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?

Right, so you don't want your kids vaccinated against diseases that could kill them because some random receptionists was a bit rude to you? Have I got that right?

No she worried that the first ones made them unwell and now the pushy manner of the surgery is making her feel even less trusting.

Less trust of what?

Vaccinations are not compulsory and it is up to the parent. So many nasty people on here.

The people pushing her to vaccinate I guess.

I got my children vaccinations and was grateful for them so it’s not my view; I’m just trying to understand where op is coming from.

No they aren’t, but if nothing else the NHS is overwhelmed as it is without having children turning up who are seriously ill and require life saving care- after catching a totally preventable with vaccination illness.

And unless OP has private healthcare, her argument that she “doesn’t trust” the NHS is ridiculous given that she’ll have to put a lot more trust in the NHS to save her child’s life when they catch one of these illnesses rather than just vaccinate against them.

Vaccinate your babies.

They should be.
Unless you're going to stay away from immunocompromised people and newborn babies who had no choice in the matter and go private, not waste NHS money, when your child does contract a disease.

If you are going to make an informed decision you need to look at the information - the international research into vaccination with all the facts spelled out. Do not glean your information from websites and chat rooms with an axe to grind - look at the respected research and at the universal policies on vaccination from all round the world. Only then can you make an informed choice.

Unless we are scientists, our ability to analyse the facts is impaired. There are many spheres of our lives where we rely on the scientists who do know the facts - every time we get in an aeroplane for instance - we are none of us experts on aerodynamics or aero-engineering - we trust those who do know the facts.

Please ignore the rudeness of the GP receptionist and think wider.

You aren't giving the child a choice.

As a parent you are a carer for your child you don't own them.

Once the child is Gillick competent if they want or don't want a vaccination you don't get a say.

They'll be even more bloody unwell when they've got measles. Vaccinate your children good lord.

Exactly and until that point it’s up to the parents . We can only support and educate on here and advise on alternative schedules etc that may help OP to see that there are options of her dc have reacted previously it’s not all or nothing a bespoke schedule can be created. Better to vaccinate to a different schedule than not at all.

If she doesn’t vaccinate the yes it’s up to her dc when they are older . I had my MMR vaccines last year and the 2 years prior to that I had all my others as I wasn’t vaccinated at all as a child !

No I do not think a parent has the right to deny their child medicine which has saved thousands upon thousands of lives and is the recommended advice of 99.999% of medical professionals who have trained for years and years

“doing your own research” by reading shite online is not making an “informed choice”. It’s making idiotic choice and putting your child’s life at risk which is utterly unforgivable

Yep, it’s always ‘ur baby ur rules hun’ until said baby is gravely unwell with something that is preventable by vaccine, and if the prognosis isn’t good it’s the medical team’s fault for not being able to wave a magic wand.

I don't think the OP is coming back.

Or you get the vaccine and are permanently disabled because of it. Literally nothing has been eradicated due to vaccines. The closest would be smallpox which took hundreds of years and was arguably eradicated by better hygiene and understanding.
Trying to belittle someone and make them think they're a bad mum because they don't agree with you is disgusting. You can blindly trust the science that has made grave mistakes over and over and over again but have a think about how horrible you're being to someone who has different views and experiences.

Okey doke. I’m a HCP so it’s not exactly ‘blind trust’; try real world, professional experience rather than Googling vaccine injuries and deciding you know best. What’s your experience?

Nothing has been completely eradicated by vaccines, but do you see many children in the UK today being treated for polio? No, because the vast majority of the population had sensible parents who vaccinated them as the vaccine is readily available. The odd person might take a reaction to a vaccine, but that is far from common. If vaccines were dangerous, do you truly think we’d still be using them?

Dumb, untrue argument. Opiod is dangerous and thousands of people were addicted to it. We still use opiod.
C-sections should be stitched up in two layers. Yet is routinely done in one because it saves money and time.
Pesticides are harming our heath, we still use it since it yields bigger crops.
Antibiotics should be given in the rarest of circumstances, since we have raging antibiotic resistance. Still given routinely and a broad spectrum one.
With vaccines for example, we know as a whole less negative effects happens when vaccines are not given together. Yet we still give multiple at once otherwise we don't have large enough uptake.

Alcohol is dangerous and accounts for thousand of road accident related death per year. It is the cause of many beaten up spouses and children. Sexual abuse and many many horrible nasty diseases happens because of alcohol.

It is still legal and sold everywhere. It makes too much money. So yes, things are still used if if they're dangerous

Erm yes. Just like cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, processed food, e numbers, energy drinks etc etc

I'm not anti vax but I have experience and I'm pro choice without being nasty to someone just because they have a difference of opinion.

A "difference of opinion" is for things like whether you think pineapple belongs on a pizza, not for when you're putting the lives of children at risk.

It's a difference of opinion when it is up to the parents to choose an optional thing for their children.
There are many things that contribute to the deaths of children, being unvaccinated is nowhere near the top of that list.

Globally, childhood infections is the leading cause of childhood mortality.
Evidence here
In the UK, it’s “nowhere near the top of the list” because the majority of people vaccinate their children against vaccine preventable disease.

Just vaccinate your kids. Dying of measles and pertussis is avoidable. Why not avoid it. Plenty of other things to worry about as a parent.

Why not avoid the risk of vaccine damage?
Childhood infection such as diarrhea and malaria which is irrelevant to the conversation.
Not your children, not your business. Every parent does what they think is best.

The risk of vaccine damage is virtually nil. Its like starving yourself to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Ridiculous!

Yes, one in 100 mil might get a bit ill from food poisoning, but without eating you're guaranteed to suffer!