To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

[user1480775842]

Please help me... my baby is 4 months old and is amazing and healthy etc. My fiancé and all his family are against vaccinations and think they are very bad and cause lots of health issues.
My family and everyone else I know... are for it and say of course my child should have them.
I don't want to put my child at risk either way I am so unsure of what to do here.

Fenella, as I said in my post, I am aware it is only offered in certain areas. I was commenting on your statement about people 'no longer bothering'.

Doctor, the choice is not vaccine damaged or dead/permanently damaged. Some of the diseases we vaccinate against are not/very rarely deadly and spreading vaccines out/selectively vaccinating is unlikely to result in death/disease damage - particularly since people who are selectively vaccinating tend to prioritise vaccines for the potentially more serious diseases e.g. Measles.

Convenience for parents is a big consideration when vaccines are being scheduled. There is no 'right' way. The schedule can and does change (and varies country to country). Following a different schedule/changing timing/spacing is not necessarily wrong - it's just different.

bumbleymummy I was clarifying, with evidence, that the problem is compounded by people in the risk zones not bothering with the vaccination, as opposed to the non-issue of not vaccinating in areas without the disease.

Fenella, again, I was replying to your original post where you made the general statement that people were 'no longer bothering'. I'm not sure why you're getting hung up on this. I'm not trying to start an argument with you.

bumbley I'm not trying to argue either, you queried something I posted and I think on an important subject like vaccination it's important to only make claims backed by evidence, so I was just providing the evidence to show where my statement originated from.

Again, your original statement was that people were no longer bothering - not just people in certain high risk TB areas. That was what I addressed.

I agree that it is important to be clear about these things which is why I picked up on your original comment.

But the problem IS that people are no longer bothering to vaccinate to the same levels. I would have thought it was obvious this wouldn't apply to areas that are completely unaffected?

FWIW, the only unvaccinated child I know is the healthiest in her year at school.

I'd love to know on what capacity you've been able to do a full health assessment of this girl's year group and ranked them in order of health without meaning to offend, you don't come across as a health professional.

Uptake is not the only issue Fenella. As I mentioned in my first post, the BCG isn't as effective against pulmonary TB. New vaccines and treatments are being developed. WHO link

Atenco, I knew someone who was not vaccinated. Yep she was healthy, she was active, great health then in her first year at uni nearly bloody died (and no, I am not exaggerating) from measles.

OP, you do not need to persuade your partner. You can take your baby and get them vaccinated without the permission of the father, all you need is one of you with PR.