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 😊

@ErrolTheDragonI sincerely hope we’re in the same boat - one of the biggest risks of sending him to nursery throughout treatment is exposure to entirely preventable diseases. However, it doesn’t seem appropriate to hide him away from all the developmental opportunities that preschool offers either. All we can hope is that the other parents are sensible and responsible in their decisions too.

The irony being is that parents are sending their unwell children into school because of school attendance policies ( as well as challenges in employers granting carers leave) . I always kept mine off school when they were ill as I don’t see the point of them making all their friends ( or teachers) ill but current policies mean I will get a letter every time stating the importance of children being in school and the threshold of that passing onto more formal processes / sanctions has been lowered.

Omg! I've just looked at the FB group mentioned further upthread. The misinformation is off the scale

Depressing isn't it?

Even more worrying is all the gullible people who believe in this claptrap.

I agree. I genuinely struggle to understand how someone’s personal political views, conspiracy theories, or social media nonsense can become more important than their own child’s safety.

I also blame the government. Where I’m from, vaccinations for babies and children are mandatory, as they should be everywhere. There are so many things in life that we have very little control over, even though people like to believe we have complete freedom of choice.
So I really struggle to understand why we leave something as important as protecting babies and children from preventable diseases entirely up to personal beliefs and misinformation.

The little girl who should have been my aunt died of meningitis. Given her sisters lived to their 90s that is 80+ years she didn't get to live and about 70 years of grief my Granny had to live with.

The beauty of modern society is that uneducated people (like you) do not need to make medical decisions for their children. You can follow guidelines set by educated people on your behalf (doctors, biologists, epidemiologists etc etc).

So all of this handwringing about “should I protect my children, or risk them being killed or permanently disabled from preventable disease” is ridiculous. It’s genuinely completely ignorant and pointless.

“Dr” Suzanne Humphries, who was referenced above, does not believe the polio vaccine eliminated polio.

😮

How on earth did she qualify to be a doctor!!!

I realise that improved sanitation has gone a long way to reduce the number of polio cases, but vaccination has more or less eradicated it in most countries.

The charity I volunteer with has led global efforts to eradicate polio, with the Gates Foundation matching funds 2:1 for all monies raised.

So what exactly are you afraid of OP? Vaccines work. The save lives! How would you honestly feel if you chose not vaccinate and you lost your child or they had serious disabilities?

She had a sort of naturopathic epiphany after she had practiced real medicine for some time and became a vaccine denier…..

@Winnie98I am so sorry you feel people
have been nasty to you. The problem is that there is SO MUCH easily accessible properly researched, peer reviewed regularly updated information at your finger tips that certainly I, and I suspect others, get quite impatient when someone comes onto a forum of, presumably, unqualified strangers seeking knowledge about a life and death situation. It is very easy (and I’m not saying you’re doing this) to suspect that the person is simply looking for validation for their conspiracy theories.

@Winnie98 - I think if you want to have a balanced view on vaccination, do a little bit of research into the Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. She's a historical figure, but her determination and struggles in regards to Smallpox vacation are the foundations for our modern vaccination programme. Hearing voices from the past and length mothers would go to in order to protect their children, may just sway the argument.

How are people who think like this allowed to procreate????

Sort of the opposite to Edzard Ernst who was a well-qualified homeopath who realised it was all crap and now is a massive advocate for evidence-based medicine then.

OP his book, with Simon Singh: Trick or Treatment is a great discussion of how to assess the efficacy of alternative medicine, including a table of the evidence for various herbal remedies (medium evidence for the efficacy of ginger against nausea btw).

The history of her is fascinating, and Wortley Hall isn't too far from where I live.

Important to think of people in the developing world who have access to all kinds of natural/herbal treatments but who go to considerable trouble and expense to get their children vaccinated.

I still get annoyed by the number of well-meaning people who told me to try ginger when I had HG. Hmmm, yes, thanks. It would never have occurred to me to try that before being hospitalised with a toddler at home...

Haha, same here.