mmr yes or no? really confused

[ariane5]

I have 3 dcs-all up to date with immunisations except mmr.

DD1 (9) didn't have it as at the time i read so much negative press etc about it that i was too scared as it just didn't seem safe, i felt fine about all the others as never heard anything negative about them at all.

I know it has since been reported that the scare stories about mmr were just that and were not based on any credible investigations but i still cant get it out of my head, all those parents convinced their children were damaged by it.

Ds and DD2 (4 and 1) both have severe allergies (egg the worst ) and the hv had said no def dont get mmr done which i accepted and was ok with as saved me yet more agonising decisions. However my new gp 9 old one accepted my choice ) has been on at me CONSTANTLY will not take no for an answer and just says mine are the only children at the surgery who have not had mmr and they need it, i get a phone call every few weeks about it and feel really pressurised, gp has now made hosp appt for 2 younger dcs to have it at local hosp but iam not sure-something is just telling me not to do it.

but then of course i worry about measles, im just so confused and dont know what to do for the best

any advice would be greatly appreiciated, thanks

As you know, this topic rouses strong feelings, and you'll probably get lots of heated advice on this thread. Will that help you reach a decision? What kind of information are you looking for to help you make you rmind up - personal anecdote, research evidence, persuasive opinion?

Personally, I'm persuaded by the weight of medical evidence, but then I don't have a child who I fear may have been damaged by vaccine.

The side effects of measles, mumps and rubella (not just for your children but for all those people who can't be immunised, unborn babies etc) are well documented and medically proven. The scare stories about MMR are unfounded.

GPs don't vaccinate for cash, but because they know it is the sensible thing to do.
Just do it. Then you won't have to worry about measles. And if more parents do, the rest of us won't have to worry about measles either.

Where is the evidence then Leonie? A huge study of Danish children found no evidence that the MMR causes autism for example - I haven't heard of any large scale research concluding any link whatsoever.

Scientific study after scientific study have proven beyond doubt that the MMR jab is safe. It is far, far more dangerous to contract any of the diseases covered than to get the jab, statistically speaking. Listen to mothers who think that vaccine caused their children's problems by all means, but also then listen to mothers of children who are damaged from the diseases themselves, not from the vaccine.

My advice would be, seek evidence-based medical advice - not from a parenting website.

And of course a 90% vaccination rate is a good thing and should be encouraged!

I'm not going to wade into this topic - only to say, my choice was to immunise my DD. It does protect against some awful diseases which can be very harmful and occasionally fatal to children. It's a very potent live vaccine and she was quite upset and unwell afterwards, but only for a few days. She is 4 now and is healthy and well. Most people will have a similar story, but there are some people who have had bad experiences.

"Yes, the MMR vaccine can be safely given to children who have a severe allergy to egg." (NHS). The vaccine is grown on chick cells, not yolk or white.

Yes there has been a lot of hype about it.

i think it doesnt help for me that my gp seems to have just a 'do it,do it ' approach when i keep saying what about x,y,z (dcs have numerous other health issue) but they dont seem to want to go through each issue thoroughly with me.
I feel as if im torn between will the other health issues make them more susceptible to complications from measles or will it make a reaction to the vaccine more likely ? I feel really confused despite reading up about it iam still no clearer and i do feel so pushed into a corner by the gp.

Is there another GP at the practice you could speak to? It's fair enough that you have questions that you want answered first.

at a couple of appts with a different doctor and not even about the mmr they have mentioned and just said its perfectly safe to have, the gp who has been pushy has said that he wants to be personally responsible for making sure my dcs have the vaccine, hence the arranged hospital appointment.

It makes it harder as the hv had been so adamant that due to all the severe allergies that ds anddd2 shouldnt have it so i was really confused about that part hearing 2 different stories from health professionals.

It also doesnt help that my younger sister thinks she was damaged by the mmr (no proof but epilepsy coincided with jab) and has told me in no uncertain terms what she will think of me if my dcs have it done as she is terrified they will be as unwell as she is.

your HV wants sacking then.

You know what can cause seizures? Measles.

Your GP is a prat.
Wild Measles has high risk of horrible permanent complications, too.
I don't think you should do it just because GP pressured you.
Whatever you decide, make sure you do it for the right kinds of reasons.

DD had egg allergy (now outgrown) and was fine with MMR. The guidelines say it's ok even with severe allergy, but if you're worried I believe you can have it done in hospital, under observation.

If you have single jabs then I believe you can't now get the single mumps component (more important for boys).

If you don't have any then you risk them getting the diseases and probably passing it on.

ds and dd2 have been given an appt for mmr in hospital ds had to have other jabs done in hospital and be observed for 3 hours after each as well due to his allergies and he was fine, i think my main concern is with ds as once the vaccine is in if he is ill what can they do ? they cant get it out and doesnt it work in different parts at different stages for couple of weeks afterwards? I would spend the whole time terified but of course with their underlying medical problems i would also panic if they were tocome into contact with measles so either way i feel i cant win and am fighting myself over this decision

Scaremongering about the MMR was totally unfounded and the dr who wrote the report has been struck off.
Health visitors are NOT doctors.
Complications from measles can be horrific, and/or deadly.
We had dd2's mmr given by in hospital so could be observed, which is a heck of a lot better than measles at 4 am on a Sunday...
All fine and i am so relieved that she has been immunised.

thankyou cokefan and bamboozled its helpful to hear of others with similar allergy situation?mmr in hosp being ok having the mmr

I think they told us that the different components of the MMR had different "incubation periods" (I know it's not really the actual disease - something like 2, 5 and 10 days) but they did tell us to look out for mild symptoms (grumpiness, temperature etc.) at those points - never seemed to bother DD.

If you're going to have an allergic reaction (e.g to the egg) it would be during the observation time, not days afterwards so I wouldn't worry about that. They're in the best place to take immediate action if something were to happen.

You can't take the vaccine out once you've had it, but then you can't "unexpose" yourself once you've come into contact with someone with measles either.