For those of you who didn't have the MMR - did you change your mind when your child was older?

[beesonmummyshead]

Hello, I know this is a controversial subject, but I was just wondering if any of you have given the MMR at a later date than originally scheduled? And if so, when and why?

A bit of background, I am not anti-vaccine, nor really pro-vaccine. I am just concerned about the MMR given the hype over the years. Basically it comes down to the fact that if anything were to happen to dd as a direct result of the MMR I could never live with myself. We do have a history of autism in the family and dd is quite allergic.

However, as she is slowly outgrowing her allergies and illnesses I was wondering whether she should have the MMR when she is older, when her body might be better equipped to deal with it.

We were planning on having single vaccines, but money is very tight at the mo, and there is no-one local who will do it for us.

Could I have your opinions please?

I can't help as such. Ds is now 10, had the mmr as a baby and has had years of problems because of it. For that reason none of my others will ever had it.

We were supposed to give dd her first MMR shot when she was 11m, but I put it off, and was going to let her have it when she was 3 and I was more certain of her S&L development. However, my mum insisted on paying for the singles, which she had at about 2 - 2 1/2.

She had the booster at 4 1/2.

No problems from either.

I'm fully intending to put DS's off... am a bit worried about mumps though and with me planning on going back to work, he'll be in nursery and may come into contact with live diseases

Worried.

Both of mine had it, no problems from either except DD (not sure but think) she has some form of the spectrum of autism..

Anyway now i'm older and wiser and more able to make an informed decision rather than feel pushed into it by the health service/threats from social workers, i think i'd like to wait.

Will be watching this thread with interest.

Yes - I waited until DS was 9 before giving it. Years, that is. We have a family history of autoimmune issues, and I just felt totally unsure about the whole thing until last year. My rationale, I guess - if you can call it that - is that the older the child is, the more robust their immune system is likely to be. He was absolutely fine - as well he might have been earlier, but that's something I'll never know.

I never really considered single vaccines, as I don't personally feel there's any real advantage to them. It is totally personal, though - I don't pretend to be any sort of expert. If you're concerned, I think you have to do as much research as is practical to arrive at the right decision for you.

At the risk of being a scaremonger...

I was at school when the MMR was introduced and I know a girl who had it aged about 11 (can't remember exact age). She then got the bowel problems and had to have loads of operations.

Just my opinion - I would try and get the single vaccinations, but they don't all need to be done quickly.

It is important for your DD to have rubella IMO, but if money is tight, that can wait until she is old enough to get pregnant if necessary. I would get measles first.

You should also be warned that single mumps vaccinations are out of stock at the moment in most places. Merck have temporarily stopped producing them because they needed to switch production to make more of the triple MMR jab as loads of MMR jabs got recalled. (So my clinic tells me!). They are supposed to be starting to do the mumpsvax again once this prob is sorted.

Anyway, if you start a thread putting roughly where you are, somebody might be able to recommend a singles place nearby.

I have siblnigs on the autistic spectrum so chose singles for both my children.

HTH.

They always seem to be running out of hte mumps jab; they were running out of it when dd had hers, oh 7/8 years ago, and I keep hearing that they're running out of it.

So, if you hear of a place that is doing the mumps one then get it there asap; unless either of the other illnesses are actually around near you they can wait a few months.