Dear MNHQ why does this board exist?

[TalkinPeace]

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

onholiday Do you think you should rely on others to protect your health/unborn child's health? I can't for the life of me see why they don't advise you to find out your rubella immunity before you are pregnant. I believe it's a simple blood test.

It's just "belt and braces" to get a booster when you need it as an adult. It's not a reason not to vaccinate in the first place. I seem to get a tetanus/polio booster pretty much every time I go abroad (I exaggerate slightly) but I haven't grown a second head yet. I just haven't caught poilio or tetanus.

Yup, I got DTAP booster (maybe it was more than that, who knows) before I went off to live in Ukraine. Also got Hep B as it's endemic there due to their HIV crisis.

LaVolcan - I believe in herd immunity. I know that's difficult to understand on this board - but it's a scientific fact. Immunise babies/children against the diseases - the diseases become rare/eradicated/mild. Unvaccinated populations (for genuine reasons, immunocompromised for eg.) are protected, becuase the diseases cease to circulate.

onholiday - did you not read upthread where I said immunity could come from a wild infection or from a vaccination? I'm not saying it's her problem but I'm wondering why you think she's not immune. Vaccine didn't work? Vaccine immunity waned?

"Because not all women plan on getting pregnant?"

Strange statement. Men don't get pregnant at all but they're all vaccinated at 12-15 months too.

Aly - "to protect those who can't be vaccinated"

It's identifying those that can't be vaccinated that's part of the problem though isn't it? As I said earlier, if it was only people with known contraindications that ever reacted badly to vaccines then there wouldn't be any bad reactions would there?

Ok so you don't know. :)

onholiday - both of mine had rubella

But yes, you got a booster when you went abroad, so you have indirectly answered my question. You can't fully rely on others to protect your own health.

onholiday - Well if you contract it yourself as a child you wouldn't need a booster - lifelong immunity.

Bumbleymummy - you said you had wild rubella. That means you were a threat to pregnant women having a stillborn, braindamaged or deaf baby. A safe innoculation can stop that risk - wouldn't you do it?

If I contracted it as a 2 year old, when my baby brother was in the womb - I would have threatenend the life of my baby brother. No - I do not want that. I want a safe vaccination - which we have.

My child doesn't attend a state school but is involved in 9 hours a week of activities with other children. Silly policy wouldn't make any difference,

Is there anyway I could know BM? Genuinely interested!!

We're back at the individual risk now, aren't we...

Just like we accept risk in all aspects of our lives, this is another area where you have to accept that like driving a car/walking down the road, life comes with inherent risk and you have a far greater risk by not vaccinating than by vaccinating.

I think it would make a lot of difference, Starlight. Most people send their children to state schools, and would continue to do so. Those like you who are against vaccines and OK with homeschooling to avoid them would be small in number. Although still a potentially high risk population for all sorts of illnesses and a reservoir for spreading to babies/immuno-compromised.

I'm okay with homeschooling to avoid vaccines?

I'm neither okay with homeschooling or avoiding vaccines.

Homeschooling for me, that is. I'm happy for others to homeschool. And to avoid vaccines.

Sorry, misread your post.

Still, the vast majority of children in this country attend state school, and most people at private schools also vaccinate, so it would have an effect.

It's not just the chance of the risk parents consider, but the effect of that risk. And unless you have lived the life of a parent of a child with a disability you will not know that the actual disability is barely a fraction of the shit you have to deal with as a consequence of it.

One way to increase acceptance of the risk is to better acknowledge the damage when it occurs, and offer timely and substantial compensation. This won't take away the disability of course but it will mean that re lives of the rest of the family and extended family do not become the stuff of nightmares.

A vaccine at 15mths stops all the worry -this disease (rubella) is virtually eradicated. No pregnant woman has to worry about bringing it home from nursery with their 3 yr old or whatever. Because if you wait till age 10 to vaccinate - you do worry about that.

onholiday - Threat to non-immune pregnant women. Why aren't they immune again? You haven't answered yet - did their vaccine not work/wane?

Why was your mother not immune? Did they not check her immunity when she was pregnant with you? Did they not offer her the vaccine as soon as you were born so that she would be covered for future pregnancies?

I have no idea whether my mother was immune or not, she was born in the war years and has no idea herself. She is fervently for vaccines because she felt she always had the worry if german measles in her pregnancies, becuase her mother was always so vague she had no idea if she'd had it or not.

She'd have welcomed vaccines at 15mths - and still does so with her grandchildren.

On holiday - again, why are these pregnant women at risk of developing rubella not immune? Did their vaccine not work/immunity from it wane?

"Because if you wait till age 10 to vaccinate - you do worry about that."

Or, you know, you could get your immunity tested and yourself vaccinated if necessary.

If your mum was so worried then why didn't she have the vaccine herself?

anyway, bumbley, you must admit that some women are not immune. I wonder what you'd say? "No my child is having "wild" rubella by hook or by crook, so best stay away if you're pregnant, or might be?"

DO you do that?

"you must admit that some women are not immune."

Because their own vaccine didn't work/waned?

As I said upthread - my children both had it when they were < 1.

Do you say to those pregnant women who might come into contact with your children - "oooh,, my children are having wild rubella, measles and mumps - so come near us at your own risk - women with babies or who might be pregnant?"

Do you warn them? Or do you just go by the herd immunity that we all know exists from other children being vaccinated and take your chances?

Or have you had your children vaccinated? Mnmmmmmmm. ?