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Be aware - if you had single jabs for mumps, measles and rubella your chn are not classed as fully vaccinated!!

41 replies

nickyjay2471 · 19/04/2013 18:11

That was the message I got from my drs, and confirmed when I contacted Public Health England. They are now saying they only count combined MMR jabs. Mine were vaccinated singly for first lot, then MMR booster. Now being told they need a further booster HmmConfused

OP posts:
CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 18:24

that sucks and I would like to see the evidence on which they base this...

MrsSalvoMontalbano · 19/04/2013 18:36

Utter rubbish! My GP was very happy to write me a pescription for the Measles and Mumps vacs for my DC. She tols me that rubella is not a serious disease unless for the foetus, so no reason for DC to be immunised for that, only adult women before they conceive. When you are planning to conceive, tell the GP, they will arrange a test to see if you are immune - if not you can have the single rubella then. Children do not need a rubella vaccination - if they get the disease tehy may have no symptoms.

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 18:51

Children do not need a rubella vaccination - if they get the disease tehy may have no symptoms.

which means they may run around and infect pregnant women whose rubella vaccine did not take... it may even be their own wife/mother (as reported for Japan).

bumbleymummy · 19/04/2013 19:29

So we blame the non-immune child rather than the non-immune mother Catherina?

UnscentedStillRomantic · 19/04/2013 19:32

Mine had singles then MMR booster. Why don't the singles count?Confused

Methe · 19/04/2013 19:33

My ds had rubella as a baby. Only symptom was a slight rash oh his head. The worrying this was that as he was premature we were spending a load of time in childrens out patients at out local hospital - we have to walk though maternity to get there.

Of course children should be immunised against rubella.. Those children will be pregnant woman and expectant fathers themselves one day.

VerityClinch · 19/04/2013 19:34

I had my rubella vaccination at school. When I fell pregnant with DD, blood tests showed I was not immune - it's relatively common for it to wear off, or so I was told. I had the MMR jab after DD was born (they wouldn't discharge me without it!) and when I fell pregnant with DS 5 months later my bloods were fine and showed my immunity.

Please vaccinate your children - pregnant women are really at risk and it's quite possible to have no immunity as an adult even if you had the jab yourself as a schoolgirl.

nickyjay2471 · 19/04/2013 20:12

Not sure about evidence Katherina but they pointed me towards following policies
www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1274088429847
www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1238565307587

OP posts:
sydlexic · 19/04/2013 20:20

My GP said that they don't count single jabs, because it is a matter of policy. They cannot record them if they did not administer them. It does not mean the DC have less protection.

bumbleymummy · 19/04/2013 20:53

I don't think they apply that logic in all situations though syd. Eg. If children are coming in from different countries with different vaccine records, those vaccines are still 'counted' even though the NHS didn't give them. Doesn't sound like the truth to me!

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 20:57

Bumbley - it means nothing to the disabled child whom we "blame". Vaccinating only women has been tested in various countries, it has failed and has led to thousands of entirely preventable maimed babies.

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 20:59

syd - I agree with Bumbley (mark the calendar ;) ). All my kids' vaccines have been "counted" and my DD's "foreign" MMR has even been accepted for volunteering work in the NHS.

bumbleymummy · 19/04/2013 21:02

Catherina, maybe all older girls and boys should be tested and vaccinated of required then...

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 21:04

Nickyjay - thank you for those links. I don't find that "singles don't count" info in either of them and one talks of "measles containing vaccine" which can be a measles single. This does absolutely not make sense and I will go after the HPA and PHW and ask explicitly and then get back to you.

AuntieStella · 19/04/2013 21:14

I was looking up the stats for what %age of measles cases occurred in the vaccinated. For 2012, the HPA counted both single vaxed and MMR vaxed as one total.

DebJT33 · 19/04/2013 21:36

That is a really good point AuntieStella. If anyone sees any information on the breakdown in the current S. Wales outbreak of how many of the cases had MMR, single vax or none at all, can they post the link? Thanks.

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 23:01

Public Health Wales has said, they are collecting the numbers and they'll be published soon (my guess is in Eurosurveillance, like the Merseyside numbers last July).

CatherinaJTV · 19/04/2013 23:02

Bumbley - maybe all kids should get the MMR. I don't know what is funny about congenital rubella syndrom, btw. The daughter of a colleague of my mum was born with the full blown version, blind, deaf, severe heart malformation, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy - the works. NOT funny.

bumbleymummy · 19/04/2013 23:44

Where did I say it was funny? Confused

sashh · 21/04/2013 03:41

So we blame the non-immune child rather than the non-immune mother Catherina?

The reason the second MMR was introduced after a couple of babies were born blind because their older sibling had rubella.

Now being told they need a further booster

As I said on the other thread, not all single vaccines were effective, due to problems with imports and some unscrupulous people jumping on the band wagon.

The government/NHS do not know how many children are only partially immunised. If they have had MMR x 2 then there is a 95% chance they are immune, with one MMR it's 90% with singles it could be anything.

There is no (or rarely) an NHS record for the singles.

Bumbly from debating with you on here I'm sure you researched the clinic/Dr well.

But the government and the NHS are in a position of not knowing how many people are immune.

They could do a blood test on every child who had singles and if they need a booster give MMR, or just give MMR to everyone who has not had 2 doses. There is no evidence that an extra MMR does any harm other than the usual temperature etc you might get from the first MMR.

bumbleymummy · 21/04/2013 05:57

Sassh, the singles are no less effective than the MMR at protecting against measles and most parents have a record showing that they have been vaccinated and/or have had their child's immunity tested to ensure that they are. Adults who were vaccinated as children with the single vaccine that was available back then are considered immune. There is no reason for those vaccinated with singles not to be recognised.

The majority of clinics in the UK offer the same two measles vaccines. I think you have been very wrong to scaremonger on a few threads now and suggest that there is something wrong with those vaccines.

CatherinaJTV · 21/04/2013 09:32

Bumbley, did you mean my first post in this thread?

BoundandRebound · 21/04/2013 09:34

Yes I knew this

Isn't it absolutely ridiculous

No sepvax count towards vaccination figures

It is disingenuous of the govt. at best

BoundandRebound · 21/04/2013 09:34

Then again they also don't ever talk about how vaccinations don't give life long immunity either so maybe another booster wouldn't hurt

lljkk · 21/04/2013 09:41

I get the logic, the singles aren't administered by NHS, aren't licensed, aren't considered valid.

I had to get a measles booster when I was 22 so I don't really see the problem. OP's kids would have 99.95% chance of full immunity with another booster, what's not to like?