Starting to have MMR doubts and panicking

[SneezingwakestheJesus]

I had finally decided to give my dd the MMR and she has her appointment next week. But now I'm having doubts again and panicking. Her uncle has autism and his mum is utterly convinced it happened after the MMR. I know that study was a fake/discredited etc but I'm finding it hard to see past her, and other parents online, strong belief that the signs of autism appeared overnight in their children. And those recent court cases where parents were given compensation on the basis that the vaccines their children had may be linked to their condition worry me too.

What if some autism is caused by the vaccine in some way? What if there is a genetic predisposition to having autism and all it needs is a trigger? What if my dd has a genetic predisposition from that side of the family?

I know I sound paranoid but I'm really struggling with this. On one hand I could give her a vaccination that will protect her from diseases but isn't guaranteed not to harm her. On the other, I don't give her the vaccination but she may catch one of these diseases and may be ever worse off than if the vaccine did harm her. I'm so torn and muddled about it.

I just don't know what to do and I don't know what I expect from posting here but I can't talk to my family about it.

that's a strange argument.

If you sincerely believed that MMR causes autism (and you don't) then you'd expect to be able to prove a connection (though not necessarily a causal link) by seeing increased numbers of MMR causing increasing numbers of autism, and decreased numbers of MMR causing decreaing numbers of autism.

So what do you think you mean?

(that was for Tabitha8, of course)

Which does not prove that the MMR was not responsible for a case of autism, does it?

what does that mean?

PAj is pointing out that CP's comment doesn't prove anything. Looking at the population as a whole can not explain one individual case.

Slightly different CJTV

Queen - both are post hoc ergo propter hoc, if my husband had had the jab that day, nothing would have convinced me that it wasn't a vaccine reaction. Unfortunately, we don't have alternative universes to play out the "what ifs" and "what if nots"

I see what you mean, but you're more likely to come down with flu than go to bed a normal child and wake up having totally regressed.

I did give my dd the MMR , although slightly later than she should have had it. Thank God she was fine.

I do think though that had my dd been due the MMR after my friends dd had hers, I would have had serious doubts. My friend has decided not to give her younger ds the MMR after what happened to his sister.

I have not made up my mind about MMR and links to regressive autism.

That's odd, you say things like "Which does not prove that the MMR was not responsible for a case of autism, does it?"

which give me the impression that you have made up your mind, long ago, to say lots of vague, unsubstantiated things intended to cause feelings of uneasiness and fear. Just the sort of thing to reduce take-up.

Does my making up my mind or otherwise influence others? Gosh. That is scary indeed. I'm off now to find out if it's too late to stand as an MP.

It didn't read like that to me Tab :) I understood what you were saying and I'm sure others did too :)

"oh I don't know, it might not be safe, just because there's no proof of harm and all the research finds no evidence, you never know, that doesn't prove it's safe, all those people who don't trust it must have some reason, that doesn't prove the injection didn't make his head explode, you can't be sure it's just coincidence, maybe there is something to it and nobody's proved it yet, or maybe there's evidence and it's being supressed"

would be an example of saying vague, unsubstantiated things intended to cause feelings of uneasiness and fear. Just the sort of thing to reduce take-up.

"Which does not prove that the MMR was not responsible for a case of autism, does it?"

would be another example.

I can see a big difference PJ.

I bet David Cameron wishes he had the same level of influence over the electorate of this country that PJ thinks I have over the readers of the vaccination threads on MN. He (Cameron, not PJ) would win the next election with a tidy overall majority.

David Cameron needs millions of people to support him to make any difference.

If a single child suffers injury through a fully avoidable disease, as a result of being swayed by unsupported smears and rumours which fly in the face of medical research, that has made a difference.

Do I believe there is a risk that one or more parents might be influenced by the fear, uncertainty and doubt which you seek to spread?

Yes I do.

Then you must ask for any such of my posts to be immediately removed.

I just checked my conditions of membership, and I find that I am not obliged to obey your instructions.

Also, as I'm sure you know, Mumsnet Galactic HQ will remove postings that are obscene, contain personal attacks or break the law.

Nothing there about people who try to stir up confusion by spreading false and unsubstantiated rumours.

According to you, I could be responsible for some terrible outcomes. Please do have my posts removed.

I'm going now, to apply for a job as an election campaign advisor to all the main political parties and go for whichever will pay me the most.

What about people who make false, unsubstantiated accusations? :)

Good luck Tab! :)

Thanks, Bumbley! I'm just typing up my CV.

False and unsubstantiated allegations probably equals a well paid job in the press.

I'd rather an austic child than a child who died from a disease i could have prevented!

Immunise your child.

It's not one or the other milky A bit simplistic!

Indeed not, milkymocha, since the false rumours of a link between MMR ans Autism have been fully discredited, and repeated studies have found no evidence to support them, on top of which we have the Japanese experience.

'The Japanese Experience' sounds like something from a travel brochure...