Did anyone vaccinate one child and not another?

[dinny]

Can't believe it's already time to start thinking about what to do for ds with regard to MMR. DD had single measles and single mumps (mainly because at this age - 16 months - she was at nursery and not breastfed). DS isn't at nursery, doesn't go to any creches and is breastfed (I've had mumps and measles as a child).

So, am thinking may not give him any jabs, at least for now. But it feels really unfair to DD. I'm more paranoid about him & jabs as he's a boy.

i don't think it has descended into a tit for tat argument - it has been quite civil - surprised to see the mediator intervention - previous discussions on the subject have been far more heated! And yes, we all know the government guidelines, surprised to see this post tho.

am not a web official

oh good, i thought MN was becoming a bit dogmatic!

lockets I would love to agree unfortunatly I have first hand experienc of mums who don't immunise because the have heard bits and pieces of stories and rumours, and simply do not attend for jags.
I agree that their are reasons for not immunising but this is not one of them. Not evryon is as well read. I work in one of the most depraved areas in a large city where the uptake of immunisations flucuates depending on what is in the news of the world. Surely this can't be right either?

I once thought that people who don't get their children vaccinated were awful and irresponsible and put our children at risk.
My mother is pro vaccine ... she was a nurse in South Africa in the 1950s/60's and early '70s and after nursing people who had been killed or damaged by things like Polio she had us all vaxed for everything available.
I on the other hand have met and talked to people on here who gave a good argument why vaccines can be harmful themselves. I still, however got DS vaxed.
Then DD had the first of 3 Meningitis B vaxes at 7 months (majorly hyped campaign in NZ with picture of children maimed by meningitis on the front page of the papers ... a rushed vaccine in 5 years rather than the normal 20 or so years it takes to develop a vax)
DD had a fairly nasty reaction to the vaccine ... I decided to put the rest on hold.
In the months following I was told by no less than 2 GPs, 1 nurse and 2 Paeds independently NOT to give DD the next 2 jabs.
Then there was a huge row over the amount of children who had had adverse reactions to the vaccine (I was interviewed on TVNZ) .... and the underhand methods schools and doctors were using to make children be vaccinated (bribery etc)
Needless to say, DD has not been vaccinated for this ...
And that is one of the reasons I am dragging my heels over the MMR.

I hate being in this position ... If I knew there was a way I could save my child's life from something I would obviously do it ... but what about the other risks involved? It is awful to be on the fence like this ... but I am and that's it.

it is a HUGE responsibility not vaccinating. It annoys me if there are people just not vaccinating without doing adequate research. I think vaccines are probably safe for the vast majority. But not vaxing is something no one should do lightly, and hopefully not many do. i would hope it is usually people who have concerns about the specific vulnerability of their child. But then again we all do have free choice, so i can't tell someone else what to do.

lockets I would challenge that by taking you to where I work. Knowing a little but not enough is very very dangerous...
By the way thats my name don't wear it out

That figure of 5% is not really reflective of what goes on all over the country. The poorest areas have the lowest uptake, and this is the sort of enviroment where communicable diseases spread...

have met allot of them, they scare me...

Dinny - I chose not to have boosters of MMR for my children after they had their initial injection. That was because initially when introduced it was thought one injection was enough. Then the booster was recommended but at the time it was known that this was to catch those who did not vaccinate first time round. I was happy that they were breastfed etc. and had my immunity etc.

Last year there was a massive increase in mumps. My DS1 suffered glandular fever and recurrent tonsillitis. On one occasion when he was very unwell I thought he may have mumps and I felt to guilty. When he was better (it was tonsillitis again), he had MMR because I was not prepared to go private for single vaccines, and I did not want to be responsible for him getting mumps.

However he was 17 years old and we researched it together. Immunity for measles and mumps cannot reliably be checked by lab test, unlike rubella, so that was why we decided to have him vaccinated.

I thought 'bugger, they get you in the end'!

If you are unsure you can always defer it for a while. I think you really have to think how you would feel if your child got ill. Very difficult decision. Now I will have to get the other 3 done but I am happy they all have well developed immune systems and can cope with vaccines now. I did not have that confidence when they were babies.

bad area of scotland.
The one thing that is touching about this post is just how much people care. How they beat themselves up over this decision, with the unifying goal of what is the best decision for MY child.

if i say something really controversial will everyone be horrible to me?

pmsl, i can't decide if to or not! lol

yeah! everyone will think i am awful if i say it, but i think i could actually be on to something!

HURRY UP STARLOVER, the baby is stirring and i must know

oh ok... well i was just thinking about what chalkboard was saying about her "depraved" area, and those of lowest economy having lower take-up rates of immunisation.

my first thought (god help me) was well that's just natural selection isn't it?