muslim parents refusing MMR...

[sauce]

...and other vaccines for their children because they're haram (ie made from human/animal by-products).

Did anyone else see this article in the Times yesterday? What do you think?

yes I agree - why the muslim spin? neither of my dds have had the MMR and we are Christians.

I too fail to see the relevance of any muslim connection. I don't let me kids have the mmr (but do have single). I'm not muslim. I'm christian.

Chandra, I agree why can't people have a look at your son as an individual. I'd be really mad if theymade an appointment for me. I suppose they would then wonder why I didn't show up for it.

I shouldn't have mentioned the MMR. It's actually relevant to any vaccine. I found it dismaying but if the rest of you are fine with it, great. Case dismissed.

I agree with Blu, it doesn't appear to be a mainstream Muslim view that the vaccine is "haram". The mainstream Muslim view appears to be remarkably similar to the Jewish view, that health takes priority over the minutiae of religious food laws.

Chandra, I was deluged by bloody appointments for ds's MMR that I never made or asked for. Cancelled the first three but then got sick of it and stopped responding. Eventually got so pissed off I wrote to the primary care trust (who were making the appointments) and copied to my surgery saying I was sick of being harassed and was definitely not having him MMR'd (hadn't made up my mind when they started harassing). Paid for singles instead.

They tried to trick my sister into signing a blanket consent form for all childhood immunisations when her dd was eight weeks old and she'd just told them she wanted to delay starting DTP!

God knows whether we'd have had even more hassle if we were Muslims. I hope not.

There was a big issue over insulin for diabetics a while back because it was either made with pork or beef. Very sad that people from two religions felt they couldn't take essential medicine. Think it was resolved as alternatives became available. But people clearly feel very strongly about it if they are prepared to risk their health.

I think the Times are obsessed with the MMR/Wakefield thing and are trying to drag it back into the headlines again.

i do wonder if drugs companies will now start to develop vaccines that are free from certain animal and human products. That would solve a lot of problems. I suspect at the moment they don't because there is no demand but perhaps that might change. Maybe it's impossible tho, no idea.

In some countries, MMR is not a choice. Children do not go to school unless they are vaccinated. We no longer live in times when the diseases we vaccinate against were killers. We no longer see on a regular basis, cripples and people who's lives have been changed forever as a result of these horrible diseases. Bringing god into it is out of order. What has god to do with it?

Whilst I agree that some of us have chosen not to let our children have MMR I dont think anyone with any sense would not immunise their children. The whole issue with the MMR thing is that there IS an alternative and though they have a little grizzle 3 times instead of 1 im fairly sure the NHS enthusiasm for MMR is based more upon cost than anything else.

DS is due the booster for MMR and now he is bigger I dont have a problem with him having it but whacking that many drugs into a small baby seems ridiculous to me. I was told he was due another booster too and "he could have it at the same time" I just raised my eyebrows and thought "no he bloody wont"

I understand that this is about a particularly religious approach to vaccines as a whole. But again, it's only one guy saying it...the mainstream muslim advice is as it always is from Islam - health takes precedence. (which is more than can be said for Jehovah's Witnesses having blood transfusions, for instance, afaik). And I'm not sure how it undermines integration.

Bollocks. Someone's being excessive and the Times is being naughty (go to the naughty step Times, you've earned a time out)

Here in the Middle East these vaccines are mandated because every year people die from childhood diseases because of complications - this part of the world is a melting pot of different nationalities, germs and diseases. Its mandated by the Emir, the Imams, the National Health Authority everyone. Your kid can't go to school without them.

I am also curious as to how it undermines integration.