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?

She is phoning because you haven't taken either of the options offered and so she is being chased and is passing that on.

If you don't want them (I think the reasons why you should have already been covered) you have to declare this formally. Otherwise you could claim 'no one contacted me'. She is repeatedly doing so to avoid this.

It's like refusing to answer the door and then complaining that the postman keeps ringing the bell (although with potentially much more serious consequences).

Please please get your children vaccinated. My nephew contracted meningitis at 9 months old (he was vaccinated but due to an undiagnosed condition didn’t develop the normal immune response) and the impact has been devastating and life altering. It is a miracle that he is still with us.
And that is only one of the diseases that the vaccines aim to protect against. Please just get the vaccination and take the steps you can to protect your children.

You know best, it’s at your absolute discretion as their mother. You can get it done later if you feel that’s best. You have no obligation to liaise with the condescending receptionist.
As a mother I found the higher up medical staff wonderful but some of the lower rung ones jumped up idiots 🙄 no offence anyone.
Trust yourself! People will advise (some of them may bully) and cajole. Ultimately you make the final decision, whatever that may be x

Sorry can't get upset at someone doing their job but absolutely can at someone who doesn't vaccinate their children !

My daughter has her 1 year jabs at the hospital after a reaction to her 4 month jabs. We booked in to the nurse to have the 1 year jabs and explained to her what happened and she wasn't happy to vaccinate my daughter in the community. We got a referral to the hospital and saw a paediatrician that specialised in immunisations. The paediatrician gave her the MMR there and then as she was concerned about her being unvaccinated. She then arranged for her to have the menB on its own and then the other two together as they were lower risks of causing adverse effects. As part of the clinic we had access to the paeds assessment unit without GP referral for 48 or 72h after her vaccines. We identified that it was the menB that put her in paeds at 4 months as she had a similar but less severe reaction when she had it at 1 y. She handled the 1y vaccines ok and has since had all the rest at the GP surgery.

Don't bury your head in the sand. You babies need vaccinating in the quickest and safest manner. Get an appointment with the vaccination nurse. Go through the reaction they had last time and come up with a plan for vaccination. It might be that they get them broken up and less vaccines at a time. It might be that they get it done with paeds access and involvement or both. It took us 6 months to get her 1y vaccines in the end and they were the most stressful 6 months going as I was so scared of her catching something she should have been vaccinated against. My dad was born at 28 weeks and he was very poorly when he had measles. It caused long term damage to his eyes that required an operation to correct and at 60 he is lucky to have his vision. My uncle was born with a heart defect due to complications from my grandmother contracting rubella in pregnancy. He died in childhood having barely left the hospital and never being well enough to go to school. There are very real consequences from not being vaccinated. I completely understand your trepidation but you need to move past your fear and work with the gp surgery and if appropriate paeds too in order to come up with a plan to get them vaccinated with support for you and them at the same.

It sounds like your twins have had a very medicalised start, and, if I'm not overreaching, perhaps this is why you are not enthusiastic about more medical interventions/vaccines. I do totally understand that, I've been there, but you can't step away from the NHS or dealing with medical matters, no matter how controlled and unlistened to you felt in hospital.

Children die of preventable diseases because of stories like yours. I hope you don't end up regretting your stupid decision

If you don't trust the NHS then get them done privately. But for god's sake get them done.

you can't step away from the NHS or dealing with medical matters, no matter how controlled and unlistened to you felt in hospital

This is very true. The fact someone had a bad experience with the NHS doesn't change the science around vaccines.

You know that you do need to vaccinate your babies, for their own safety. The UK vaccination programme is one of the best in the world, with robust research and data to support it.

Sadly, with the rise of social media, we are seeing vaccination rates dropping and as a consequence, disease rates rising. Nobody wants to lose a child to a disease such as whooping cough or measles when it can so easily be prevented.

Ignore the tone of the voicemail but pay heed to the message.

I completely understand, you should NOT feel pressured whatsoever to get them vaccined. I was "peer pressured" into getting them done on my 6 month old because people are basically sheep to the system. They made my boy unwell all three times and because I declined the early ones at first and got the first done at 3 months I had a lecture from the doctor 🙄. Yes they are just doing their job, but it's up to you what you decide and they are very condescending indeed. Actually I have yet to meet someone in healthcare who isn't, my whole maternity experience from antenatal to postnatal has been crap.

Just a note to people who are pro vaccine... have you even looked up the data? Do you understand the probability of the diseases and mortality rate? It's very low, just saying do your own research and don't quote BBC news or NHS website

OP,
You should really get them vaccinated. Many DC get a bit feverish and fussy, but that is the vaccine activating the immune system. They are not actually ill with anything.

Also, many infant and childhood vaccines need several shots/doses to be completed by a set spacing and if you wait too long between them, you have to start over again as the child is as good as unvaccinated.

Please please as your babies were premature they are especially vulnerable and need to be vaccinated.

I got my prem twins vaccinated as soon as I could. Can't see the logic in not.

Disease probability is low because others bother to get the vaccine

If you think yourself so special and better than anyone else - go ahead - ride off the back of other people getting their children vaccinated

When's that? After they've caught whooping cough? After they're back in hospital? Worse?

Yes, I have looked it all up, over and over.
BBC News and NHS are valid secondary research sources btw as they tend to reference studies.

You do realise that the low mortality we are currently lucky enough to have is due to mass vaccination?

Dh's cousin wasn't vaccinated as a child then caught everything going and is now partially deaf after contracting mumps.

Please don't be that paranoid parent.

And I would love to see your evidence for your claims - I am sure you can provide proper peer reviewed evidence

How ever you feel or think about the nhs it would be wise to do the immunisations.
Move past that experience and get the children booked in.
I would prefer the immunisations to risk this illnesses and diseases.
Many people have had experiences but do whats right so you stay clear of future trauma?.
Ignore the tone, do right by your children.
Get dad to take them if it is a problem.

If she would she would get her children vaccinated.

Mmmmm..... the reason the diseases are so low is because people are vaccinated.

Vaccinate your kids.

The diseases they protect them from could kill them.

"My twins were in the NICU and I want to make sure they're healthy"

But you won't get them vaccinated?