My sis won't vaccinate her DS, Links, pls

[ChocFudgeCake]

My sis and I are not often in touch, she lives abroad. We just spoke and she told me she is not vaccinating her child, 3, anymore. He just had the baby jabs and he had such bad reactions that she is only treating him with homeopathy now. Not antibiotics or even paracetamol.
I had homeopathy in the past, but I read Ben Goldacre's book and I had serious doubts about homeopathy.
Can anyone link to a site where it explains about homeopathy and the need for jabs??
Thanks.

I think this is some of the best of Goldacre's writing on homeopathy if you can't send her a book.

For vaccines, I'm not sure you need to look further than the NHS webpage.

However, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

If someone has made up their mind on this, often from an emotive mindset, presenting facts doesn't tend to be able to alter it.

In fact there is some evidence that it firms an individuals convictions when they are confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs.

P.S. If you or your sister prefer anecdotes then What's The Harm ? is decent.

I'm sure it's not a decision she's taken lightly. She's probably done a great deal of reading and research and if you start offering her material she will probably do the same in return.

You don't know better than her about her child. Is she telling you what to do with yours?

Oh, and Bennett, it's not "often from an emotive mindset" and how would you know anyway. You just made that up: it's convenient to think that rather than imagine that people who take these decisions can actually be quite well informed about statistics, probability, adverse reactions, reactions of health professionals to reports of adverse events, and so on and so forth.

She's obviously disregarding herd immunity thinking.

How wonderful that she doesn't have to worry about it.

Lets hope no one close to her gets infected with a bad virus because of low uptake of vaccines and herd immunity goes down.

Your sister sounds like a bit of a twat to be honest of she isn't even allowing her child to be treated with antibiotics?

WTF does she do for pain relief?

Tempering use of antibiotics is sensible and encouraged by GPs. Not all, I believe, are twats.

Let's hope none of your children gets infected with a bad virus because of failed or waning immunity and passes it on because you have no idea your child do so.

Appletrees, I absolutely agree. But refusing antibiotics full stop? Errm. Isn't that just slightly idiotic?

It won't be a full stop. It'll be no anti bs for things like ear infections I bet.

I'd be more worried about relying on homeopathy but I wouldn't stick my nose in.

Well, even that is stupid. An ear infection could develop into something nasty. Perforated eardrum, or further infection further down the ear canal.

I stand by my statement. Your sister is a twat. Who obviously cares more about her beliefs than her children and other health

Don't be silly. You don't really know. Even fifteen years ago my GP told me there wasn't much point in prescribing antibiotics for a regular ear infections as they cleared up in the same time any way. One of mine had abs for an ear infection which returned within a month. So he cleared it properly, himself, without abs, and it didn't come back.

I don't think my GP is a twat. He's head of practice now.

a/bs don't help with viruses
anyway, it's not like she made a life-long committment, this is what she thinks NOW, she is allowed to change her mind you know, so leave her be girl

yes you are quite right nightcat but they do help with bacterial ear infections

ooh I never said they did and withdraw my

Several issues here:

1. Her choice to vaccinate

1. Her choice not to use other meds

1. Her belief in homeopathy

None of them are your business really. And if you'd like to talk to her about it then that's fine, share resources, try and understand where she's coming from. But it sounds like you're trying to convince her she is wrong, trying to educate her. You assume she is incorrect and misinformed which is unfair. Obviously, she did vaccinate her child and you mention 'very bad' reactions. Presumably, the decision is not based on an emotional whim.

And please do not assume that a mother who opts out of vaccinations is doing it for emotional reasons. There are as many good and valid reasons for not vaccinating as there are for vaccinating.

Talk to your sister if you wish. Share information if you wish. But don't assume she is taking the decision lightly or 'wrong'.

I very, very, very rarely give any medicines to dd. I certainly don't give paracetamol for a temperature for example. But this isn't because I'm emotional, it's because I've made an educated decision to raise my child according to what I believe is best for her.

I am v wary of anybody who tells anybody else what to do with regards to vaccinations, either way. It's a personal decision.

Totally agree SoH. I am a complete non believer in homeoptahy, but I would not have the presumption to email links about homepathy to a sister in order to try and prove her wrong.

I didn't vaccinate my dd either, and am very hesitant re antibiotics unless they are really necessary. I do give paracetamol for a headache/temp however. It is personal choice.

Second that. Also dislike paracetamol for any fever. So over used.

If her ds has had a bad reaction to the jabs then it's not all that surprising that she's avoiding any more.

Two of my children are fully vaccinated. One isn't. He reacted badly to the pertussis vaccine and stopped breathing. Even the consultant agreed that he shouldn't receive any further doses.

As infuriating as it is you're probably best to mind your own, by pushing the issue you'll only fall out over it!
Regardless of what you think, it is her decision.

My sister smoked all the way through her pregnancy, in the end I gave up mentioning it, I knew it wouldn't change anything, as much as it disgusted me!

sorry chocfudgecake but if he had very bad reactions to the baby jabs then I think she is probably right not to give him more!

my cousin had a terrible reaction to her first baby jab and my aunt was told not to vaccinate her further.

homeopathy is another thing altogether, but i'm afraid it's HER child and HER choice.

I am a big supporter of vaccinations and give my kids medicine whenever they are ill.

However, I have learnt that good very rarely comes from challenging someone's parenting decisions.

No doubt many of your friends and relatives will treat their children in a way which is totally contrary to your own beliefs.

Your best course of action is just to smile and nod and change the subject. It's their choice.

I haven't vaccinated DD. I am not some wafty twat - I have agonised about this and it is my ( and my DHs informed decision). I review it regularly and speak with my GP regularly too.

If you sent me trite little emails lecturing me about my choices i would tell you to fuck off. Particularly if you had simply assumed that I had decided not to vaccinate because of a tarot reading, or an article in a mag or because I had decided it would clash with my chakra

"Oh, and Bennett, it's not "often from an emotive mindset"

Unfortunately it is.

Or, at least, that's what all the research that I've ever seen on the matter showed.

I could link to papers that relate to a couple of dozen conditions where this has been looked at.
The result are surprisingly consistent.

But, as I said in my post, such data has very little power to change peoples mindsets.

But I'm happy to look at data which points the other direction.
And I'll do my best to overcome my cognitive biases and give it a fair hearing.

It is none of your business, it is your sister's choice.

Her choice.

WRT antibiotics ds1 had antibiotic after antibiotic for repeated ear infections (this was a decade ago). DS3 was hospitalised for a seizure following ear infections 4 years ago and the hospital would not prescribe antibiotics.

Guess whose guts I had to spend years sorting out?

The only thing the hospital couldn't quite believe was that I was more than happy for ds3 not to be given antibiotics.
They even understood why he hadn't been vaccinated.

If he's had bad reactions to vaccinations I'm not sure why you would expect her to vaccinate again??

Can i point out that having a DS that developed HSP (henoch schonlein purpura) after his pre-school booster - that i am of an emotive viewpoint. If my DS has another overload to his immune system, he could have kidney failure. That makes me very emotive.
If you look up NHS info on HSP - it acknowledges vaccinations and immunisations as a possible cause.
Each of us as parents have the right to evaluate the information we have and make decisions in the best interest of our children.

I am back. Thanks for your posts. Strong opinions. Mmmh.
My sister and I AGREED to send each other links.So no need to be so heated about this.
Of course it's her decision! After I send her some links I'll just smile and nod. Then if something goes wrong then she cannot say that nobody told her. But I do hope that my nephew will do well.
And she did say NO MEDICINES at all NEVER EVER again. That shocks me. But after this sharing of links I'll keep my shock to myself. Thanks again.