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Children's health

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Original poster

DC not had MMR, really need some advice

45 replies

memoo · 11/03/2009 12:09

My DC are 8 and 10 and haven't had the MMR.

Just to clarify that this isn't to do with the now infamous research my Dr Wakefield.

However I do believe parents know their children better than anyone, and if a parent says their child was fine until they had the vaccination then I tend to believe them.

I am not irresponsible though, my DC are the most precious things in the world to me and the last thing I want is for them to get a life threatening illness.

Unfortunately I cannot afford single vaccines and so I have come to the conclusion that I must now let them have the mmr, but I am terrified.

Has anyone else had their DC vaccinated at a later age?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bohemianbint · 11/03/2009 12:12

similar boat, different aged dcs - will watch...

bohemianbint · 11/03/2009 12:12

similar boat, different aged dcs - will watch...

bohemianbint · 11/03/2009 12:12

ooops, sorry, only have 1 hand free...

Marthasmama · 11/03/2009 12:14

I will be watching too. DS has had measles now though!

thumbwitch · 11/03/2009 12:16

my friend had her dS done aged nearly 5 because she was worried about it earlier (family health issues). He was fine.

By the ages your DC are, their immune systems should be well-established and most likely able to withstand anything the vaccine can throw at them, so long as they don't have allergy issues with egg or irritation issues with aluminium.

I am not going to tell you it will be fine because everyone runs a minor risk of reaction with every vaccine they have - but the risk is likely to be much reduced now in comparison with the potential risk when they were tiny babies.

bohemianbint · 11/03/2009 12:21

what I've been wondering recently, is why am I only concerned re the MMR? Surely it's not the only vaccine that has damaged children...?

Original poster

memoo · 11/03/2009 12:23

I think that too bohemian. i also think that if I were able to get the single vaccines for DC then maybe they are just as much at risk from them.

OP posts:

clumsymum · 11/03/2009 12:23

I had this same situation, it was because of the adverse publicity, because dh's eldest son is autistic (from birth), so we thought there may be a genetic pre-disposition, and while ever the jury was out, we erred on the side of caution.

When ds turned 8, we decided we would allow the vaccination, because
a) the older the child gets, the more severe the effects of measles/mumps may be
b) we were going to the carribean, where the risk of infection may be higher
c) Ds is a very strong healthy boy, and we felt his immune system would cope better with the 3 injections together than as a toddler. I must admit, I would still have preferred single vaccines, but dh & my sister persuaded me.

Anyway, he had the standard MMR vaccine aged 8, with no ill effects, and had his booster 3 months later.

As a side issue, ds still hasn't had a meningitis C vaccination, as this was brand new when he was a baby, and I refused to let him have it until it had been out for a few years and we could see if any adverse effects were being reported.
I guess it's time to reconsider this now, too.

Sawyer64 · 11/03/2009 12:25

We are having alot of "catch-up" children over 5 yrs coming in for MMR.

The schedule for catch-up is 1 month between MMR 1 and 2.

silverfrog · 11/03/2009 12:26

one thing you could do is to get their immunity tested - it is possible they ahve been exposed to rubella, and even mumps, and may be immune.

would oyu be able to afford one single, rather than all 3 (and then boosters)?

at their ages, first thing I would do is check immunity (mine are 4 and 2 - 4 year old had baby jabs, but won't be having boosters, 2 year old completely unvaccinated)

Marthasmama · 11/03/2009 12:29

We thought of checking ds's immunity but when we thought about it we decided that a blood test would be too traumatic for a (rather wimpy) 5 year old.

Marthasmama · 11/03/2009 12:30

Ooo what a horrible sentence, I apologise . I'm very tired!

thumbwitch · 11/03/2009 12:31

you would probably have to pay for their immunity check though, as it isn't a standard health issue and your GP is unlikely to want to fund it.

Also, I had my Rubella jab aged 14 despite having had german measles aged 9 - I was told at the time that it is possible to have GM more than once, so I had to have the vaccine - knowing what I know now about the immune system, that makes NO sense! But at the time I did what they said.

goingtohaveagoodnightssleep · 11/03/2009 12:33

DD1 was 7 when she had hers DD2 was 4. We were unlucky DD1 had german measles at 12 months 1 week and both girls had measles July 2007. I wish I had vacinated them both sooner tohugh I wouldn't have prevented dd1 getting german measles as it was just beofre she was due her MMR.

Original poster

memoo · 11/03/2009 12:38

I am surpose to eb phoning the nurse at 1pm to make an appointment for them to have it done.

I am so scared though, feel sick with worry, just don't know what to do

OP posts:

thumbwitch · 11/03/2009 12:42

memoo, I think so long as they are both well at the time of the jab, and don't have any bowel or allergy problems, there is not much to worry about.

My friend had exactly the same sort of reaction as you are having - when she went for the appt, she still hadn't 100% made up her mind to actually let her DS have the jab, but the doctor she saw (not a nurse) was so sensible and took her worries seriously, so she got her DS done. Apparently afterwards he said under his breath "you did the right thing to wait".

Remember that you can still change your mind, even when you get there!

clumsymum · 11/03/2009 12:42

Memoo, what exactly are you scared about?

solowitch · 11/03/2009 12:45

I didn't have the Rubella jab at all and was checked for immunity in my 30's. Turns out I was naturally immune.

Dd has not had her MMR and I'm thinking that maybe when she's 2.6(she's 2.2 now)I might let her have it.
After recent family research, we seem to have a lot of autistism in the family ~ at least 3 children and my Ds has a lot but not all markers(?is that the right word)and at least 3 adults...strangely, they are all male family members.
I did allow Ds to have the MMR at 18months, but have always regretted it.

Original poster

memoo · 11/03/2009 12:46

I am scared that they will be damaged by the vaccine.

There is a history of bowel problems in my family. My Father has crohns disease.

OP posts:

Original poster

memoo · 11/03/2009 12:47

solo, why did you regret letting your DS have the mmr? Has he been affected?

OP posts:

clumsymum · 11/03/2009 12:51

whilst I still think that giving a very young child a triple vaccine in one dose is WRONG, (just too much for a young child to cope with), as a child gets older the risks of contracting measles/mumps get higher.

My sister taught in a college for blind students, a good percentage of whom were blinded by measles in their teens.

Hence for us, once ds was seen to be a strong healthy boy, the risk of having the vaccine became less than the risk of suuffering the illnesses themselves.

solowitch · 11/03/2009 12:52

Personally, I think if there are any doubts, you should wait. I went and changed my mind on several accasions with Ds and only succumbed because I really felt pressured by the nurse. I've changed my mind twice with Dd too...no regrets over mind changing with her, but I do regret not saying no with Ds. It is though, only a decision that you can make and whichever decision and whatever the consequenses of that decision are, you are the one that has to live with it. Sounds harsh, but I believe it is true.

clumsymum · 11/03/2009 12:58

I agree, if you have doubts, then wait, discuss it with your partner, and your father.

Does your father have a consultant he sees regularly? It may be worth asking his opinion too.

thumbwitch · 11/03/2009 13:01

memoo, the FH of Crohn's does make a bit of a difference - do you have bowel issues yourself? Have your DC shown any sign of it?

If you want to minimise bowel trauma risk, then you can do this by dietary intervention - making sure that they have sufficient fruit and fibre in their diet, that they have a bowel movement between 1 and 3 times a day, feed them probiotics (bio-live yoghurts, actimel, whatever - just-ripe bananas are good too). Minimise processed foods, sweets, fizzy drinks - anything that is likely to upset the bowel flora balance.

Do this for at least a month before you get them jabbed - it will mean you have done your best to protect their bowel integrity, which means that any risk of the bowel being traumatised by any part of the vaccine is minimised.

MollieO · 11/03/2009 13:05

If you go for single vaccines you will need to ensure they cover the prevalent strains in this country. From what I understand those vaccines are not manufactured for this market. Usually imported from Japan where the strains are different. You may end up with spending a lot of money for nothing.

I had ds done late - 3 for the first and 4 for the second. Severe allergic reaction to the first one but nothing to the second.

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