Vaccines/medicines and alternative approaches such as herbal

[Winnie98]

Looking for advice/experiences from parents who haven’t vaccinated

Hi, I’m hoping to get some advice and hear from people who have chosen not to vaccinate their children, or have delayed some vaccinations.

I know vaccines are one of those subjects that can get very heated on here, and I’m really not looking for a vaccine vs anti-vaccine argument or for anyone to tell me I’m a terrible parent 😂. I completely respect that people make different choices for their children. Please just be kind.

My DC is 1 and has had their previous vaccinations, but I’m now starting to feel quite hesitant about going ahead with the next ones. I’m feeling a bit conflicted and I’m trying to get as much information as I can before making any decisions.

I think some of this probably comes from my own experiences with vaccines. Growing up, I had some vaccinations delayed because my parents weren’t sure about some of the newer ones that were being introduced at the time. As an adult I’ve also chosen not to have the Covid or flu vaccines. When I’m ill myself I’m quick to grab natural remedies like Ginger drink , tumeric ect ect to avoid taking medication where it can be avoided. Obviously those were my own decisions and I know everyone’s circumstances are different, but I think those experiences have probably contributed to how I’m feeling now that I’m having to make these decisions for my own child.

What I’m actually hoping for is to hear from people who have chosen not to vaccinate and how to make this decision with the right information in relation to life without vaccines.
As well as people who try and avoid the likes of calpol and lemsips and paracetamols ect and focus more on herbal remedies.

• Where have you got your information from?
• How have you gone about understanding the risks of the illnesses themselves?
• If your child has become ill with something they weren’t vaccinated against, what was your experience and what did you do?
• Are there particular symptoms/signs you’d look out for that would mean getting medical help?
• where can I learn about natural remedies for illnesses for children

I’d also be interested to hear if anyone has spoken to their GP/health visitor or another healthcare professional about not vaccinating and whether you found that useful or felt judged.

I’m genuinely just trying to educate myself and work out what I’m comfortable with, rather than looking for people to agree with me. I’d really appreciate hearing people’s experiences, particularly from those who have been through the same thought process.

Thanks 😊

@Winnie98 You say "I’m genuinely just trying to educate myself and work out what I’m comfortable with, rather than looking for people to agree with me."
I suggest you look at the information from the independent and reputable vaccine research group at Oxford University. They provide parents with information on vaccines based on rigourous peer reviewed research. Read what scientific research has shown. Vaccines can prevent death, serious illness and disability.

https://vaccineknowledge.ox.ac.uk/home

I am completely deaf in my right ear as a result of measles as a toddler. My first cousin died of measles.

What does stood down mean? Not allowed in school?

It's because we're supposed to "be kind"

And take advice from endless people who have medical degrees, further advanced studies, and who work for the WHO, NHS, etc. None of those people - who are 100 times more qualified than you or I or a randomer online - advise against vaccines.

The NHS website will have information on how to treat illnesses but there are no natural or pharmacological treaments to prevent brain damage, blindess or death from measles. It’s the same for many other things vaccinated against in the UK.

I’m all for whole food and natural treatments but in the nautural world death and acquired disability is a common occurrence.

I would rather give calpol/ nurofen over herbal any day. I work with plants. They are extremely powerful and they aren’t regulated and tested in the same way as calpol.

So no I wouldnt mess around with that for children.

We have all vaccinations bar flu and Covid.

My child had RSV at seven months, which is now preventable by maternal vaccination. I wouldn't wish that experience (A&E, hospitalisation, oxygen therapy) on anyone. I get my information from the NHS and from peer reviewed scientific and medical journals.

My ds was born at the time that disgraced dr started claiming there was a link between mmr and autism. It was a horrible time. I had friends and family flying down to London to get individual injections( I couldn't afford that) . I have nurses in my family who talked sense/facts to me and persuaded me with facts/logic. Thank goodness for them.
If you love your child you would get this done.

I'm a big fan of natural and herbal remedies. Honey, salt water for incipient infections, saline spray for sinuses, hot water bottles, warm herbal teas, ginger, all good.

But my mother is a doctor and every night, for my entire life, her before bed reading has been medical journals, studies, Nature, not random, untraceable and unscientific musings by people on the internet. As a result, we're all vaccinated as are all her grandchildren.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that at 1, your child hasn't had any common childhood illness that come with pain and/or a high fever, such as roseola or an ear infection, because any parent who would let their child suffer with one of those rather than giving some paracetamol is not only stupid but cruel.

And re, the covid vaccine. There's a very interesting and huge French study that shows a 25% reduction in all cause mortality across 4 years post-vaccine.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842305

During follow-up, 98 429 (0.4%) and 32 662 (0.6%) all-cause deaths occurred in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, respectively. Vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 (weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 0.26 [95% CI, 0.22-0.30]) and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality (wHR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.75-0.76]), with a similar association observed when excluding severe COVID-19 death. Sensitivity analysis revealed that vaccinated individuals consistently had a lower risk of death, regardless of the cause. Mortality was 29% lower within 6 months following COVID-19 vaccination (relative incidence, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.69-0.73]).

How could anyone live with themselves if they didn’t vaccinate and their child died? I just couldn’t.

Get your child vaccinated.

FFS there are no herbal alternatives, if there were we wouldn't need fucking vaccines!

I was keen to avoid calpol type things and antibiotics for my children. However, because I didn’t want them to risk death or be responsible in another child’s death, I wasn’t stupid enough to withhold vaccines.

I was in the first cohort to have the polio vaccine. They came into schools to give it as well as giving it to babies. A girl in my year contracted polio before the vaccine became available. She was left permanently lame.

@breakatie I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that at 1, your child hasn't had any common childhood illness that comes with pain and a high fever, such as roseola or an ear infection, because any parent who would let their child suffer with one of those rather than giving some paracetamol is not only stupid but cruel.

Oh god. Unrelated to this thread specifically (although SIL DID have concerns about vaccines....) this has just reminded me of SIL not wanting to give her DS calpol for teething and ear pain when he was tiny. I won't derail thread with the issues but it's yet another example of her early signs of crap parenting that has led to a terrible outcome for her DC.

Mandrake root tea drunk at midnight with one eye closed will cure polio so that your child isn't disabled for the rest of their life

When I’m ill myself I’m quick to grab natural remedies like ginger drink, tumeric ect

When you’re ill with measles? Meningitis?

You taking ginger when you’ve got a bit of a cold is no problem whatsoever, and totally unrelated to vaccinating your child against serious illnesses.

Only if it’s the left eye closed. If it’s the right eye, turns out it’s a totally useless remedy..

Genuine, huge thanks to all the posters on this thread. This is an example of mumsnet at its finest.

First post nails it.

I could show you a photo of my father’s deformed polio knee-joints but MN probably wouldn’t let me post it.

There have always been anti vaxxers. Some communities are particularly prone to not vaccinating. When that measles outbreak in Wales started killing healthy adults some years ago, there was a sudden massive uptake in jabs. I was so impressed with the community and NHS response. They had pop ups everywhere.
I guess some people dont believe anything unless they experience it.

The arrogance of people who chose not to vaccinate never ceases to astound me. You can make that choice because the vast majority of people DO vaccinate, believe me if diphtheria and polio and tuberculosis were rife in the general population, you’d be climbing over people to get a vaccination, not reaching for some fucking tumeric. But by all means find yourself a nice echo chamber and be as ignorant as you want.

My sister had whooping cough when we were young. I have never forgotten the noise she made as she was struggling for breath.
Anti vaccination idiots are selfish, short sighted, and dangerous, not only to their own children but everyone an unvaccinated child comes into contact with.
Such privilege too, thousands of children all around the world would love the choice to have a vaccine but they are either unavailable or too expensive.
Take your head from up your arse and do what is best for your children.

I vaccinated my children, but I have never given them the flu jab... I cant see the point in that one!