Live webchat with Professor David Salisbury, Dept of Health director of immunisation, Mon, November 2, 1pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're very pleased to have Professor David Salisbury, the Department of Health's director of immunisation, as our guest for a live webchat this Friday, 30 Oct, at 1pm.

Professor Salisbury, who originally trained as a paediatrician, and also works extensively for the World Health Organisation including his role as chairman of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccines, is a timely guest given that the swine flu vaccination
programme is now being rolled out. Pregnant women are one of the first 'at-risk' groups being offered the jab.

There has already been a large amount of discussion about the vaccine, so this is your chance to put your questions, concerns and comments to the government's top vaccines expert.

As usual, if you can't join us on the day, please post your question here and Prof Salisbury will try to answer as many as possible.

[JustScreamMumsnet]

Ps for clarification David Salisbury is not at MN Towers - so we can't blame BigTech (for once) (or Gerry)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

oh no!!! computers are so frustrating.

[LoveBeingAMummy]

[love the name justscream]

[Starry14]

Dear Dr. Salisbury,

I'm 24 weeks pregnant and healthy and I am in two minds about getting the SF jab. However I live and work in London and have a long commute on packed trains and tubes everyday. I feel I ought to have the jab more because of the other people around me passing on the virus than me catching it because I am run down.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[Tigerlady]

pugsandseals, you can find out all the information you need on the internet. There are loads of websites telling the TRUTH about what's in vaccines, and the number is growing as more and more people begin to realise what they're really putting in to their children each time they vaccinate them. Here are a few that i have read that you may like to look at: www.healthychild.com/vaccine-choices/vaccine-toxicity-and-safety-of-vaccinations-a-parents-ri ght-to-choose/
www.vaccinetruth.org
www.jabs.org.uk/pages/halvorsen-vaccineswaste.asp
It's an impossible and frightening decision for parents and one I battle with every day.
Good luck.

[JustScreamMumsnet]

Update on David Salisbury's computer - they are having server issues at the Dept of Health. They are trying very hard to fix it!

[pofacedandproud]

well it is a bit of a luxury googling vaccine ingredients when life threatening childhood diseases are no longer rife.

[LoveBeingAMummy]

Hope its not a virus......well i thought it was funny

[Starry14]

Who is currently online, pregnant and had the jab?
How did you feel?

[AppleMark]

Dr Salsbury
Do you think the Hannah poing case in the US , where a child recieved 5 vaccines in one day and regressed into an autistic like illness (and recieved compensation for her injuries) has any relevance on UK vaccination policy.

in july 1988 (as a member the JVCI) you introduced the Trivirix MMR into the UK.
why did it take 3 years for this to be withdrawn from the UK, and why weren't concerns over its safety ever discussed at the JVCI meetings ?
Trivirix MMR was the cheapest option, have the DOH chosen the cheapest swin flu vaccine and does this impact its risk/benifit model ?

[stuffitllllama]

.

[pugsandseals]

I agree Tiger lily, but different brands are cultured on different things and this information is not provided!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

[pofacedandproud]

Not to say vaccine ingredients should not be made safer, they should, and there is a lot of complacency involved and not much accountability, but still, they are genuinely trying to do the best thing for public health.

[AppleMark]

pofacedandproud
I will be less sceptical wen medicine expains the 1 in 40 boys with ASD and why every other child has a peanut allergy or an inhaler.

[Campaspe]

Could I please raise a question?

My DD is 3 next month. We have been invited to participate in a trial of the swine flu vaccine at Bristol Children's Hospital. Would you recommend that we do this? Which is greater: the risks from the trial, or the risk from the vaccine?

Thank you

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Thats how I see it too Pofaced. You know I think it is such a luxury that here in the developed world we can have these debates about vaccines, yet in other parts of the world, they would give anything to be able to protect their children like we can. h1n1 Flu is going to be a huge killer in those parts of the world.

[waitingwaiting]

Mercury ? Tiomersal ? Do we need to worry? If not why not? Postings by other mumsnet ladies below on a discussion forum seem to offer some reassurance but are they correct?

Pandemrix contains 5 micrograms of Tiomersal which in turn contains 2.5mcg of mercury. The mercury is to prevent bacteria forming in the multidose vials. Single does vaccines don't contain mercury but they take a lot longer to produce. This vaccines was needed fast so it has been produced in batches.

It's a tiny, tiny dose. The average pregnant women ingests more mercury than this weekly through food. A 10 stone woman on average consumes 6 micrograms of mercury a week in her diet. In addition, the form of mercury used in the injected vaccine is flushed out by the body much more easily and rapidly than the mercury form which occurs in food.

It's not the mercury you need to worry about - see esp midnightsun's links on how much mercury is in the vaccine and how it compares with one week's ration of fresh tuna, and the fact that it's the same as used in the 28wk anti-D injection and you should be very reassured.

Thanks!!

[Tigerlady]

I can answer that for you, Campaspe. NO! Both are very high risk and you shouldn't have been asked to put your child in that position.

[AppleMark]

waitingwaiting
why has it been withdrwn from animal vaccines then ?

[LovelyDear]

I too would like to know why girls are not offered a chicken pox vaccination before adolescence, if they have not already had the virus.

[JustScreamMumsnet]

Latest news... Department of Health server not looking good - apparently there are 4 Techs on the case but all scratching their heads.

Plan is to give it another 10 minutes and if no luck in fixing it, we'll move the chat to next Monday lunchtime and if so Professor Salisbury has said he'll come to Mumsnet Towers.

Many apologies to everyone who's here and itching to chat.
(BigTech looking v smug)

[LoveBeingAMummy]

Maybe this should be re-scheduled?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Well, of course if you rather we had just a fraction of the flu jabs available, then yes of course they could have left thimerosal out.
You know, pandemic flu doesnt hang around for us to get an ideal solution out. Its not like companies have been hanging around creating the vaccine slowly, they have been working flat out to get as much out as possible.

[waitingwaiting]

applemark.... has it thats interesting? Personally, I would prefer not to have any murcury at all, expecially as I have already had some amalgam fillings removed in this pregnancy! maybe Dr Salisbury can shed some light on this.......