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Children's health

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Vaccination without consent

135 replies

JellybeanZs · 23/12/2021 13:56

Hi, just wondering about the rules on nasal flu vaccination. I did NOT give consent to the school to get my daughter the nasal flu vaccination. She has been ill on the date of the first vaccination and bugs were coming and going. She could go to school, but was not well100%. She came home yesterday that she had the vaccination without me signing the consent form. Do not have to add that she coughing like hell and ill. No sleep all night .. I am completely angry!

OP posts:
anon12345678901 · 23/12/2021 15:37

I would definitely check. They're so hot on it. My son didn't have his because they couldn't find his consent form, so he wasn't allowed it. I'd be surprised if they gave it without consent. Unless their dad doesn't have parental rights, I'd have thought he could sign the form to allow consent, if it's what he thought was best.

girafferafferaffe · 23/12/2021 15:37

How did you find out she had it?

Iamkmackered1979 · 23/12/2021 15:38

You sent your kid to school with those symptoms? Probably why my asthmatic 10 year old is really not well!! Consequences!!
Your kid might be healthy and fine but the next kid isn’t, my son gets his flu spray so do we all to protect him from illness where we can as colds etc go straight to his chest and flu I don’t even want to think about.
How do you know she had it?
Phone and ask what happened? I’m a paeds nurse however I don’t give immunisations in the community so don’t know how consent is checked but also wouldn’t give an a obviously unwell child a vaccine and tell school to have her go home if she has a high temp she must’ve been miserable.

Sounds like bullshit to me tbh she’s had it now though and her dad can consent too nothing you can do about it

WildImaginings · 23/12/2021 15:40

Has your child already had a negative PCR test? If not, you absolutely should not have been sending her to school in the first place with those symptoms!!

Svara · 23/12/2021 15:41

You sent your kid to school with those symptoms?
Sounds like the child was not 100% but well enough for school in the morning but unwell that night.

Budapestdreams · 23/12/2021 15:41

OP, has she had a Covid PCR test?

She sounds like she may have Covid and cases are really high in children at the moment.

I hope she feels better soon 💐

SoupDragon · 23/12/2021 15:42

@JellybeanZs

I am sure that 40 degrees fever , cough and being sorry for herself. Barking like a dog is not really a “yawn”. But thank you for the advice. I am not sure what she has intolerance for, but this is not funny.
As others have said, you need to get a PCR test done.
cansu · 23/12/2021 15:43

There are several possibilities

  1. You didn't fill the form out correctly and inadvertently gave permission.
  2. Your ex gave permission.
  3. Your child is confused and hasn't had it. They could have gone down to the hall and bee sent back. They might think they have had it.
  4. They made a mistake and gave it without permission.

I would check your facts first.

GoodnightGrandma · 23/12/2021 15:44

Your child should have had a consent form to be vaccinated. They will not be vaccinated without one, unless the school presents the wrong child for the form.
A member of school staff identifies the correct child, so you need to speak to school too.
You need to contact the school and vaccination team to ask how on earth this has happened.

Herald44 · 23/12/2021 15:45

I totally agree @troublesometooth and don't understand any other viewpoint/ questions about anti-vax opinions! Its so frustrating that this 'antivax' narrative is being used to dismiss peoples autonomy over their own/ their kids health.

My kids have the nasal spray every year, both had a few weeks ago. But if I had any reason at all to have declined it - even if I had just forgotten to hand in the form! - I would be SO concerned if someone else had decided to give it anyway. Because if I know that can happen for a flu shot, I know it could happen for something else, something I'm not ok with. So bizarre that people can't see the issue.

GoodnightGrandma · 23/12/2021 15:46

The staff do not decide to just give it !!!

RoseAndRose · 23/12/2021 15:47

It’s hard to say whether this is schools or the nurses fault

Not hard

It's not the school's fault at all.

They simply host the NHS programme. It's all,down to the immunisation team. Contact info should be in the initial and post-jab letter/info.

It is important that the immunisation teams get this right. Some DC should not receive the sniff for medical reasons, and consent (or lack thereof) is a big deal.

But everyone delivering vaccines knows that, and it's why mistakes are exceptionally rare.

I think it's important to check if the father gave consent

ques · 23/12/2021 15:48

Hope you can get to the bottom of it!

GoodnightGrandma · 23/12/2021 15:49

@RoseAndRose

It’s hard to say whether this is schools or the nurses fault

Not hard

It's not the school's fault at all.

They simply host the NHS programme. It's all,down to the immunisation team. Contact info should be in the initial and post-jab letter/info.

It is important that the immunisation teams get this right. Some DC should not receive the sniff for medical reasons, and consent (or lack thereof) is a big deal.

But everyone delivering vaccines knows that, and it's why mistakes are exceptionally rare.

I think it's important to check if the father gave consent

In primary schools the vaccination team rely on the school staff presenting the right child for the form. Nurses cannot know who each child is, and you can’t rely on the child knowing their own name.
TragoCardboardCopper · 23/12/2021 15:50

When DD had hers she came home with a leaflet saying she'd had it and what the side effects were / might be.

OP if that's what's happened with your DD could her bag have been on the wrong peg so she came home with someone else's leaflet?

Definitely check she's actually had it and if so who consented before you start writi g letters of complaint!

Troublesometooth · 23/12/2021 15:51

@Herald44

I totally agree *@troublesometooth* and don't understand any other viewpoint/ questions about anti-vax opinions! Its so frustrating that this 'antivax' narrative is being used to dismiss peoples autonomy over their own/ their kids health.

My kids have the nasal spray every year, both had a few weeks ago. But if I had any reason at all to have declined it - even if I had just forgotten to hand in the form! - I would be SO concerned if someone else had decided to give it anyway. Because if I know that can happen for a flu shot, I know it could happen for something else, something I'm not ok with. So bizarre that people can't see the issue.

Completely!

If issuing a flu nasal spray without consent is ok then where does it end?

A child should not be sent to school and given a medical procedure without consent.

What if she was allergic to one of the ingredients and that’s why the parent had declined? Or had already had one? Or was Muslim and refusing the nasal spray due to it containing ingredients derived from pork?

Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 23/12/2021 15:52

We had a follow up confirmation email to confirm the batch of vaccine given and the date. Have you received that?
Who confirmed your 5 yr old actually had it?
You need to ring the school immunisation team. Their phone number should be on the electeonic consent form where you confirmed you did not give consent

DickMabutt73962 · 23/12/2021 15:52

@JellybeanZs

I am sure that 40 degrees fever , cough and being sorry for herself. Barking like a dog is not really a “yawn”. But thank you for the advice. I am not sure what she has intolerance for, but this is not funny.
She didn't get this form the vaccine, HTH Biscuit
FawnFrenchieMum · 23/12/2021 15:56

@cansu

There are several possibilities
  1. You didn't fill the form out correctly and inadvertently gave permission.
  2. Your ex gave permission.
  3. Your child is confused and hasn't had it. They could have gone down to the hall and bee sent back. They might think they have had it.
  4. They made a mistake and gave it without permission.

I would check your facts first.

This. I’d ask for the facts first.

However if she has had it without consent I would be absolutely furious. I’m not anti-vax at all. I decline consent for the nasal spray every year as my children have the vaccine instead.

The nasal spray is a live vaccine so can cause symptoms. The vaccine is not a live vaccine.

cptartapp · 23/12/2021 15:58

wonderful it isn't 'extremely dangerous' to have it twice. You can't over vaccinate.
Practice nurse.

MissNothing1991 · 23/12/2021 16:00

@JellybeanZs

He says he did not, but I am the main carer and if it turns out he did over ruled me I will take him back to court.
You'd take him to court for ensuring your child is given the best possible protection from the flu? 🙄
Starlightstarbright1 · 23/12/2021 16:01

There are a few issues - did you send your child to school that unwell?

If not when did symptoms starts?

We got an email saying it had been given..

That said if it has been given- it shouldn't- a 5 year old can't consent... that saiid i don't have any knowledge of anyone having side effects so is probably something else.

Northernsoullover · 23/12/2021 16:06

I can't believe you sent your sick child to school in this climate.
I agree you need to get to the bottom of the vaccine issuem.
you should have kept your child at home.

BeLessMe · 23/12/2021 16:12

@JellybeanZs

So she is 5 years old. Why I am against it is my own business, my problem is :

She was not well enough for any dose!!!

Also we have survived without it so far, and she built up her own immunity without any artificial intervention and not being ill like now.. and she has intolerance against things like milk etc.

My anger is about giving it with out MY CONSENT.. and I think that is illegal.

If she wasn’t well enough for a vaccination then she wasn’t well enough to be in school.

However, YANBU to be upset it was given without parental consent as that shouldn’t happen age 5 but you really need to clarify that it has actually happened before writing a complaint.

DiamondSnow · 23/12/2021 16:23

It's really bad and I totally understand you are angry.
I just want to point out that the teams organising the flu immunisation this year are hugely stretched as the staff are being outsourced to organise and deliver covid vaccines too,plus many of them are off with covid themselves.
It sounds like somebody has made a mistake, you should certainly raise it and you are due an apology and the system needs addressing. But it wasn't done to deliberately undermine you as a parent. It was most likely a mistake by someone under too much stress being pressured in to too much overtime.