MMR (booster) side affects

[sb34]

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How worrying for you sb34 - a real nightmare scenario. Hope your ds is recovering well.
Can't give any constructive input i'm afraid, as have'nt had any of the MMR course YET, but fast approaching.
Noone can really tell you what to do with your youngest child - that decision, hard as it is, is yours alone. It will be interesting to see if others have noticed reactions post MMR booster.
Theres a massive discussion re: MMR jab under the thread, entitled 'MMR', so this should help -you'll find everyones views are different, but each has a constructive point of view.

I feel for you. My son had all his jabs and my daughter had all hers up until the MMR. After looking into the subject I have decided that my children will have no further vaccines.

I was leant a book called "an educated decision" by Christina Head. She is a homeopath who has done lots of research into vaccines. She outlines all the possible side-effects. There is lots of information there, but no element of persuasion either way.

Bear in mind that you can take as much time as you need to make this decision. If you want to put it off for a few weeks/months/indefinately so you can make the decision with the pressure off, you are perfectly entitled to do that. Don't be hurried or pushed into making it before you're ready.

Again, only you can make this decision. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

sb34 - I have two adult friends who have both contracted meningitis within the last few months and their symptoms were exactly as you described.

The only possible link there could be is that whilst the body's immune system is coping with its response to the vaccine, it is less able to fight off bugs and viruses.

However with meningitis, either bacterial or viral, it is such an aggressive illness that even if your ds had not recently had a vaccine he would most likely have come down with it anyway.

You could try contacting the meningitis foundation for more info - they might keep info/statistics on the coincidence of MMR and onset of meningitis.

sb34 have you looked at the JABS website. I matter of fact gave my first DS the MMR and after a very worrying time contacted JABS as although everything was OK in the end after the MMR I like you was concerned about the booster. Your doctor can do a blood test to see if there is any immunity present which may help you decide whether to seek individual jags. I personally have had too much of a scare to risk the booster and certainly if there is not some more conclusive research DS2 will not be getting the MMR either.

Difficult decision mind you. All the best.

I had viral meningitis a few years ago (pre children) and my symptoms were like this too - came and went really quickly. I had a lumbar puncture and there was a virus in my spinal fluid (never have a lumbar puncture if you can avoid it - it was instrumental in my decision not to have epidurals in childbirth but thats another story). The only way they can tell you more than 'probably viral' is by doing a lumbar puncture.
It sounds like this is what your son had - I cant imagine how scarey it must have been to watch your child go through this as I can assure you it is agony! But it seems unlikely that it was caused by the MMR booster itself, according to my doc dh.
In fact, much more serious meningitis and encephalitis (similar) are common side effects of measles and mumps, which you might want to consider if you are wondering about it for your second child.
For the record, my children have had all vaccines to date and will continue to do so.

sb34, what an awful experience for you, I'm so glad he is feeling better now.
If the hospital doctors were not interested in following up any potential link between his booster and this illness, then talk to your GP quickly. My understanding is that any potential reaction to a vaccine is "notifiable" in that national statistics are compiled from data reported by patients. After all, it's on the basis of reported reactions to the MMR that we are assured it is ultra-safe, so if you have any feeling that his immunity was compromised by this booster, get back to your GP. Ask him/her exactly which strain of each single vaccine was used in the vaccine your son received. This information should be willingly given to you. Run that information past JABS (Demented already recommended the website). And, if you are still unhappy, use the precedent of what happened to your son to obtain single immunisations on the NHS if you feel that is a safer way to proceed.

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I have just read an article in the Saturday Daily telegraph magazine which was certainly thought provoking. It looks at the work of Andrew Wakefield and others and the experiences of parents who believe their child has been affected by the MMR. Up till now I have been swithering - being bombarded with differing information from all sides - but the testimony of parents seems to me to be the strongest evidence against having the MMR I have seen.

sb34 - It seems from this article that one version of the vaccine containing a particular strain of the mumps virus was withdrawn in Canada in 1988 after eight cases of menigitis were diagnosed in children who had recently received MMR vaccinations. I was amazed to learn that despite this the drugs company went on to sell this version of the vaccine to Brazil after it was withdrawn in Canada and the UK. An outbreak of meningitis resulted after a mass immunisation day in Brazil in 1997. The drug company says it pointed out the risks to the health authorities in Brazil but they felt the health benefits outweighed the risks!

This article has certainly made me think - it may be sensational journalism but I don't see why I should believe it any less than the glossy 'discussion pack' my health visitor has given me to read produced by the government.

sb34, I have no personal experience of pressing for single immunisations on the NHS - we paid to have ours done privately which I was happy to do. But given that you have had one child hospitalised and very seriously ill less than a fortnight after an MMR booster, you could ask if there is a case. It is discouraged, of course, because of the firm DoH line that the MMR vaccine is 100% safe.
Personally, I think the vaccine, like a whole host of conventional treatments, is probably safe for the majority of the population.
Like AnnieMo, I read the Telegraph item on Andrew Wakefield and felt it was pretty even-handed and informative. It does refer to the problems experienced with the Urabe mumps vaccine in the UK and US, which led to its withdrawal, and it also reports that the manufacturer continued to sell it in Brazil, where it was immediately linked to an outbreak of septic meningitis. When drug firms do this sort of thing, it is hard to take their word that problems with vaccines are dealt with promptly and ethically. And what upsets me above all is that I really do think some parents have conclusive proof that the measles element of vaccine damaged their children, and this concern is not being properly addressed. It's a small risk for all of us, but for the few it has affected there has been no support, no acknowledgement and no compensation. All this makes it a little harder for me to trust the relationship between the DoH and the vaccine manufacturers.

I don't really want to get into the MMR debate. My youngest will be due to have it in the next few months and we will definitely go ahead with it, but I wouldn't want to be the one to suggest what anyone else should or shouldn't do.

I am writing, actually, in response to jenny2998, about the book she mentioned - And Educated Decision. I have read this book too and don't believe anyone could read that book and not see a lot more than just an element of persuasion. She is very obviously trying to put people off the MMR.

Not only that, an awful lot of what she has to say is complete nonsense. Not only from the point of view of homeopathy (which I wholeheartedly support!), but even some of the basic biology she describes is just wrong. I actually think it is a very dangerous book.

There is a lot of very good information out there on both sides of the MMR argument, but I wouldn't recommend this particular book to anyone!

Personally, i have downloaded tons of stuff from the internet - from government web sites, from the NHS, from the American Academy of Pediatrics. I even found the original Lancet article by Andrew Wakefield - not someone else's summary, but the original research. While there is some compelling and worrying information, it is based on a study of only 8 children.

Anyway, like I said, I'm not trying to convince anyone one way or the other, just passing on a warning to be a bit careful about what you read. It's a hard enough decision for all of us I think!

AnnieMo - I think you will find that the Urabe form of the mumps vaccine was still in use in this country in the early 90s. It continued to be used for a number of years after it had been withdrawn in Canada, and I believe (not sure of my facts here without checking) that there are currently a number of lawsuits pending re:serious illness/death as a result of using this strain of the vaccine.
This is the reason why so many people are moving away from vaccination. Personally, I believe in vaccination IF the risks of the disease outweigh the risks of the vaccination, but I do not believe that we are ever given the full facts.

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Theres a place in Eltham (south-east london)....my friend had her dd done there but believe the cost was more than £40..I'll try & get details for you but it maybe difficult just now....

Hi Dixie, I think you are such a star for thinking about helping others out when you have such a load on yourself
sb34, the clinic is Direct Health 2000 and we had ds' single jabs done there. They are very professional and ideologically committed to the single jab approach, rather than just cashing in. It will cost over £100, though.
Here is their website , linked straight to the MMR page.

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There is a website that lists places all over, a friend used it recently. I'll ask if she still has the address.

SB34- VERY suprised your GP said it was only a coincidence! The info my health visitor gave me on MMR specifically says that encephalitis/ meningitis is a possible side effect in about 1 in 100,000 children, although apparently the rate is much, much higher in kids who actually get measles (1 in 1000 maybe, I can't quite remember). I've got the leaflet at home - I'll try to post again tomorrow with the name of it.

dd just had her MMR last week so still on the lookout for possible side effects. I feel very strongly that this was the right thing to do, but of course am worried nonetheless. Have you all read about the measles epidemic in Italy? I believe 3 people have died so far.

Still, I understand why it's such a tough decision for everyone these days!

Website address as promised is WWW.jabs.org.uk went on it today and they are in the prosses on moving it so it is on two sites above is the new site with I find a clinic e-mail facilitie. It also has lots of info about jabs.

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Have read with interest about the MMR booster, as my ds is due to have his soon. I have to say that I am very worried about it, especially after reading this. I would like to have my son tested to see whether he actually needs it - demented mentions having a test done on the NHS, but does anyone know whether this is widely available, or whether some GPs are more willing than others? Beginning to think that I will not give my dd MMR, even though my ds had it.

I too procrastinated about giving the booster MMR, and my son has just had suspected mumps (was not at all ill though), the public health people sent a test to the GP, but the result takes 2 weeks. when I asked the surgery what would happen about the booster, they said they would give him the rubella and measles singly - so all that stuff about the measles single jab not being licensed here must be rubbish

I saw a very brief snippet somewhere that the manufacture of Rubella single jab is going to be discontinued. If that's true, I wonder what will happen to any women who discover they are not immune and need immunising. Will they have to have MMR, instead?

My adult DS was recently forced to have an MMR before he was allowed to emigrate to America, even though he had the measles jag as a child (no MMR in those days) and has had mumps and rubella! It's actually been counterproductive as he is now worrying he may develop bowel disease or some other immune-type illness due to overload on his body. I'm fairly sure that wouldn't be the case but does anyone have any comment on that issue?

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