BBC: MMR is safe

[hazlinh]

bbc story

I agree with what you are saying Sofia but....

If you discuss vaccination risks with your GP then they will be discussed from a population point of view. What they don't do is individualise the risk (GP's wouldn't have the training to do this anyway). I strongly believe that my children are more at risk from vaccinations than Joe Bloggs living down the road- and family history- and finally some published research backs it up. At this stage it isn't possible for anyone to say how much more at risk they are than Joe Bloggs which is why `I'm not prepared to have them vaccinated. I wish the vaccination program would move more towards attempting to take into account individual needs rather then having a blanket one size fits all policy- when that isn't true of any medication (how many people have fiddled with pill brands/ anti-depressants etc before finding one that suits them).

I agree with you jimjams that individual differences need to be taken into consideration. Ironically they do take them into consideration in reverse. For example the flu jab and the pneumoccal (sp?) meningitis vaccination are only readily available to people with immune issues etc.
I was really just suggesting that Portree would be more likely to get useful information from her gp if she went in asking him reasonable questions rather than ones that clearly have no useful answer. The former would suggest to the gp that she is interested in facts, while the latter tells him/her that she has already made up her mind.

SA, my experience is that it doesn't matter what questions you ask a GP, unless they are incredibly unusual (which some are), they will toe the party line. It doesn't matter how reasonable and focussed your questions are, most GPs will simply start talking about how dreadful the diseases are and how hysterical the media is, without actually answering any of your queries. That's what I've found, anyway, so I've given up bothering to discuss it with medical professionals. They've made up their minds.

I suppose I am blessed with amazing gp's. The first 5 or so that I had were awful and then I got these. When I walk in to their offices armed with my internet research they are actually interested in what I've found out and are really sensitive to my needs and worries. I have had really ignorant, rude gp's so I do know what it's like.

meanbean i couldn't agree more

My GP's have been good- but none have been equiped to answer my questions. It's not part of their job to decide whether vax are good or bad, or to keep up with current research- their job is to give the vaccinations the dept of health decided every child needs. And that's where my problem with the whole vaccination programme lies really. NOw that we have better diets and sanitation and infectious disease isn't the disaster it was we need to start individualising the programme. I read a very interesting article written by a dr (who also happens to be the mother of an autistic child) and she reckoned that the 3 million spent on one MMR campaign would have been enough to set up a simple newborn screening procedure. Bit of a missed opportunity perhaps- and obviously far too radical. instead we got to watch glossy ads about leaving your baby out for a lion to eat. Insult to intelligence methinks!

Quite, Jimjams, an excellent point (she says, weeks later - sorry, been weaning myself off).

I can't bear to contribute to this debate again, but thank goodness you still have the strength to do it so well. Glad to hear your news, too.

Hi Droile- wondered where you'd got to Don't stay away for too long!