Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Plan for new vaccine for babies ...

132 replies

MrsBigD · 05/01/2005 21:37

Aren't our poor little mites 'stabbed' enough?! DS wasn't impressed with the new 5-in-1 in one leg and the MengC in the other as it was. So now they want to add something else into the 5-i-1 coctail?!

I'm all for keeping our lo's happy and healthy, but ...

"... She said: "We always take parents' fears and worries into account, but whatever decision is made will be based on protecting children as best as we possibly can."

Yeah right!

Gotta love this excerpt...

"I really do worry that if we can't introduce these sort of vaccines we are going to see a return to diseases that we thought we had broadly seen the last of in this country."

Well in the case of MMR... imho if they'd make the single vaccines more readily available (be it for a cost or not) then that wouldn't be a problem would it now!

I am lucky enough to have a clinic nearby that does singles for the MMR and I don't mind paying the £80-90 per shot either. DD did react badly to her first imms (2nd lot at 3 months) so they actually didn't give her the 3rd whooping cough injection for fear she might react again.

Hmmm, re-reading the above ya might get the impression I'm a bit biased against this subject couldn't you

OP posts:
aloha · 07/01/2005 16:10

Fee77, I'm really sorry you had such a worrying time with your dd. It sounds awful and I really hope your little girl makes a full recovery. However, there is no vaccine against bacterial meningitis, is there?

fee77 · 07/01/2005 16:28

No but it is one they are thinking of introducing.

aloha · 07/01/2005 16:29

Isn't that for viral menigitis?

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/01/2005 18:03

did a quick search re meningitis and found this if it's of interest

Yes, there are vaccines that protect against some forms of meningitis and septicaemia, but although most of these vaccines provide excellent protection, they can't prevent all strains of these diseases. As yet there is no vaccine that can prevent all forms of meningitis and septicaemia.

Haven't been able to work out whether it's applicable for both viral and bacterial as haven't had the time yet to read the whole site, but though it might be of interest to some

info taken from here

OP posts:
Uwila · 07/01/2005 18:56

So, back to the original topic here, does anyone know what these proposed new vaccines protect against? how effective they are? and what is the likelihood of our children contracting these diseases without the vaccine?

Just to remind you all, what this vaccine proposes to protect against is:
1- bacterial meningitis
2- septicaemia
3- pneumonia

highlander · 07/01/2005 20:19

the new vaccine (at least in Canada) is called Prevnar and immunises against Strep. pneumoniae. Given at same time as the 5 in 1, Men C and Hep B

jabberwocky · 07/01/2005 20:57

Ahh, Prevnar, just realised what everyone is talking about. DS is 16 1/2 months and we are going in on the 20th for him to get his first jab of this. Yes, it's quite behind schedule, however with all of the tons and tons of research and meditation I did on this - and the fact that ds does not go to daycare - I decided to wait. So at this point he will need at most 2 jabs and not 4. My understanding is that Prevnar protects against 7 strains that can cause meningitis but Hib is the one that protects against the most common form. I still did not even give him that one at the prescribed time frame of 2 months because I felt that his system was still too immature and we were very careful about not taking him out, having people wash hands before holding him, etc.

With vaccines, there is always the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" feeling. I couldn't find a doctor anywhere to give him the singles vs. the MMR. Finally, my broter, who is a =physician out of state called in the vaccine and I now have to track down a nurse to actually give him the jab. It makes me so angry that it has been this difficult.

highlander · 08/01/2005 04:40

DS had 5 in 1 and prevnar on Wed and has been screaming his head off, unable to sleep since last ight. Eventually went down tonight, hopefully back on his usual schedule.

DH and I are not going for any more vaccines until I've stopped BF or DS is 18 months (hopefully 1 year).

Socci · 08/01/2005 18:35

Message withdrawn

ChicPea · 10/01/2005 23:16

Thanks Uwila and MrsBigD. Shall call Dr Eden as St John & Eliz is 5 mins away. Am hoping for the measles jab in Feb or March.Socci, how is DD now?

Socci · 10/01/2005 23:24

Message withdrawn

ChicPea · 11/01/2005 19:27

Oh Socci, I'm really sorry to read that. How old is DD?

Socci · 13/01/2005 19:55

Message withdrawn

Uwila · 13/01/2005 20:51

Wow Socci, if you don't mind me asking, what do you think is responsible for her autism? Do you think the vaccinations contributed at all?

Socci · 13/01/2005 23:15

Message withdrawn

Jimjams · 14/01/2005 10:06

I'm convinced the thimerosil in the baby jabs contributed to ds1's autism uwila. Which is why ds2 (so NT its ridiculous) hasn't been vaccinated at all, and why ds3 won't be either. There's no tendency to autism in our family, but there is a lot of autoimmunity. Recent research has shown quite clearly that if you inject a mouse prone to autoimmunity with thimerosil they become autistic (those without the autoimmune tendency are fine). Thimerosil has now been removed from the baby jabs- but according to our wonderful dept of health this has nothing to do the risk from thimerosil and everything to do with the sudden grave risk of using oral polio vaccine (bollox and they know it). Funnily enough I don't trust them further than I could throw them.

HIb and whooping cough worry me for ds3 (less so for ds2- he's 3 now- past the bad age for those- although tetanus worries me for him) but far less than giving him the vaccinations. I have a daily reminder of what they can do wiith ds1- who will certainly never live independently and will probably never speak.

I would give ds2 tetanus nowish if I could get a single jab that didn't contain mercury- but I can't so he'll have to go without and we have to watch cuts etc.

Uwila · 14/01/2005 11:05

Oh Jimjams, you're back. How's baby Louis? How are you? Not in too much pain I hope.

I always find you input on these vax threads so very interesting. My dd (now 22 months) had the jabs that preceded the 5 in 1 which of course contained thimerosil. I had no idea then! I never doubted vaccines or really knew much about them. Gosh, if I had know I wouldn't have done it. Thank God she is okay. But, when I was pregnant my cousins 3 year old was diagnosed as autistic and it scared the bajesus out of me. So we go for single jabs (one more to go in a few weeks). It just never occurred to me to question the earlier jabs...

So, now I am pondering whether or not to have the next baby (due end of may) go for the 5-in-1. Just curious, as it does not contain thimerosil (don't know how to spell that!), why are you avoiding it? Is it because there are so many in 1.

Oh and I totally agree the that live polio excuse from the NHS is total bollocks. Perhaps if they would start telling the truth more often, parents would be a bit more inclines to listen to them.

Socci · 14/01/2005 11:10

Message withdrawn

lockets · 14/01/2005 11:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Angeliz · 14/01/2005 11:33

I recently got Infanrix as dd's booster. (I requested it and the H.V held one back for me).
They were all being recalled. I did ask what they were going to do with all the old stock of Infanrix and she didn't know, nor was she able to tell me how readily available it would be for my baby (due in Feb).
I'm probably going to go down that route though too.
DD couldn't have polio booster as the only option was live oral and i declined. So don't know where that would leave the baby but it's not one of my biggest worries.

Angeliz · 14/01/2005 11:34

Hope you're well Jimjams and the new addition is behaving+

Jimjams · 14/01/2005 12:06

There is some vague research suggesting that if you are prone to autoimmunity then any vaccination makes you more prone- and multiples are worse than singles. Not great research- but a suggestion. I do think that thimerosil was almost certainly a bigger problem.

Also though I have changed. When I had ds1 I was very very pro vax (of course I was I was a biologist fgs). Really didn't read much and just took him along thinking it was a good thing. Now I think its far too much in such a young baby- also think some of the jabs are unecessary- eg tetanus in such a young baby (why can't they be given that when they start crawling at the earliest?), diptheria, even polio- would be happier if I was giving jabs that I felt my child was benefitting directly from iyswim. Some of the jabs they do give seem to be given at the wrong time- men C is mainly a disease of teens and young adults- if they're dishing it out to babies- are they going to give a booster in teen years- when its more likely to be needed? Also it has had quite a lot of reported side effects - and when it was introduced- even some people who were very pro vacination (eg Peltola) questioned whether ti should be introduced as a rooutine vaccination (although I think he now thinks it should be). I think the whole vaccination question is less black and white than its painted by the dept of health.

After all the problems with ds1 I got quite into homeopathy- am vaguely training to be one (very slowly- I know nothing at the moment!) and the homeopathic view of health is slightly different from the orthodox one. It's just made me see things in a different way tbh. At the end of the day though- science etc aside - I just can't vaccinate- I think about it and know that I couldn't actually go through with it- just gut instinct. I'd never forgive myself if ds2 or ds3 had to go through what ds1 has to live with.

Jimjams · 14/01/2005 12:07

Feeling a bit more with it today btw! Akthough still not dressed/showered- having school transport is a wonderful thing! Will try to be dressed by the time ds1 gets home

lockets · 14/01/2005 12:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Jimjams · 14/01/2005 12:34

aconite was great after being told I needed a section (instant fear of death ) Was calm by the time they did it. The whole family has found homeopathy helpful. Now little louis is here and ds1 is at his new school mean to get back into it