GP’s manner over babies vaccines

[SLiath]

I just had a voicemail from a woman at my GP’s practice. The only way to describe her tone is condescending. She asked if I had a chance to speak with “hubby” about getting immunisations for my two twins. I am a single mother. I had the first round which made them very poorly and declined the second for the time being I was concerned for their health. They were born premature and we spent 5 weeks in NICU so didn’t want anything impacting their feeding. She then stated with a very snarky tone that if I was not having them immunised I need to go to the practice to sign a form because the “child health surveillance team keeps emailing her.” I have had some hesitance to get the vaccines due to some mistrust in the NHS. This voicemail has now increased that trust. Has anyone had a similar experience?

This.

If you're considering not vaccinated your children, I would get used to this treatment from doctors, nurses, school staff etc. most people who understand how serious some childhood illness can be and have an understanding of childhood vaccines will treat you in the same way.

From a mother of twins who were also born premature and spent 3 months in hospital, please just get them vaccinated. I know it's scary and I know the reactions they can cause which are different in premature babies. People often don't understand which is evidenced by the number of people on this thread referencing feeling a bit poorly or having a bit of a temperature. My twins were very unwell after their immunisations to the point they were asked to come back into the NICU shortly after they were discharged to get their second (or maybe it was third?) set just in case they had a reaction but they were fine.

As for the vaccination schedule, Again I've seen it mentioned getting them done according to weight rather than age. This is incorrect advice. The vaccination schedule is based on age for specific reasons. Immunisations for premature babies are done at the same ages as any other baby would get them.

You've not specified what "very poorly" means, but if you think the common side effects to the vaccines (high temp, dodgy tummy, being unsettled etc.) are "very poorly", you must have never seen a young baby with whooping cough or measles- both of which, along with other preventable diseases, are currently spreading like wildfire.

There's a very high chance that an unvaccinated child WILL catch something they don't need to catch, and you will then turn up at your GP or hospital, around people with babies too young to be vaccinated and the immunocompromised, risking their health too and expecting the medical professionals you don't trust to save your child's life.

No wonder she has no patience with you.

https://news.sky.com/story/whooping-cough-outbreak-another-child-dies-as-number-of-cases-rise-above-10-000-13193052

That's what you're risking by not vaccinating. And that's just one of the diseases.

This.

Our NICU team also stressed how important it was to get our preemie vaxed, not that I’d ever dream of not doing it.

Please vaccinate your child to protect them from these horrible diseases.

Don let anyone pressure you in getting your babies vaccinated. Do it when you feel ready.

So you have two vulnerable children yet you’re going to risk them getting avoidable illnesses?

and no “mummy doesn’t always know best” sometimes Mummy is very wrong and the years of medical research knows best.

GPs get very frustrated with parents who don’t seem concerned about their baby dying. Weird that huh? 🙄 vaccinate your babies.

100% this

This.

This is an unpleasant post - the OP had babies in NICU, they know what very poorly is.

What nonsense. She's not a bloody medical professional, is she?

Look I get it my son was sick every single time he had a vaccine he was in hospital with breathing issues every single time they never figured out why but he ended up having his vaccine shedule slowed down because if he even had a sniffle anything at all he would be knocked down and hospitalised at least overnight so we had to delay delay and delay again he is fully vaccinated surprisingly the only one he didn't really react to was the mmr and he ended up having three due to a clerical error

You will get through this

She is probably a bit fed up of random parents with conspiracy theories or anecdotal “evidence” against vaccinations and who can blame her?
Not vaccinating puts all children at risk not just yours.
Vaccinate your children.

2 small children of my acquaintance have recently been seriously ill in hospital with measles. Their parent didn't believe in vaccinations.
All these childhood, potentially serious, occasionally fatal diseases are making a come back. I am not surprised that NHS staff are getting a bit fed up. They are tasked with chasing up unvaccinated children. They have to do it.

I nearly died as a child, I got pneumococcal sepsis and fell into septic shock.

It was agonizing (worst pain of my life and I have had 3 natural births) and I still have health issues (permanent damage) and its practically guaranteed to shorten my life span, despite this I was one of the LUCKY ones that survived... It's now a condition that can be vaccinated against.

Trust me the vaccines will be better than burying your child.

The NHS has absolutely no gain in spending thousands on vaccines if they where not effective. There no conspiracy to make your children ill.

"Unpleasant" is seeing babies end up with lifelong disabilities or dead because the parent "followed their instincts" and didn't get the jabs. No-one wants to get them. They hurt, they make your baby cry, they have side effects and it's altogether a very unfun day out. You get on with it and do it because not doing it puts both your child and other vulnerable people at unacceptable risk.

If this is the case, why is it given alone to pregnant women?

Even if you sign the form, they will still harrass you via letter every few months.

True, but how do you as a mum know if your child will or won't catch XYZ which can be protected against with vaccines?

Why are you lecturing me?

Try to stay calm. Obviously vaccines are vital. But berating people will only make you feel better.

Because it is the one that is most important to protect the baby after it is born. The babies dying of whooping cough are the ones that are too young to have started their immunisation schedule or have parents who don't want them immunized.

No I just meant why can't they give it with the flu vaccine or something to make it work better in adults? Don't you get the WC vaccine quite early on, I can't remember?