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Original poster

Getting chased by GP surgery about MMR

14 replies

GothDetective · 22/02/2010 11:23

DD is 9 and had the measles and rubella single vaccines at the height of the MMR scare when she was 18 months. I've told the GP surgery countless times that this is what we did.

Now 7 years later I get a phone call asking if DD has had her MMR elsewhere. I explain again that she had the single vaccines, they ask if I have any batch numbers so I find her red book and say that yes the batch numbers are written down. Then they tell me I need to bring the red book in so they can see it themelves. I get the feeling they don't believe me. But I politely told them that I won't be bringing the red book in but I'll happily tell them the batch numbers over the phone. Which they agreed to.

Then the lady (have no idea if she was receptionist or HV) told me I'll have to bring her in for an MMR now as she's due the booster and there is no single mumps vaccine. Like it was the law or something. So I politely told her that I didn't have to at all.

I must admit I'm in 2 minds about letter her have the MMR and maybe if he hasn't had mumps by the time she's 11 I will let her. I don't really want her getting mumps as an adult as its meant to be worse so I'm hoping she catches it herself and then gets a natural immunity.

OP posts:
mso · 22/02/2010 11:52

you hope your child catches a disease rather than give her the vaccination? [hmmm]kind of misses the point of vaccination, does it not?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumps

the only thing single vaccinations are better for is the pockets of doctors of questionable ethics like Halvorsen.

pagwatch · 22/02/2010 12:00

Goth

There is a whole section on vaccination.
The position is, of course, that vaccinations are not compulsory but it is incumbent upon parents to make an informed decision.
I definately do not want DD to have any jabs but I know exactly why, and DH and I have researched and taken advice we trust to make a decision.
So if you don't want the jab then don't have it, but if you are not sure then do your research and choose.

But when you post here you won't get advice - you will get people who either have opinions based on experience ( who are obviously going to have strong personal opinions ) or wankers with an axe to grind.
So i would do some private research if I were you.

Original poster
GothDetective · 22/02/2010 12:25

I thought I was in the vaccinations section?

Pagwatch - I think you're right I probably do need to do more research, I did a lot but thats 8 years ago so I need to find some more up to date stuff I guess.

MSO - I was told by a Dr a few years ago that the mumps vaccination only gives 10 year of immunity whereas catching mumps as a child will give life long immunity. He recommended not having the single mumps vaccine until DD hit puberty and hoping that she got mumps in the mean time. This was from a GP who gave the single vaccines so would have had an interest in telling me the opposite. He was saying that having mumps as a child would not be a problem but could cause problems in puberty or as an adult.

Will go and do some more reading. Thanks.

OP posts:
CuppaTeaJanice · 22/02/2010 12:31

I thought you could get a private blood test to find out if your child is immune to measles, mumps & rubella. I think it costs about £100 for the three. That would put your mind at rest about whether she needs boosters of any of the vaccines or not.

pagwatch · 22/02/2010 13:46

Goth -
you are in vaccs - I just meant that you can cruise and find lots of up to date info in there/here ....

EccentricaGallumbits · 22/02/2010 13:51

My 2 both had the first one but not the 'misnamed' 'booster' which isn't a booster at all but a sort of catch system for the weeny minority who aren't covered by the first one, who probably won't be covered by a second 'booster' one

The suregry still hassles frm time to time but I ignore them.

ShowOfHands · 22/02/2010 13:58

My surgery have recently started ringing about dd having an mmr. She's 2.9 and has had singles. They were notified of this by letter, including the batch numbers and I've seen the info on dd's records. They are still keen for her to have the booster though. She will not be having it. I will check her immunity in a year of so before she is of school age and take appropriate action based on immunity.

I agree with pag. Do not take the advice of anybody who tells you what to do either way. It is not a decision that anybody can take for you and is one that you can only make after researching the facts for yourself and weighing up the options. Neither choice is the easy or obviously right one on the face of it.

ArthurPewty · 22/02/2010 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

frogetyfrog · 22/02/2010 14:04

Thankfully my surgery has a couple of members of medical staff who are anti MMR vaccination (quietly and secretly - but not so quietly and secretly that I dont know!), and so it happily leaves you alone!!

maxybrown · 03/03/2010 09:14

Mine too leonie

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 22/03/2010 18:50

I suggest you do have her vaccinated against mumps one way or another - it is a horrible virus and although not life threatening we need to try to develop herd immunity by vaccination. I contracted it as an adult and miscarried days after. Not necessarily connected but I believe it might well have been. It can cause infertility in adult men and it's really, really horrible.

bubbleymummy · 24/03/2010 10:46

Kat. Your experience is awful but mumps in childhood is usually a mild illness and gives you lifelong immunity to it which means you won't catch mumps in adulthood when it is (potentially) more serious - as it was for you. Op, I agree with everyone else who says do your own research. I personally will think again if my boys haven't caught it before puberty but I too am hoping we will get it out of the way before then.

gillybean2 · 10/05/2010 00:24

Your surgery are hasseling you because they get paid for reaching a specific percentage of vacinated children now, not per child vacinated. And it's a relatively high amount so they probably need to keep the numbers up and are looking for anyone they can to meet their target.

If they call again (and they probably will as have ignored you up to now) then you need to ask to speak to the practise manager and tell them specifically the situation and ask for their assurance that this will be the last you hear on the matter from them.

IMoveTheStars · 10/05/2010 00:33

Sorry for the hijack, but pagwatch, and anybody else with experience - please can you explain the side effects for me? I've tried doing research but I am having trouble distinguising between crazies spouting scaremongering, and actual research that should be listened to.

I've read on MN before that some parents have children that have been very badly affected by vaccines - I've never felt comfortable asking about it, I really hope I dn't offend anybody, I'm just very interested in the information.

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