Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Sorry this old apple, mmr or no mmr - got to make a decision! DS booked in next Tuesday, what do you all think?

77 replies

mohawk · 27/10/2005 19:43

DS is two, I've held off this long for the mmr, I want to do something, either singles or mmr. Doing singles is £80 each and a long drive after the mmr - anyone done singles in West Yorkshire, Manchester area?? Or should I just go for the mmr, all the present research does discount the Wakefield report but still what price will drug companies go to, to protect their products. Help!

OP posts:
ruty · 29/10/2005 21:57

thimerosol free i mean!

Socci · 29/10/2005 21:57

Message withdrawn

Socci · 29/10/2005 21:58

Message withdrawn

ruty · 29/10/2005 21:58

i have said before many times that my 13 months old ds has gut problems [bleeding in gut] which along with my auto immune disorder has caused me to delay vaccinating.

spidermama · 29/10/2005 22:01

I totally agree socci.

It's another in which the medical profession and the pharamceuticals try to bully people into doing something which really, deeply goes against the grain.

spidermama · 29/10/2005 22:03

Also, as bakabat has said, the people who caught measles in recent outbreaks had been vaccinated.
So clearly the vaccines aren't working.

Socci · 29/10/2005 22:10

Message withdrawn

foundintranslation · 29/10/2005 22:11

thanks bakabat.
I don't know of any other autoimmune issues in my or dh's family (1 diabetes case but type 2 I think) and suspect that my things were really due to stress (it was the year my parents cut me off). but would rather err on side of caution. ds is only 5mo so have a while to get informed.

Amyjade · 29/10/2005 22:15

6 months ago my DD died aged 19 months from a rare form of meningitis for which there is a vaccine(not yet introduced in this country).

The consultants in the PICU told us many stories of children being left brain damaged or even dying from diseases that do have a vaccine and how angry they were that in this country people are still not using them.

Always have your child vaccinated, the risk of catching measels etc is greater than the small(if any) chance of autism brought on by the MMR.
Even if you don't have the combined vaccine don't wait around for the single doses.

I say if there are vaccinations to protect your children from the childhood diseases that can cause death and disability then use them.

ruty · 29/10/2005 22:24

Amyjade i read your story and the tread you started and i can understand why you feel this way. But no one makes the decision to delay or not vaccinate lightly. We all have fears in our mind. I spoke to an immunologist about hib meningitis - he said he still sees cases -and tho he is pro vaccination he admitted he still sees cases in immunized children. Immunized children are not always protected from diseases. And though i can understand that the ratio of risks from you view point are clear, there are people who are trying to protect their children in different ways.

ruty · 29/10/2005 22:24

Amyjade i read your story and the tread you started and i can understand why you feel this way. But no one makes the decision to delay or not vaccinate lightly. We all have fears in our mind. I spoke to an immunologist about hib meningitis - he said he still sees cases -and tho he is pro vaccination he admitted he still sees cases in immunized children. Immunized children are not always protected from diseases. And though i can understand that the ratio of risks from you view point are clear, there are people who are trying to protect their children in different ways.

spidermama · 29/10/2005 22:27

Amyjay, so, so sorry. I just can't imagine this. I have no knowlege or experience of this.

The problem with the MMR is that the measles vaccination doesn't appear to stop people getting measles. The people who've been affected in the recent, well publicised outbreaks had been vaccinated.

Amyjade · 29/10/2005 22:33

I understand that people want to protect there children in different ways but in my eyes a small child has not got a strong enough immune system to fight diseases such as meningitis, measels, polio etc
My Dd was a big, healthy girl, fed on organic food, she was never ill but that bacteria took over her body in hours, at such a young age she never had a chance.

I fully understand that it's every parents right to do what they thinks best for their child but from a mother who has lost a child i just wanted people to be aware of the devestation childhood diseases can cause.

ruty · 29/10/2005 22:38

meningitis is terrifying amyjade, it keeps me awake at night just thinking about it. More research needs to be done into why some children get meningitis when others exposed to the same bacteria just get mildly ill. Also more research needs to be done into the role of extended breastfeeding as protection. I'm not saying this would have had any difference to your terrible loss, I would just like more research to be done. I agree meningits vaccinations are the most important vaccinations, altho as i mentioned they do not always work, tho the majority do. With measles however, the risk to some children off MMR may be huge. The risks to other may be tiny. We need to identify which children are at risk, not treat all of them as a blanket population.

Amyjade · 29/10/2005 22:49

There is so many sides to this debate we could be here for hours and it all gets very confusing at times.

As for breastfeeding the head of the PICU (a south african doctor who has worked all over the world and specialises in pneumococcal meningitis) told us straight that breasfeeding will not protect a child from aggresive bacterias such as the pneumococcas but research defanitly needs to be done into why some children get meningitis and others carry the bacterias and never go on to develop it.

Childrens immunities are very complicated it was my DD immune systum working over time that caused the brain damage not the bacteria. (all very complicated)

Sorry to change the subject.
We all need to do whats right for our own children so hope you all come to the right decision concerning the MMR.

ruty · 29/10/2005 22:58

the south african doctor may well be right amyjade. But in truth not enough stringent research [admittedly very hard to do] has proven it one way or the other. Medical research into breastfeeding is rather scant. But i don't doubt his wide experience. Again, off subject! Sorry.

Mojomummy · 30/10/2005 09:03

Amyjade, really sorry to hear about your little girl

Agree that there doesn't seem to be much research into any medical condition - perhaps money would be well spent in these areas...prevention better than cure etc etc..

jabberwitchy · 30/10/2005 12:55

bakabat, (or anyone else with knowledge about singles) we are just now starting ds on his singles, having taken ages to 1)decide what to do and 2)find someone to give them. I had thought to space them a month apart but should we wait longer?

jabberwitchy · 30/10/2005 13:11

just did a search and realized I've asked this before. Got replies ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months that time but would appreciate all opinions.

So, new twist on an old question - did anyone do other jabs in between doing the singles? Say, for chicken pox?

ruty · 30/10/2005 18:09

we don't have chickenpox vaccine offered routinely in the UK. Because it is generally thought to be a mild disease with no complications.

Davros · 30/10/2005 19:04

We kept ours a YEAR apart and were told to keep them at least 6 months apart. We didn't have any other immunisations in between as there were none as ruty says and I wouldn't give DD a flu jab which is the only one I can think of.

ruty · 30/10/2005 19:26

i think davros is right - a year is the safest possible distance and six months minimum safest.

dinny · 30/10/2005 19:49

my dd has had measles and mumps a year apart - will take her for rubella when I take ds for his first (measles)

Original poster
mohawk · 30/10/2005 20:30

Thank you so much everybody. I appreciate your thoughts and shared experience. To tell you the truth I am not much clearer on it all. My instinct is not to do it but to do something. My ds did have a reaction to his first jabs, he had an egg allergy which we didn't know at the time (although no eggs in the hib/menigitus I think), but he did reacte and was very unwell for the first twelve hours. He is now a robust 2 year old and I am sure he will be fine but... I know this is something I have to work out with dh, he thinks we should do them but has not read all the research I have. My sister also had measles twice and her eye sight was damaged as a result. I also have a six month old dd and know if measles came it would be worse for her. We live in a place where many people are not vaccinating and I can't help believing measles will come. Mumps I am not worried about, although if I did singles I would do all three if I could. O help. Amyjade I particularly appreciate your input, thanks so much. Your advice stood up and shouted. Anymore input is so appreciated, at this point ds is coughing coughing so might not make next week but will be in for the week after. Hummmmph.

OP posts:
dinny · 30/10/2005 20:33

Hmmm, Mohawk, my neighbour is doctor of infectious diseases at St George's and she says if a child has bad reaction to vaccine they would have a much more dangerous reaction to actual illness.... But I would trust your gut feeling - I just didn't feel it was right to give dd MMR and I don't want to give it to dsn either. (btw, not sure where you live but we went to the Breakspear Hospital in Hemel and they were GREAT).