nervous about measles jab...

[dinny]

dd having her booster and ds his first today - am nervous, really nervous! eek. have given it so much thought but still worry am not doing right thing!

[dinny]

am waiting for ds to develop symptoms - this is day 4, so prob in a couple of days....

[AwayWithTheFaries]

here is that book www.holbornmedicalservices.com/

[ruty]

I have no idea dinny - the theory with the MMR is that the measles vaccines finds a 'back route' into the gut because of its combination with the mumps virus. Gess is much more knowledgeable about this than me but unfortunately not around at the moment. A normal reaction with the Measles vaccine, even with the single, can be a mini version of the disease, and I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, at least it shows it has worked.

[dinny]

Ruty, do you think it's true that if a child has a bad reaction to the vaccination, the reaction to the virus would be much worse?

[ruty]

wheresthehamster - I would seriously recommend you get your dd3 vaccinated, with either the singles or the MMR. Getting measles as an older child can be much more serious. I would think the MMR would be safe at that age, because the brain is not at such a vulnerable stage of development. but singles are fine at a reputable clinic [JABS.org.uk have a national list] they are not licensed because the govt was to discourage their use but they are absolutely fine if from a good clinic.

[dinny]

I'd recommend this too VaccineGuide

[Tartanmam]

yogimum, there is quite an interesting book just out by Dr Richard Halvorsen, its very interesting and discusses all the vaccines out just now (what they are preventing, the trial period they want through, potential side effects etc), he is pro vaccine - allthough a bit anti-mmr but it is the most balanced thing i've found on it. A lot of the information is very biased one way or the other. I managed to get the book from the library (Amazon will have the name if you're interested, my minds gone blank).

[yogimum]

dinny thanks for the link. DH and I went out for dinner (first time in months) and ended up arguing about ds having the mmr. I just want all the facts first before we proceed with anything.

[wheresthehamster]

Thanks crokky - I will follow my initial instincts and investigate the separate jabs I think.

[crokky]

at them unlicencing rubella. I think that's disgraceful, particularly as some of these ladies receiving MMR will already have been given the single measles vaccine as children (normal for everyone to have when I was a child).

[dinny]

yes, some woman had decided to park her 4x4 over the actual entrance as no spaces (gggrrrr)

they are unlicencing the rubelle too, aren't they, and giving women at risk of contracting rubella the MMR - crackers.

[crokky]

I had my DS done at Breakspear, same as dinny. They were excellent (crap for parking spaces though!!!)

Rubella is licenced in this country separately because if a woman who is going to have kids is not immune, they need the jab. eg you may be found in your first pg not to be immune (everyone is tested) so once you have had the baby, they vaccinate you to protect future babies of yours.

Measles and mumps are not licenced in this country. IMO this is because the government wants everyone to have MMR and GPs try to scare parents (myself included) with "You're putting unlicenced drugs into your child". Actually, the vaccines given at Breakspear are imported and fully and properly licenced in their country of origin, which is USA, Switzerland, France etc usually (they show you the packet and provide you with the manufacturers instructions).

wheresthehamster: I really don't want to frighten you, but I am going to give you a truthful answer to your question. When MMR was first introduced (+ a few years later), I was a schoolgirl and it was given to kids of approx. your DD's age as they wouldn't have been done as babies/toddlers. I personally know a girl in my school who was severely affected at this age. I won't say anymore as I know it is controversial, but the effects are not limited to young kids. Personally, if I were you, I would get single jabs from a reputable source.

[Tartanmam]

They don't licence the vaccines but they haven't banned them, so they are allowed to be imported and used but are not 'licenced' for use by the NHS.

[dinny]

yogi, I had my two vaccinated at this clinic www.breakspearmedical.com/files/mmr.html

found them very very good

they don't licence the vaccinations in the UK as they want everyone to be MMR'd - the hospital imports the vaccine from Europe (ie. ds and dd's was from France)

[wheresthehamster]

Another hijack coming ....

Does anyone know if there is any evidence of children being affected by having the MMR when they are older?

DD3 is 9 and I felt at the time there was too much conflicting evidence for us to be happy letting her have it and I have not got around to doing anything about separate vaccines.

[yogimum]

ds is also due is mmr. I had decided to get them done seperately but then found out that only the rubella vaccine is licenced here. Can anyone enlighten me? Sorry don't want to hijack this thread.

[dinny]

thanks, Crokky - not sure when I can kind of think "ah, they are OK", iykwim...

[crokky]

dinny - my DS was fine after the single measles jab (had calpol just in case).

He got a few small measles spots (not contagous) either 1 wk / 10 days / 2 wks after (can't quite remember) but he did not suffer with them and it is a normal reaction.

When I was a child, I had the measles jab and it is routinely given in other countries. Please try not to worry, I am sure you have made the right decision for your child. My brother is autistic and I am convinced I made the right decision for my DS to have single jabs.

[dinny]

so sorry to hear that, Pagwatch. did the doctor/doh acknowledge a link?

btw, ds and dd had the single measles jab, not MMR.

[ruty]

the original doctor who did the 'scaremongering' was suggesting that only a very tiny sub group of children that have autism have been affected by the MMR jab. He agreed that it was safe for the large majority of children. The problem is, as his work has been set upon and rubbished by so many [with vested interests] there can no longer be adequate research into, for example, identifying the small number of children who may be at risk [for example Pagwatch's ds] Anyone who did so may risk losing their career. If there are no auto immune problems in the family and no history of gut disorders then you are probably ok.

[swissmiss]

FWIW the mumps incubation takes 21 days, DS got it but was fine after a few crappy days. If I remember rightly the measels is the 10 day bit.

[pagwatch]

My DS2 is profoundly autistic having lost all his skills and having been unwell following his MMR.

Scaremongering is not really the point - regardless of what the press did to the 'story' subsequently.
Most children are absoloutely fine. Some rare children, like my darling DS, are not.

[mishymoo]

My DS had all his jabs and apart from a small lump where they injected him, he was absolutely fine! Just watch out for high temps, but am sure they will be fine.

[babalon]

Same here, remember the mumps part doesn't come out till about 10 days after. But yes ds2 hasn't even got a temp

[dinny]

right, they had it and OK so far - hope they remain so, have given them Calpol just in case.....