Dear MNHQ why does this board exist?

[TalkinPeace]

Having the board encourages people to think that not vaccinating is a valid viewpoint.

Some children ARE vaccine damaged. I know a couple of children who have had compensation because they ARE vaccine damaged. It states quite clearly on a government website that if you can prove it in a certain time scale then you will get compensation.

Why can't parents of children who have been damaged by vaccinations have somewhere to talk?

It isn't all about autism you know.

Oh also. My son had the MMR and had measles.

He isn't vaccine damaged (in my opinion not in the opinion of nurses we've met of our journey)

But parents who are worried about vaccinating their second child after having one have brain damage due to a reaction should have a place to come.

I agree op, this board may have been valid 15 years ago but has no place now.

Now going step away because anti-vacs give me a funny reaction - seriously. Determined to go to work in a relaxed manner.

Hurr1cane
I found the link you mentioned.
Its a nice piece of Government platitude.
Out of interest is there any data on how many times they have actually paid any money?

Talkingheads

here are statistics up to 2009

Talkinpeace no I don't really know about that. It's nothing to do with the whole 'autism' link though. Some children are actually vaccine damaged.

In fact. DSs paediatrician told me not to get him the flu vaccination after the doctors booked him in for it because apparently it would cause more problems in DS than it would solve and he wouldn't recommend any further vaccinations for DS. I didn't even get a reason

He isn't vaccine damaged up till now that I know of.

bruffin
thank you for that.
I wonder how much each of the awards is ?
Just that Governments are great at writing web pages, less good at backing it up with hard cash

hurr1cane
A very, very small number of children cannot be vaccinated due to other health issues.
They do not need this board to tell them about it - the consultants they see regularly will do that job.

When non vaccination rates hit 20% its nothing to do with safety and all about hysteria.

The doctors rely on the herd immunity to protect the few vulnerable ones.
If the herd immunity goes, kids who cannot be vaccinated are at even higher risk.

A board such as this implies that the hive mind knows better than those with the childrens' medical notes.
That is very unlikely to be the case.

It's just too simple to be blanket pro-vax one size fits all for everyone.

For this reason the board should exist, how awful that parents with genuine reasons to be cautious get shot down for daring to weigh up risk vs benefit for their child. Or for even considering if they have a genuine reason to/not to

There are genuine reasons why some children should avoid some vaxxes, or wait till they are a little older with a more developed immune system to handle it. My NHS Dr didn't even know herself of the risks which was what put me off initially, knowing a vaccine injured child, so I researched it in huge detail and lost a lot of faith in my dr as a result. Had she been informed i perhaps would have been able to be reassured that my child was unlikely to react and this child had reasons why their immune system couldn't cope. It certainly came across as a conspiracy when I was made to feel awful for raising questions about the risks and not blindly following nhs guidelines.

Honest open discussion should always exist to support parents in the choices they must make.

My child is vaccinated.

So... If this was the case, then why was I advised not to take my DS for any future vaccinations after enquiring about the flu vax, when he's already had all the other vaccinations (he's 8) with no explanation given other than 'they're more likely to cause more problems than they would solve with your DS'

My doctor was ready to give him one when I received an urgent phone call from his paediatrician telling me not to. No one had mentioned anything in the past. The doctor had phoned the paediatric secretary just in case.

It was also only through a thread on this board that I decided to enquire about getting the flu vax for DS, so it didn't put me off.

TalkInPeace

[https://www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/overview Max of £120,000]] as a one off payment. That's if you're severely disabled.

Proper link

MMR/Wakefield aren't the only things discussed on this board. Maybe when it was started that was but I don't think that's the case now. There are also plenty of people on here asking for advice on vaccines that aren't currently offered on the NHS.

bumbley
The website is very pretty, but where is the data on what has actually happened.

^www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29642613^
Which is just another aspect of Children's health and does not need its own board.

'Not vaccinating is neglect imo unless there is an actual medical reason.'

What is an actual medical reason? Who assesses the reason to define it as such?

'Generally speaking there's 1 person with a genuine reason'

What is a 'genuine' reason and who gets to decide that?

'It was indeed a big issue at the time. Until the main protagonist was shown to be a fraud and a liar who experimented on children without informed consent.'

Very few people who do not vaccinate have made their decision on the basis of the Wakefield stuff.

Then where are they getting their scientifically literate information?

The multiple of anecdote is not data.

Where is the evidence on which to base such decisions?

Well, anecdote is data when it is individually tailored and applied to one right?

My brother's kidney failure and subsequent terminal illness as a child was caused by a reaction to the DTP. That is what he was told by the consultant. I carry the genes that give a predisposition. My children may or may not, but 25 years later, different PCT, GP refuses to refer my children for the expensive tests to determine this. Doesn't especially support non-vaccinating but admits ignorance and is happy with what we decide. What would you do?

I'd go to another GP
BUT
The makeup of vaccines changes over time.
Your children are only 25% related to your brother and unless its been identified WHICH genes are the problem, I'd be interested to know what test reckons it can identify such.

If you can find a link to the relevant research paper and stick it under the new GPs nose, they would be more willing to offer a test

Talkinpeace - I don't think it's a particularly pretty website. It does tell you what the max pay out it is but you're right - very limited information otherwise. Eg. What is 'seriously disabled' and how much are you compensated if you are less than seriously disabled?

I was tested. I have whatever issue my brother has though I didn't die from having the vac. I don't believe for one second you'd give your children a jab for a disease they are unlikely to catch, let alone die from with the unknown but potentially fatal risk without very serious consideration and research. As it happens 2 of my 3 have had the DTP. My daughter is allergic to pretty much everything and has auto-immune problems that mean she is never well enough for me to even consider giving her body more to deal with.

We have moved many many times and therefore changed GP frequently. All say the same. All disinterested.

"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29642613
Which is just another aspect of Children's health and does not need its own board."

Not sure what this means… Why did you link to politics and what is another aspect of Children's health?

We could say smoking, diabetes, allergies could all come under General Health but they have their own boards too.

Hi Bumbley,
my posting error - had the wrong thing in my clipboard!
I'd meant to copy and paste this line
There are also plenty of people on here asking for advice on vaccines that aren't currently offered on the NHS.

I thought it might have been something like that :)

I still think there are other examples on MN of boards that could technically all come under one of the 'main subject' boards but don't because there are simply too many threads about them. The vaccination board isn't unique in that respect.

Analytical Armadillo said it much better than I could.

You wouldn't block the 'formula feeding' topic so formula feeders were of the opinion that there was another valid choice, would you?

Just because you don't agree with it, doesn't mean that other people don't hold that viewpoint.

Read: Dr Halorsen, Dr Tenpenny, Dr Jane Donegan, Dr Campbell McBride. Trevor Gunn, The Informed Parent. Not so you will change your mind, but just to see that these views exist.

Not sure what formula feeding has to do with the potential transmission of life threatening diseases.

I know why people hold such views : its because they do not understand science, statistics and how to read the statistics of risk.

THey are not alone : I've yet to meet a politician who understands stats

BUT
so much of the information is factually incorrect and the potential outcomes so horrible.