016 17:31

Yes I do have an unvaccinated child in my care currently. No the other parents don't know, and I can't and won't tell them as I am duty bound by confidentiality to the famililies. All the others are indeed vaccinated and so they are covered. I don't accept ill or contagious children so I would never knowingly out them at risk. I guess there's always a chance but I suppose there would be anywhere, nursery or school etc.

UmbongoUnchained · 08/04/2016 17:46

Nick out of interest if I had an immune suppressed child and wanted to use you as carer and I asked about any un vaccinated kids would you be able to tell me then? Or is it a total no no.

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