Declining 8 week vaccinations for my baby - experiences?

[Plasticpineapple]

I don't want this to be about whether you should or shouldn't vaccinate your baby. I have chosen not to and I'm looking for experiences from others who have done the same. What did you say? What did the doctor say? Did you discuss vaccination once the child was older or flat out decline all vaccines?

[Postchildrenpregranny]

Indeedlovelychops
the measles vaccine wasnt available when DD1 was little . When it was offered to DD2 the GP offered it to DD1 too .And me, as I'd never had measles .My DH had measles as a child. It left him with a squint which took 4 ops to correct...

[wfrances]

plasticpineapple- im that child whose mother wouldnt vaccinate me for all the reasons you said.

i caught whooping cough age 4 and nearly died went blue stopped breathing on a few occasions.


i caught measles age 6 and complications led to abscess in ear ,which has left me with life long problems with pain ,dizziness ect.

i caught mumps and it was a miserable illness.

my mum did me no favours ,i dont thank her and i think she was stupid to risk my health .

[amyboo]

Thank goodness I live in a country where non-vaccinated children are not allowed to register at school or any state authorised childcare (basically all childcare except nannies). You're basically all just relying on the fact that other people vaccinate their children. Lovely.

[sunshine7981]

Just a question, how many of the posters refusing vaccination have a science education? I have a PhD in biochemistry and feel very angry that people take risks with their own child's health, and the health of others just because they have a fundamental misunderstanding of scientific research and methodology!

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

Wfrances, I cannot imagine choosing to put your child through that :( Why on earth did your dm not change her mind when you nearly died of whooping cough?!

[Kewcumber]

My uncle died of whooping cough aged two. My grandmother died last December aged 97 having visited his grave until dementia prevented it and her ashes will be interred with him.

She would have been at those who choose not vaccinate children with no contraindications not to be vaccinated. A life time of her pain and a life unlived could all have been spared.

[Abra1d]

One of these days I am going to post photos of my father's distorted and deformed legs--caused by polio when he was 17. No running. No tennis. No hockey. No rugby.

But at least he didn't die.

Crippled now, in his eighties.

[CarlaVeloso]

You're basically all just relying on the fact that other people vaccinate their children. Lovely.

Yes, I agree. There a mentality that you're unvaccinated child will be safe from measles because most kids are vaccinated and do there's not much of it about. I bet people would suddenly feel differently if there was an outbreak of polio in their unvaccinated child's class at school.

[NerrSnerr]

I'm another who can't write a coherent response due to the ignorance and selfishness of others.

In a nutshell, I vaccinated my baby because I love her so don't want her to die. I like other children too so don't want them to die. She is too young for mmr and I would be livid to find parents of children we mix with putting her in danger because of their ill informed and selfish views.

Do what you like to yourselves but it should be illegal to refuse vaccinations (without medical reason).

[Kewcumber]

Abra1d my great Aunt had polio as a child with the same results and her disability got worse as she got older. but at least she one of the children in their street who died

I have also looked after a teenager (who would be nearly 50 now) who had brain damage from measles encephalitis.

I did have to grit my teeth when DS had his MMR because it does go against the grain to deliberately hurt your child and expose them to a risk however small. But its totally dense when you consider all the risks we expose our children to every day like driving them around in cars, feeding them high fat/salt/sugar foods etc.

[Kewcumber]

at least she wasn't one

[forago]

i did them 8 weeks later. No drama, no issues.

agree that many people assume they are vaccinated when they are in fact, not, as the UK doesn't test vaccination success. Convenient to blame unvaccinated people rather than weak vaccines.

[forago]

I have a BSc. in Molecular Biology, forgot to say.

[Kewcumber]

So as a scientist forago, you think the connections of measles outbreaks with areas of low vaccination take up is coincidence and is actually down to weak vaccines?

[Kewcumber]

Uk does test vaccination success where necessary just not routinely. I had my immunity to CP tested due to my immunocompromised status and constant exposure having (at the time) a toddler at nursery.

[forago]

I didn't say that no.

I think that not all vaccines have the same efficacy levels.

I think different batches of the same vaccine have different efficacy levels.

i think different handling of the same batches effects efficacy levels.

I think herd immunity changes over time.

I think immune responses to existing vaccines change over time.

I think individual immune responses are variable.

I think it's not a black and white picture.

[forago]

"Uk does test vaccination success where necessary just not routinely" - yes, I know.

[gnushoes]

Where's the OP gone? Sadly I've come across quite a few who think the same as her where I live - and also known children hospitalised for measles, etc, or dying of whooping cough as a result. Makes me so cross.

[Abra1d]

Kewcumber, that is sad.

There are one or two of us on this thread whose elderly relatives know all about polio.

[Kewcumber]

I think it's not a black and white picture.

no it isn't but you can't get away from the fact that despite everything you say measles outbreaks do seem to be confined to areas pf low vaccination take up so whatever the variables - vaccination at a sufficient level does appear to be sufficient to protect everyone.

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

It may not be completely black and white, but I'd certainly put it as a dark-grey and Ivory picture.

[forago]

which is why my children are vaccinated against Measles. But that is not the case for all vaccines. Some vaccines have very different modes of operation. Some carry more or less documented risks of side effects. I evaluate them on an individual basis and give them when I think appropriate. But then I understand the science and my agenda is different from that of the DoH (good of the few (my dc) vs good of the many).

I think blanket acceptance of what is recommended without an understanding of the economics behind it can be just as foolhardy as a blanket decision to not vaccinate at all - though I understand why the NHS has to adopt that approach.

[Blazing88]

The reason the chicken pox vaccination isn't on the routine schedule is because it isn't highly effective. Also, chicken pox, while it can have serious complications, is not as damaging as measles, pertussis, rubella etc.

Really??? Tell that to my friend who lost her 4 yr old to Chickenpox.

You are aware that worldwide more children die of complications from Chickenpox than Measles, Mumps and Rubella combined??!

Also, if the vaccines for MMR are effective, why are you all so concerned???! You can still get measles even if you're vaccinated. It doesn't stop you getting it! And you can catch it off a vaccinated child.

[Blazing88]

But to the OP

I delayed/staggered the injections. Not against vaccinations perse, but the amount of drugs/chemicals given to a small baby all in one go horrifies me. I wouldn't inject my dog with that much poison.

MMR will be given separately.

[Galvanized]

gnu look at the date of the OP.