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Original poster

Advice on MMR boosters

40 replies

Thomcat · 03/04/2006 20:14

So sorry if this is old ground and been done to death before.

Lottie had the MMR done as seperate jabs.
We've just had a note through that it's time for her to have Diph, Tet, Apert, Polio Booster and the MMR2 done.

Is there the same feelings towards MMR2 as the first lot? And if you have them done as single vaccinations is there still the need to have them again?

TIA

OP posts:
dinosaure · 04/04/2006 14:28

Uwila, I have been wondering the same...

Angeliz · 04/04/2006 14:36

ff i went Private for the blood test.

Uwilla it will be interesting to see won't it?
I worry about my children's children as by then, it appears babies will have no 'natural' immunity to any of these diseases.

ruty · 04/04/2006 14:46

yep, babies won't have any natural immunity as mothers who have been immunized cannot pass antibodies through their milk. So will their be an increase in cases in the very young?

Uwila · 04/04/2006 15:14

It interesting. I heard the story forst on the BBC London radio show last night when I was driving home. Some doctor was a guest (or called in in response to the show or something) and when he mentioned the two children he followed with "who weren't immunized" but there was no mention of the state of the nurses' vaccination program. I do wonder....

so when SHOULD we be giving the measels vaccines (assuming we should be giving them). DD has had her first set of singles (she has just turned 3). DS is 10 months, so obviously hasn't had anything yet. I plan to go for singles. But, I'm wondering if I should rush out for the measels jab at 15 months or delay it for a few more months.

clicker · 04/04/2006 15:15

If they have vaccine induced immunity they can pass that- the reason why its important to know how long it lasts. When measles was rife natural immunity was lifelong of course.

Fauve · 04/04/2006 15:46

Clicker, I'm pretty sure you can't pass on vaccine-induced immunity in breast milk - it's just not the same as if the mum has actually had the disease. I'm also concerned about the consequences of that on newborn babies. At least you could protect newborns in the past by breastfeeding.

ruty · 04/04/2006 16:07

clicker you can't pass on vaccine induced immunity in breast milk.

Angeliz · 04/04/2006 17:27

Uwila, i actually started a thread asking that today as dd2 is 13 months but i'd rather wait.
.
I'll bump it to see if anyone else replies. Clicker posted some interesting links.

ruty · 04/04/2006 17:40

they are interesting links i agree. My ds's immunologist confirmed MMR works best between 15 and 18 months.

clicker · 04/04/2006 20:11

not much out there, but this (pro-vaccination) article appears to confirm that some protection does pass from vaccinated mother to baby (last paragraph) just that its crap compared to natural immunity so puts babies at risk earlier. I guess giving an MMR booster in adulthood would be one way forward, but not ideal because you shouldn't get pregnant for a while after being given MMR (manufacturers warning). \link{http://www.bhj.org/journal/2003_4503_july/study_405.htm\link here} The authors suggest giving babies an extra dose at 6months, but I can't see that being popular and there is quite a bit of (pro-vaccination) literature out there that doesn't recommend that.

hulababy · 04/04/2006 20:18

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Fauve · 05/04/2006 22:23

Clicker, how long after having the MMR should you wait before getting pregnant? I'm a bit Shock by that thought, given that it now seems to be accepted that young adults should be given a booster at college, where God knows it's easy enough to get pregnant accidentally. I hope they tell them to avoid pregnancy for x weeks/months after the jab.

OTOH, I imagine to confer vaccine-induced immunity in breastmilk, you'd need to have had the jab not too long before falling pregnant so that your own immunity wouldn't have worn off.

clicker · 05/04/2006 23:40

The baby would get passive antibodies via the placenta- more than via the milk. I don't think there's a huge amount of info on how long immunity from the MMR lasts. Most papers seem to say from 10-20 years, and of course individuals will vary.

I think manufacturers say wait a month before getting pregnant. They also (I think) advise not breastfeeding after receiving the MMR as rubella virus may be transmitted via breastmilk.

Fauve · 06/04/2006 16:40

Thanks, clicker. I didn't think any vaccine-induced immunity was passed on to babies at all - but I suppose there's little research done on it.

mozz · 07/04/2006 16:11

I had my two kids done with the single MMR jabs, as I was too scared to have the triple vaccine. Daniel is still going through the first lot and Chloe will be due later this year to have her booster. I am still opting for the single MMR just over caucious I think. I was told that they can check her immunity by doing a blood test as I was not going to give it to her if she was immune, but when I rang the health place I go to told me it would be a very traumatic procedure and that she would still have to have the booster as the blood test would only show her immunity now and may change in years to come.

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