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Original poster

VACCINATIONS - anyone opted out, but not into homeopathy?

120 replies

squigglepuss · 13/03/2006 21:07

Are there any mums who have decided not to vaccinate their children, but who are not into homeopathy? If so, I would be interested to hear your approach to health.
Also anyone who has opted to give their child a few vaccines but not the whole lot.
Please don't respond with general arguements FOR and AGAINST vaccinations as I'm familiar with both opinions - just interested in the middle ground. Thanks

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 14/03/2006 21:01

I finally did, franke. I sent them a letter b/c the HV said my wishes needed to be documented. Okay! No prob there. She hasn't bothered me anymore.

It's not just Germany where they didn't want to grant you a grown-up discussion about vaccines, either. I had the scaremongering and bullying laid on thick as molasses in January from the get go.

I even had the bloody receptionist tell me, 'All children should be vaccinated starting at 2 months.' I said, 'Oh, yes, preferably with cheap neurotoxins. Indeed.' She shut up after that.

franke · 14/03/2006 21:03

Ruty, I think what scares me the most is the lack of available, unbiased info upon which to make an informed choice. I am constantly revisiting our decision and question whether we've really missed anything.

expatinscotland · 14/03/2006 21:04

It's b/c they want you to follow the herd and baaaa quietly, franke.

franke · 14/03/2006 21:06

It's funny isn't it expat - I expected a fight too when we lived in the UK at the height of the MMR thing, but they really weren't bothered at my surgery - in fact they were pissed off I hadn't told them sooner as they wouldn't have wasted time and resources sending out reminders - I was quite impressed by that actually.

expatinscotland · 14/03/2006 21:10

they sent me several reminders. i called them up to cancel and that's when the receptionist got on my case. then the HV started her home phone campaign. she should go into politics - she'd lose by a landslide :o.

ruty · 14/03/2006 21:11

i agree franke. i really don't quite trust either side of the argument that you get on websites - you know, either all vaccines are good and its morally indefensible to question them, or that all vaccines are bad and give you everything under the sun. what swung it for me [at the moment, may change my mind] is that the only research testing vaccine safety looks at one set of vaccinated children compared with another set of vaccinated children, and the safety studies are for a very short period of time. But i feel a bit tortured about the whole thing.

franke · 14/03/2006 21:14

lol expat. Poor woman probably never knew what hit her.

tortured is the word ruty.

ruty · 14/03/2006 21:16

i got some bullying earlier on by a rather horrible HV, but they've left me alone recently. The fact that we went to see an immunologist helps, we just say we're talking it thru with him.

expatinscotland · 14/03/2006 21:22

she was brand new, too. i should have put on 'who let the dogs out' everytime she phoned. or pee wee herman parroting, 'i know you are but what am i?' over and over.

ruty · 14/03/2006 21:27

lol expat!

franke · 14/03/2006 21:29

New and keen - dreadful combi.

Ruty, I just had a quick word with dh who's German. He seems to think that anyone could come over and have a normal appointment with an amenable paed here as long as you had the dosh to pay with. I think for the appointment with 2 jabs we paid something like 80 euros (about 55GBP) but then you'd have to come back for the follow-up jabs so I guess it would get pretty expensive.

ruty · 14/03/2006 21:30

we have friends in heidelberg so we may think about that franke - thanks.

velcrobott · 14/03/2006 22:04

my kids are not vaccinated and I don't really do homeopathy. I am not sure I want to argue my reasoning and my approach of health on mumsnet. My kids are 6 an 4 and are very healthy. They got chicken pox and that's about it.
Katyrocks I think you mean Vera Schreiber... she is Austrian I think or at least her hubby was. She comes and tours the UK every year.

Ruty : "I have yet to meet a homeopath who i really can put my faith in"

I could say that I don't think I put my faith into a 3rd party's hand, that's probably sums up some of my views on vaccinations

spidermama · 14/03/2006 22:15

Velcrobott, I read this thread near the begining and didn't know what to put or how to explain my views without being attacked or feeling the need to write a book. You've said it so well. I agree but it's a very difficult position to take because it's so little understood.

I've heard of Vera Schreiber but haven't been to one of her talks yet. However I have been to one of \link{http://www.informedparent.co.uk/events/tabid/66/Default.aspx\Trevor Gunn's} talks and he says it so well.

I have quite a bit of time for homeopathy but have never used it as an alternative to vaccinations.

velcrobott · 14/03/2006 22:18

Spidermama - those pro vaccinations are as convinced as I am to be anti - so not sure arguing it on-line is ideal or would achieve anything!
To me it isn't about disease, it's about health and health is much more than the label people put on it.

katyrocks · 14/03/2006 22:34

yes it was Vera Schreiber - I attended a lecture of hers in 1994, very convincing

velcrobott · 14/03/2006 22:35

So did DH but he was already convinced.

getbakainyourjimjams · 14/03/2006 22:36

Gosh Flip- sounds dreadful. Must have been awful not being able to get people to listen to what you were saying.

Not sure I fit your category or not squigglepuss, I use homeopathy when the kids are ill (but have also been known to give calpol occasionally). My eldest son was vaccinated but we believe thimerosal was a trigger in his severe autism so I kind of stopped trusting people. Ds2 and ds3 have so far had nothing (ds2 is now 4, ds3 14 months). I would like to give them tetanus (we live in a rural area and it bothers me a bit tbh), bu I do not want to give them a 5 in 1 which appears to be the only choice, so feel a but stuck. We're not giving ds1 anything else.

if they don't get measles I may given ds2 and ds3 the single measles jab as they reach puberty- may not.

getbakainyourjimjams · 14/03/2006 22:39

Ooh just read the tetavax stuff......

spidermama · 14/03/2006 22:42

Same here velcrobott. I find it really hard to explain to most people so I tend not to talk about it. It comes from such a fundamentally different approach and philosophy that I wouldn't know where to start.

I beliueve every one of us is doing what we truly believe is the right thing for our children so it's hard to be at odds with the large majority of people. The debate is so polarised.

Heathcliffscathy · 14/03/2006 22:43

ds (2 and a half) is unvaccinated, mainly due to a website that my indep midwife had on a list that she gave me in the general paperwork. that lead to lots and lots and lots of reading, and lots and lots of worry and discussion with dh.

we both knew that we didn't want ds vaccinated at all before 12 weeks...and then by the time 3 months came, we really had solidfied our view that vaccination was not for us (i considered posting what we actually think about vaccination, but have refrained from doing so as i don't want to start a war on what has been until now a great and supportive thread). we still worry about it, we still talk about it. we may choose at a much later date to vaccinate him with tetanus for example, but right now, no vax seems like the best choice available (between that and five in one, no debate for us).

we see a homeopath that specialises in vaccine damaged and unvaccinated children. what i find most reassuring about her (she doesn't describe nosodes as any kind of 'alternative vaccination') is her emphasis on health and a strong immune system.

velcrobott · 14/03/2006 22:45

Spidermama but those pro vaccine also feel those anti vaccine are being selfish.... but it is SO not like that ! That too is hard to put into words. I can see why we can't agree....

spidermama · 14/03/2006 22:53

Good post sophable.

Velcro it's precisly because of this accusation of selfishness that I don't tend to attempt to state my case any more. I know I'll end up being misunderstood and upset.

I don't know if I dare say this but, what the hell it's late ...

If I were allowing my militant mind to wander freely I could say I feel agrieved that my children may be denied the opportunity to catch these childhood illnesses and process them as nature intended thereby giving them natural immunity against this and later complications.

Luckily though I don't often judge others in this way as I know they are doing what they truly and honestly believe is the best thing for their kids.

I won't go on. I could so easily start to let rip on this one but I know I'd only get frustrated.

katyrocks · 14/03/2006 22:55

viera scheibner - I just checked out the link , sm, the first title was the subject of her lectures years ago. I'd be very interested to read the second. such a sensitive issue. not even my nearest and dearest ever understood my decision not to vaccinate dd, even when i presented them with the evidence

Heathcliffscathy · 14/03/2006 22:56

god i am so with you on this one spidermama. i had measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hand foot and mouth (!), and the rest as a kid. i have a very robust consitution and i'm certain that my exposure to and fighting off of those illnesses (and jimjams you're not the only one with an old family medical encyclopedia that describes them as minor illnesses no big deal) has played a crucial part in it's development.

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