I have declined the HPV vaccine for my daughter - school nurse demands I give reasons why - is this legal?

[TimeIsAnIllusion]

I have declined the HPV vaccine for my daughter. Do I have to explain the reasons why on the form? I received a telephone call from the school nurse saying I must but I don't wish to explain myself. If the vaccine is offered I have a right to decline surely - so must I give a good enough reason to decline?

I don't know who the information will be passed on to and how my reasoning will be judged or considered. I just want to politely and quietly take the "no thanks" option without being pressed as to why.
By the way I my dd has had all other childhood vaccines but it's this particular one I'm not happy for her to have.

Side, flu can be dangerous in any person, and complications are not that rare.

I have had it twice in my life, both times when I was young and fit and healthy. I was very ill and in the second instance I developed pneumonia and was hospitalised for nearly a fortnight.

Thinking further, why not give a totally nonsense, spurious reason, e.g "because marmalade is yummy", "because the school nurse is a kangaroo".

Yes, that will make you come across as a rational and sane person who has the best interests of their child at heart.

unfortunately there are so many different strains of Flu the vaccine is practically useless

OP to try to answer your question about giving reasons. It is most likely to be for statistical analysis. It is important for public health officials to understand people's reasons for declining, and if it is as a result of misinformation to attempt to correct it.

However there is another reason relating to capacity to make a decision. In this instance it would likely apply to your daughter rather than yourself perhaps.

Adults are able to consent/withhold consent, so long as they have capacity and have considered the consequences of that decision. The way I read your posts, although you don't want to give your reasons, you have done your research and weighed up the pros and cons to reach your conclusion. Even if it one that many, including me would disagree with.

Your Daughter would need to demonstrate that she has capacity if she were to consent for herself.

In order for a HCP to assess whether someone has capacity they need to ask why the procedure is being refused.

JustTheRight, how does vaccinating a small percentage of the population protect people who can't be vaccinated when the majority of people that they come into contact with will not be vaccinated?

Time, I would just say that you have rad the information and have made an informed choice not to have the vaccine and leave it at that.

Time a few years ago I was in your position and refused the injection.

The school nurse was informed and no further action was taken.

DD later transferred schools and the new school nurse contacted me to see if DD required the injection. For the second time I declined - again no further action or pressure.

You don't have to explain yourself here or to the school nurse.

" Flu vaccination is not about protecting 'older people who choose not to be vaccinated'. It's about protecting vulnerable people in society who genuinely can't be vaccinated, and also the recipient of the vaccine. "

This is the statement I was referring to.

Its banned in some countries because there were outbreaks of girls dying after having it,it was Japan i think,sorry will have a google and report back.

You said you weren't just referring to the flu vaccine. I was pointing out the statement that I had addressed which did refer explicitly to the flu vaccine.

Yes, you can vaccinate some people around the vulnerable but, in the case of the flu vaccine, the majority of people who they come into contact with will not have been vaccinated.

Don't fret - just ignore it! They are only wanting feedback as others have suggested. Mine did not have MMR as babies because we were concerned, partly, at the nastiness and patronizing, scientifically inaccurate statements from Big Pharma and the NHS; but mainly because none of the three illnesses needed to be addressed so very early when the immune system is immature. My two had everything else so I was surprised and disturbed that, when they were 13, we heard nothing - the time when the old Rubella vaccination used to be given. When I enquired I was told that the single rubella vaccine is no longer licensed for use in this country so it was MMR or nothing. So DD and DS had MMR as teens. I would hate to think that children/ grandchildren will be born with rubella syndrome (deafness) because the NHS 'forgot' to follow up on the generation that did not get rubella vaccine... do check so this doesn't happen to you!

Actually Just, in most cases, people are choosing to vaccinate to protect themselves - not for the greater good.

Hakluyt, why not? I'm more interested in protecting my dc than the flu vaccine program.

Well obviously. But two seconds to add to the data isn't going to get in the way of that. And probably quicker that rubbish about kangaroos.

There are some perfectly good reasons not to choose vaccines in individual cases. But there's a lot of crap ones too, and there's a lot of ignorant people out there.

I'm pleased that nurses are asking for reasons so if the reply is "she's dairy intolerant/ I don't like the mercury in it/she's not having sex yet/she's always going to have safe sex" the nurse can gently push back.

Actually Hakluyt, the quickest and easiest thing was just to bin the form. It said that your child can't be vaccinated if you don't return the form. I get what I want, simple.

It's fine to vaccinate my child for the greater good of society, but will these people be along to offer round the clock care if my child is damaged by the vaccine. I think not. The risk of flu is acceptable to me, the risk of the vaccine is not.

So why not say that on the form? And why do you think the vaccine is risky?

Just, the uptake of the vaccine in HCP is around 50% iirc.

Hakluyt, every vaccine carries a risk.

There is a reason people with anaphylaxis receive vaccines in hospital. Because if they have a very severe reaction an epi pen is not enough. Two epi pens are not enough. A really severe reaction may involve being put in yo an induced coma and onto a ventilator. As happened to a friend last year. That wasn't due to a vaccine, but it shows how serious allergies can be. You can never know how the person will react, hence the absolute need for the vaccine to be given in hospital and then waiting there for a few hours to make sure there is no reaction.