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Original poster

MMR - was your child ever the same afterwards?

126 replies

sleepyhorse · 05/04/2011 12:22

just wondering what your thoughts are? Feel like my child changed after having it and now nearly 2 years on having problems with ds on the language and social side! Yet to be confirmed if he is autistic. Did you have this combined vaccine and if you haven't yet I would advise going private and getting the single jabs. Don't take that risk!

OP posts:
MrsGravy · 06/04/2011 10:40

OP, sorry for what you are going through - it must be a very tough time.

My children have suffered no ill effects and neither has anyone else I know. My sister, who had an egg allergy as a child, couldn't have the MMR, caught Measles when she was 1 and was very poorly. The way I always looked at the MMR jab was; there is a definite, undeniable risk that your child will catch measles/mumps/rubella without it. There are also definite, undeniable (and pretty nasty) risks to catching these illnesses. There is a possible, unproven risk to the MMR jab. I decided to immunise against the definite, proven risk of measles etc rather than worry about the possible risk of MMR.

CaptainNancy · 06/04/2011 10:41

my sister was vaccine damaged by single measles jab, over 20 years ago.
My eldest child had MMR at normal time, no issues.
My 2nd child had severe egg allergy (I know, no issue nowadays), and is a boy (again, irrational of me), so I held off until he was 2 and past that window for regressive autism, and he had his MMR and has been fine (he's a very healthy chap).

OP- I know you're looking for answers for your child and what has happened to him- I hope you find some. Please don't think that your experience means all children having vaccinations are damaged by them- they clearly are not.

ConnorTraceptive · 06/04/2011 10:45

Sleepyhorse I know you are very very worried about your ds at the moment as I have posted on your other thread and as you know I am in a similar position with my own ds right.

he had the MMR but do I think it was the route of the problem? No, no I don't.

I think you are at an awfull point in life at the moment and your best focus would be finding out exactly what it is that your son needs to help him along.

I have no idea if the MMR can cause autism personally I suspect not

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ConnorTraceptive · 06/04/2011 10:45

Oh my eldest had it and he is fine

yousankmybattleship · 06/04/2011 10:51

OP, I'm very sorry you are worried about your child but that doesn't give you the right to start ill-informed scare mongering. There is NO link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The Doctor who suggested that there was has since been struck off the Medical Register because of his seriously flawed research. The first signs of autism tend to appear at about the time that the MMR vaccine is given. That is a coincidence - not a link.

GKlimt · 06/04/2011 11:37

Flossie69 - maybe you ask your sons paediatrician/Camhs specialist about the risk to your daughter - they will have all the uptodate research and be able to interpret it for you

PlopPlopPing · 06/04/2011 12:29

Hi OP, someone else mentioned that you had another thread and so I did a search (not a stalker honest). I noticed that you're just about to start the process to maybe getting diagnosis or some help. I also noticed that you didn't mention in that thread that you thought it had all started with the MMR. I know this sounds like I'm picking on you but I don't mean to (I saw also that you've gone through a horrible time with your other ds having an illness lately - that must have been scary!) . . . but I wondered if you realised at the time that he had changed with the MMR or if it is now looking back?

I am genuinely interested in this. I met a woman a while back who was so convinced that her son had changed overnight that I found it impossible not to believe her.

homeboys · 06/04/2011 12:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Vickisuli · 06/04/2011 22:46

The best evidence I ever heard that MMR is safe is that Japan banned MMR completely because of concerns about autism and over the course of several years there was NO CHANGE in the numbers of autistic children.

flippintired · 07/04/2011 06:42

Well That's sorted it for me Viki. I'll go and tell me son to stop putting it on.

MumToTheBoy · 07/04/2011 06:48

I used to work in a school for autistic children and only one parent out of over 100 believed that the mmr was responsible. All the other parents knew something was wrong already. A few delayed the jab for a year or never had it and they were still diagnosed at that time, so not linked to the mmr at all.

My son had the jabs and I had no doubts giving it to him, especially after working with and speaking to parents of severely autistic children.

ben5 · 07/04/2011 07:13

ds's both had single mmr and combined booster. ds1 is fine ds2 is austic. having a child whos austic isn't the end of the world, he just needs abit more help along the way

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 07/04/2011 07:42

Haven't read whole thread as heard all the arguments before, just wanted to say that there are no studies that show a causal link. This doesnt mean there is no link.
I'm also doubful that even if a link was discovered we would ever be told as would cost the government both here and in US too much money to compensate all the "damaged" children. Do you really ever believe anything politicians tell you?!
I got my DS singles they are not lisenced in UK (despite being the exact same as in the MMR) but a reputable doctor must still transport and store them correctly.
My son has not had mumps as it's not available in UK again despite the fact that it's made by the same company who make the component for 3in1?!
My doctor has said that she will contact me if/when it becomes available and failing that he can get the 3in1 pre school booster as they only need 1 dose of mumps for lifelong immunity.

For those afraid of the illnesses yes most ASD isn't as bad as measles however permanent damage and death from measles is very rare now and has been since before the vaccine, due to better living standards, hygiene and healthcare.

My nephew before his MMR could say several words and could put 2 words together. Within days of having his MMR he stopped talking, he is now 7yo he's still in nappies, still hasn't said a single syllable, grinds his teeth and hits out violently in frustration as can't express himself and his SEN school are trying to get rid of him because even they can't cope! He has no quality of life nor does his mother and she probably never will. It breaks my heart to see him.
I'm pregnant with DC2 and will happily get into debt if I have to to get separate jabs for this one too!

Goblinchild · 07/04/2011 07:47

No change at all for either of mine.
His AS wasn't noticeable until he was around 6/7ish, and he got a dx when he was 9. I'm firmly convinced that in our case it's genetic.

holyShmoley · 07/04/2011 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flippintired · 07/04/2011 10:04

Well I think it's easier to say vaccinate if you haven't been affected by the MMR. My subsequent children have not been vaccinated because of what has happened to my eldest. How could i possibly take that risk?

NoWayNoHow · 07/04/2011 10:21

flippintired is this then an acceptable risk?

Could you live with yourself if one of your two unvaccinated children contracted measles and spread it, causing the death of another mother's child? Or, God forbid, they should contract it and suffer death themselves?

I understand that you are coming from a biased position, but surely you can't genuinely want to risk your other children becoming seriously, and potentially, fatally ill when that is a proven consequence of not vaccinating, versus the completely disproven consequence/link of giving the vaccine?

flippintired · 07/04/2011 10:25

No I will not sacrifice my children for the sake of others. These are my children and one has been damaged already. My children come before anything else and anybody else.
What is disgusting is that this vaccine which causes damage in some is being allowed to be given to all. You just never know whether it WILL be your child. And whilst it is very unlikely that it will be your child, it might be.......

NoWayNoHow · 07/04/2011 10:32

I didn't just ask about sacrificing your child for others. I also asked if you could live with yourself if one of your own children was to fall seriously ill as a result of not vaccinating.

As so many others have written, it's about the greater risk. I know you are coming from the position of someone who already believes herself affected, but as you can see from all the studies and facts and figures, your case is incredibly unfortunate, and overwhelmingly in the minority. I know you are dead set on believing that MMR caused the situation - I disagree, but even if i didn't, this fact remains: your children are at a FAR GREATER RISK of serious health problems if unvaccinated than they would be if you give them the MMR.

flippintired · 07/04/2011 10:32

Sorry didn't answer all your questions. I believe the chances of any of my healthy children being damaged by measles are much smaller than the risk of them being damaged by a vaccine that has already damaged their brother.

If there is a genetic predisposition to a bad reaction to this vaccine in my children ( and it seems likely, although the government would never spend the money to try and find out the markers which meant some children were more vulnerable to damage than others) then the risk to my other children would be far greater than for other children. If that makes sense.As has already been discussed the death tool from measles was already DRASTICALLY reduced before vaccines were introduced. It's not like before vaccines there was a terrible loss and after less so, it's not nearly that simple. Nothing ever is.

Pagwatch · 07/04/2011 10:32

"biased position" is incredibly judgemental.

I think anyone who says that if their child had a catastrophic regression after the mmr, they would then happily vaccinate siblings to protect other children, they are a bit odd.

If you are totally convinced the mmr is safe then of course you will vaccinate as you oercieve no risk.
But if you believe that it damaged your child then you won't . Of course you won't.

flippintired · 07/04/2011 10:33

death toll even!

NoWayNoHow · 07/04/2011 10:35

pagwatch of COURSE that wasn't meant to be jugmental, and if you read it as such then I'm afraid you've completely misinterpreted my intended tone.

"Biased" position isn't judgmental - it's a fact. "Bias" means to have your position on something skewed because of personal experience - that is what has happened.

Pagwatch · 07/04/2011 10:37

I' m sorry nowaynohow

It is of course extraordinary that I could have read any kind of judgemental tone in your post.

ScroobiousPip · 07/04/2011 10:38

Yes, my son was the same afterwards.

Sleepyhorse, I am sorry about your son.

But, I think your OP is irresponsible. Fine to canvas opinions, not fine to scaremonger and 'advise' parents not to get the MMR. The diseases it protects against can kill. Herd immunity is important to protect the sick, elderly and vulnerable. Your 'advice' may lead some parents not to vaccinate at all.

I have to say that I am glad that here in NZ healthy children have to be fully vaccinated before going to pre-school.