Year 9 imms

[Tzibeleh]

Are these as contentious as the first set?

Does anyone refuse the infant imms but consent to the teen imms?

Bump

The school leavers booster is a booster of diphtheria, tetanus and polio. They don't seem to cause any issues normally, IME few teens have any side effects.

If a child has had no baby imms at all then they need more than just that booster; if I see a teen that has incomplete imms I usually discuss it with them and their parent/s and try and get them up to date.

And how do people who were anti-imms feel about them?

I have rarely seen any - they either don't come in, so no opportunity for catch up. Or they come in for something else, I see they're unimmunised and offer them and they decline as they are still anti-imms.

I can only think of a few families I've met who are totally unimmunised, once for a valid reason. They are usually just anti-MMR. I don't think I've met anyone who has refused to vaccinate their baby at all.

I am going to refuse the tetanus, diphtheria, polio booster given at 13/14 for my dc, think this is the one you are talking about. they have had the infant ones but not the booster given pre school.

However, I feel that when they get to that age, they must have some say so I will ask what they think but I won't sign the consent form.

Good luck with your decision. If yu don't want to do it don't be bullied into it by anyone.

Side they're also offered Men C now at the school leavers booster, as well as MMR if they've not had 2 doses.

Why will you refuse it, Side?

I agree that they should be part of the decision-making process. I told ds my opinion and encouraged him to do some research for himself, rather than just accepting my decision. He is 14, so not a school-leaver, young enough to still be my responsibility, but old enough to start taking responsibility for himself.

You're right Tzibeleh, they're due it at 14 or so, and I have no idea why they call it a school leavers booster!!

I don't really understand why a parent would give their baby their immunisations but then not finish the course with the preschool and school leavers boosters, leaving them incompletely immunised. Do you have concerns Side?

Yes Sidge, Men C is a single vaccine , on its own,not combined with anything else, I will speak to them about that, obviously Men C is very serious, even with my anti vaccine stance I admit that. Haven't had MMR and I feel having got to this stage without it, not going to consent now, at 14 the children can consent soon themselves. Also moral objections to some of the vaccines and when they are given and to whom.

Tzibeleh, I will refuse it because I think these diseases are so rare that I think it is unnecessary. I mean, a few hundred cases of polio in the world in recent years, none in Britain for donkeys years, how likely are you to get polio in Britain an we have no plans to go to a country where you do get polio. Similar story with diphtheria and although I accept that you might get tetanus, I think it's pretty rare, never herd of anyone having tetanus ever.

I can imagine that at my age I'm unlikely to still have protection from the vaccines I had decades ago so my children will be at no greater risk of the diseases than me and I'm not having a vaccine.

Also, I don't know about long term side effects, we can't know, it's not a risk of something I'm prepared to take and they have enough to contend with with school work, why risk them getting behind with work because they're not well with side effects an soon they can decide for themselves, I won't stand in their way if they want to consent themselves when old enough.

Sidge, these are my concerns, reasons why I'm not. I think, when, you're faced with a baby you feel that your baby is vulnerable and that's why you do the early ones but then you come to realise its fine so don't bother later on.

Why are you refusing tzibeleh?

Thanks for sharing Side, interesting to hear as I tend to only see the parents that come for imms and not those that don't!

Sidge, must admit that I do tend to avoid anyone who has anything to do with imms and discussing it with them.

Thanks, Side.

I'm not refusing. In fact, I am more in favour of imms for adults than for infants/children. It took a lot of research and consideration before we consented to imm our dc. But I am interested in people's views because teenage imms are never discussed.

Tzibeleh, I agree a bit with you about imms for adults, an adult can decide for themselves, part of my problem is having to decide for a child. My problem with many of the imms is that they are given to one group of people to protect another group of people. Why does a 13 month old baby need a rubella or mumps imms. They are mainly to protect a pregnant women and to stop adult male infertility so I have no problem with an adult having that, if they weighed up the information for themselves but I can't consent to my child having them. It just seems not right to me.

I 100% agree with you. I was not happy about giving my boys the rubella imm for precisely that reason.

many Japanese women who contract rubella when pregnant catch it from sons and husbands. The "vaccinate only girls" strategy doesn't work. Imagine your son did that to his partner and child.

Oh Catherina, here we go again, why can't the women be vaccinated, is it my 13 month old sons responsibility to protect his pregnant mother, here we go again with the whole issue of morals. Why can't the pregnant mother have sorted herself out with a vaccine.

Ok, imagine my son did do that to his partner and child, well when he marries he can pop along to the dr, get himself vaccinated if he wants, no problem with that, his choice. His wife can ask (tell him) to get vaccinated, a bit of responsibility.

Why wait until he gets married? Why not just vaccinate all girls against rubella in the first place?

When the rubella vaccine was first introduced, girls were given it in Y7 or 8. Boys did not get it at all.

But actually, Side, it was that very argument that persuaded us to go ahead and vaccinate: that we have responsibility to each other, and by participating in 'herd immunity' we protect those who cannot be immed or are not yet immed.

I refused my DS, now 17, permission for the school leaver vaccines. He had his baby jabs, had a bad reaction to the Polio and has had nothing since. He has a heart condition and gets offered the flu vaccine each year, I have explained my concerns and told him it is up to him. He is not bothered and the effort to go to the doctor is too much for him.

My DD, aged 13, has never had any vaccinations. I also refused the HPV vaccine for her this year. I explained my concerns and told her that when she is older and sexually active it will be up to her if she wants it.

My doctors know my stance and have a letter refusing permission for them to vaccinate my children for any vaccine.

I think my son has had measles and they have both had mumps. Very mild and they did not even need to stay in bed.