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Original poster

Measles - 6 month old exposure to unvaccinated sibling

80 replies

biggestregret · 26/04/2013 17:21

I have a vaccinated 3.5 yr old and a 6 month old who obviously isn't. I also have an 11 year old stepson who comes to stay with us every weekend. His mother will not get him vaccinated. DP has asked her to re-think with regards to the current outbreaks and the risks to DS2 but she will not budge.

What should I do? Any advice? DSS attends a school where there has been 2 'possible' cases (not quite sure what that means yet).

I've asked my surgery if they can give DS2 an early vaccination but they say no at the moment.

TA!

OP posts:

CatherinaJTV · 07/05/2013 11:14

Saintly, I get head desk feelings every time I hear your story, your GP should be ashamed!

CatherinaJTV · 07/05/2013 11:15

Educational scientist (probably not the correct translation of Erziehungswissenschaftler?) Someone who trains educators (e.g. teachers) and studies and compares education philosophies.

StarlightMcKenzie · 07/05/2013 11:17

Oh. Thanks. Why are they bad?

hellymelly · 07/05/2013 11:28

Are you breastfeeding? Michele Odent said that measles in babies 6m and under was unheard of in France when everyone breastfed. However this may rely on your own antibodies being from actual measles rather than the vaccine, that is something I don't know about. (how antibodies from vaccination work with bf) I had measles, so my dds had some protection while they were fully bf.
My dds aren't vaccinated either btw, and we live in Wales, so are struggling with deciding. We have a massive family history of allergy and autoimmune problems, and that history is more likely to throw up a bad reaction to the vaccine. I feel completely torn. I have lots of friends whose children are not vaccinated (some at Steiner schools) and lots who are, and ther is so much stuff to read through either side, it is very hard to get to the truth. We may get single dose measles done.

saintlyjimjams · 07/05/2013 11:55

It was OOH Catherina - at the local large teaching hospital.

Yep helly - there's a big difference in immunity to measles between babies born to vaccinated mothers vs babies born to mothers who had the disease. The HPA makes that clear scroll down to page 8

CatherinaJTV · 07/05/2013 12:59

Saintly - arghhhhh is really all I can say. This is so far away from best practise, it is pathetic...

Tabitha8 · 07/05/2013 19:03

So, if a child presents with a measles type virus but has had 2 x MMR, it's likely the doctor will say it isn't measles? So, the child could go out and about, if well enough, and possibly even go off to school?

If said child hasn't had 2 x MMR but has only had singles, the doctor may well assume measles?

Also, if a child who hasn't had any measles vaccinations at all presents with a measles type virus, the doctor will assume measles and deal accordingly?

CatherinaJTV · 07/05/2013 19:09

actually, these days, very few doctors would think of measles when seeing a rash, period. In an outbreak, unvaccinated patients might be suspected to have measles more than vaccinated, but once measles is in the area, anyone should be swabbed. Certainly (to come back to Saintly's story) if a mother calls the doctor and says my child may have measles, you do not let them into the waiting room!

Tabitha8 · 07/05/2013 19:17

I've heard of at least one doctor trying to insist that the child go to the surgery....

StarlightMcKenzie · 07/05/2013 19:29

Where should they go then?

Tabitha8 · 07/05/2013 19:32

How about a home visit?

saintlyjimjams · 07/05/2013 19:45

The waiting room (OOH - weekend) was heaving as well. Apart from the one with the baby in

It was ridiculous. I explained to the doctor that ds1 had received one single measles vaccination and that the rash had come out in 'measles order' (starting behind the ears, spreading to the face & neck and then spreading downwards). He said 'it can't be measles he's not ill enough'. I pointed out that he had been vaccinated so could present with a milder case if there had been a partial vaccination failure. He then said 'no it can't be measles he's been vaccinated'.

Tabitha8 · 07/05/2013 19:48

The mind boggles, doesn't it? It's madness.

CatherinaJTV · 07/05/2013 22:09

what Tabitha says - I find it hard to get over this one...

Original poster

biggestregret · 07/05/2013 22:30

helly no I didn't breastfeed.

As an update - I spoke to my health visitor and the nurse. I've been advised that there isn't much I can do (as you all say). Over the weekend DP took DS1 to meet DSS and they had the day out together whilst me and DS2 stayed at home. It got us through the weekend but both I and DP feel this sort of solution isn't sustainable. We miss him so much.

DP is going to see if Ex-W will consider the singles measles vaccine. He is also contacting the school again to see if the lab results are back. I think we will be taking each weekend visit as it comes - seeing if DSS has any symptoms, checking the status of any possible measles cases at school and seeing if DS2 is well and healthy too.

I am a rather anxious mum - DS2 has had a rocky start (hospitalised with brochiolitis at 5 weeks, hospitalised with secondary infection from chickenpox and also a lactose intolerance). But as other posters have said - DS2 could pick up measles from elsewhere too.

Thanks everyone

OP posts:

bumbleymummy · 07/05/2013 23:45

Catherina, the fact that this man's diagnosis was missed in the middle of a huge measles outbreak just makes it even more ridiculous. You would think that they would be on higher alert for it.

CatherinaJTV · 08/05/2013 06:53

bumbley - I don't disagree

Bugsylugs · 08/05/2013 08:26

Just for those who are interested both parents have to consent to vaccination. It is not dependant on who is the main care giver etc. it is generally presumed if a parent takes a child to be vaccinated then both agree.

If both do not agree a court can make the decision

StarlightMcKenzie · 08/05/2013 08:54

I wonder what a court would rule?

saintlyjimjams · 08/05/2013 10:24

Oh I know legally it is not dependent on who is the main care giver, I just meant morally it should be. Because the main care giver is the one who will live with the consequences of any decision.

Court battles are rarely in anyone's interests - least of all the child's - they're expensive and divisive and usually result in vaccination.

CatherinaJTV · 08/05/2013 12:39

Because the main care giver is the one who will live with the consequences of any decision.

That is not true - if the OP's DSS infects his little brother, little brother and his mum will have to live with the consequences and those are much more likely to be significant than any adverse effects from giving an 11 year old the measles vaccine or MMR.

saintlyjimjams · 08/05/2013 15:01

So as I said in my earlier post the OP can refuse to see the stepbrother. What she can't do is insist on medical intervention for another child (however safe everyone else thinks it is - it DOES still carry a risk) to protect her own child. Removing her child from the stepbrother's vicinity? Fine. Insisting on another child being vaccinated? Not fine.

CatherinaJTV · 08/05/2013 15:18

You were talking about responsibilities - I commented on that. You could not construct a higher risk situation (hundreds of measles cases, preteen in Steiner school, sibling 6 months old - too old for maternal immunity, too young for MMR) if you tried. As far as I have read the posts here, DSS's mum did not say "oh, there are measles in my son's school, I think he'd better not visit until this is over". Therefore, she is highly irresponsible in my opinion (compare that to your behaviour when you took your DC to the hospital, clearly thinking beyond your child's health).

saintlyjimjams · 08/05/2013 15:23

We're not talking about that though. I have said all along that the OP is well within her rights to remove her child or refuse SS visits (not sure it would need the mum to spell out considering everyone knows there are measles cases around), but she cannot insist on a vaccination for an unrelated father. Then I said in a case where the parents do not agree the primary caregiver should decide (albeit I saw that as the 'fairest' most moral way of deciding who got to choose rather than a legal decision - a court case would be a disaster).

saintlyjimjams · 08/05/2013 15:23

I also said at 11 the child might have some opinions of his own (ds2 certainly does).

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