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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Quick poll - Pg ladies, how pg are you and will you be having the swine flu jab?

718 replies

laurawantsababy · 15/10/2009 18:37

I am 25 weeks pg with dc2 and very confused.

After another death but with conflicting advice about the jab chosen for the UK what are we to do??

I would love you here everyones choice and thoughts on it to help me out.

Thanks

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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midnightsun · 26/10/2009 10:09

GSK bulletin from clinical trials stating one dose is enough (16 October)

www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10111.htm

"GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced results from a second clinical trial of its pandemic (H1N1) adjuvanted vaccine, which demonstrate that one dose of the vaccine can provide a strong immune response which exceeds criteria as defined by international licensing authorities using the lowest dose of antigen available in pandemic vaccines."

If one were to be very cynical, one would expect GSK the manufacturer to insist that two doses are necessary, doubling its income for each patient vaccinated.

Latest press release from GSK about Pandemrix, which 150,000 people in Europe have now received in addition to 2000 people as part of clinical trials. It also reports preliminary results of trials in children aged 6 months to 3 years and suggested that a single half-dose is sufficient. This is quite new and explains that the data differs from mock-up vaccine trials which suggested only 50% of children had adequate immune levels after one dose. 23 October.

www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10116.htm

first1 · 26/10/2009 12:10

I'm 11weeks pregnant and asthmatic. Like everyone else I'm in two minds over the jab, but being in 2 high-risk groups I feel I should. I've booked an appointment for the jab on 23rd Nov, so at least I have a month to change my mind but got piece of mind that I at least have an appointment.

JuliaGulia · 26/10/2009 14:58

I didn't think much of that ITV news article at 1:30pm on pregnant women's concerns with the vaccine. No mention of the 2 different jabs or why other countries are giving adjuvant free celvapan to their pregnant women and not pandemrix...

Perhaps the 6:30pm news bulletin will be a bit more informative.

I've yet to hear anything from my doctors calling me up for the jab (I gave them my name and requested Celvapan last week). I suppose I'm kind of hoping that they take so long to get the invitations out that the decision is taken out of my hands. I leave work in 8 weeks when I'll be 30 weeks (with twins) and if I've not had an invite by then I definitely wont be seeking out the vaccine unless the statistics have risen significantly.

BulletProofMum · 26/10/2009 15:20

I am 20 weeks - I have gone from initially not wanting the jab to now wanting it.

The deciding factor for me is thst of the 100 or so deaths in the UK - 6 have been pregnant. To me that constitutues extremely high risk.

The risk of having any compl;ication due to the vaccine is lower than that of morbidity due to the vaccine.

The Baxter vaccine (celvapan) is lower risk.

beachedwhalenow · 26/10/2009 15:47

I agree, the ITV news report was very poor. It hardly touched on the swine flu issue. What a shame.

Original poster
laurawantsababy · 26/10/2009 16:15

My petition has been approved

away

OP posts:
Original poster
laurawantsababy · 26/10/2009 16:16

That should have said 'Sign away'!!

OP posts:
Fibilou · 26/10/2009 17:25

I will not be having the virus. One of my friends studied immunology and virology at university and has done work on the HIV virus. She is pregnant and will not be taking it.
She explained to me that the way the majority of immunisations work are that the virus is injected with a huge amount of toxins, targeted at the immunne system to get a massive autoimmune reponse. The side effects commonly associated with vaccination are not to do with the viruses, they are usually related to these toxins. For obvious reasons these are not tested on pregnant women and therefore research on their safety is rather lacking.
There is an alternative available (by this point I was slightly glazing over as she was getting a bit techy) but it essentially targets viral pneumonia in he form of an inhaler which, like an asthma inhaler, goes straight to the lungs. She notes that if you have a flu with a temperature over 38 this should be considered immediately as it is really the only defence against VP.
She is not having the vaccine due to concerns about the carrier toxins and says that if she contracts swine flu she will push PCT for option 2 .

Fibilou · 26/10/2009 17:28

She also notes that we are at much higher risk of developing SF after birth than before as the immune system apparently "collapses" for the first couple of weeks post partum.
She also mentioned the 2 dose vaccine being superior to the one dose, something to do with it being viral only and not involving the carrier toxins, but obviously it takes longer for immunity to build up.

Fibilou · 26/10/2009 17:31

Oh, and the latest clinical trial was carried out on 400 adults - with no children or pregnant women involved for obvious reasons.
I think I would rather take my chances of getting the flu. They can't even work out whether eating nuts in pregnancy is linked to allergies in later life after all the years they've been researching that !

Josie22 · 26/10/2009 17:45

Laurawantsababy - well done on getting it approved at last! Am not sure that the link is working though...is there any other way to look it up.

Midnightsun - as others have said before thank you for all your very informative posts.

I went to my doctors today and asked my long list of questions. Am posting my answers if anyone is interested.

  1. Will sf vaccine protect me 100% from vaccine? - No because nothing is 100% and the virus might mutate ( a whole new level of worry at that comment!!)

  2. Will I be offered Celvapan? - Well firstly he had no idea as he didn't know there were 2 different types being offered but to be fair he is a GP not a sf expert (unlike all us mumsnetters!!). He has emailed 'someone' to find out for me though and will let me know so will post when I get an answer.

  3. Didn't ask him about Mercury etc as, from above, he didn't know there were 2 different types so thought it would be pointless.

  4. Why did GSK get immunity and is this normal? - No it's definitely not normal for a company to get immunity for any medication. He said he understood why though and when asked to elaborate he said it was because the Gov't had made GSK rush through the vaccine and so therefore GSK would not have wanted to be held responsible for any problems the vaccine caused (so he is responsible then??).

Does anyone know if any other country has done the same thing?

  1. If I don't have the vaccine now then can will I be able to get it later if I change my mind? - Most likely as most people will chose not to have their vaccine!

So all in all not incredibly helpful. I then asked him if he thought I should have it and he said yes because the gov't would not be putting pg woman first if they didn't think there was a risk. I then asked why I hadn't been called in to to have seasonal flu jab as normal due to my asthma (as there are posters everywhere in surgery advertising this). He told me that I wouldn't get offered the seasonal flu jab because I was pg! Well that cleared everything up. Even he looked uncertain as I left...

Still undecided as my mind changes every two minutes.

Sorry for waffling on. Very hormonal today!

Josie22 · 26/10/2009 17:49

Also end of point 4) should be 'who is responsible' not 'he'.

ReneRusso · 26/10/2009 17:58

Laurawantsababy , well done for getting the petition approved.
Link just had a slight typo josie, follow this one:

petitions.number10.gov.uk/SFjabchoicePG/

Josie22 · 26/10/2009 18:33

Thanks Rene - will sign it straight away.

Original poster
laurawantsababy · 26/10/2009 20:46

Thanks all, you need to check your email once you have signed it and click on the link they send to make your signature live.

Josie22 - Thanks for the update. Sounds like most GPs havent had a lot of info about it yet.

Has anyone had an invite for theirs yet??

OP posts:
corblimeymadam · 26/10/2009 23:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

extremelychocolateymilkroll · 26/10/2009 23:26

A couple of interesting items from Radio 4: Swine Flu Vaccine Update and Planning for Pandemic.

midnightsun · 27/10/2009 08:31

belgianbun that blog could be written by any nutcase ro conspiracy theoriest and there are plenty of them.

When the first few lines introduced the post with "we need to contradict the propaganda bullsh!t" then I know I don't need to bother read any further.

I've been trying to link to official sources only, like the WHO, health agencies, the manufacturer of the vaccine, the European medicines approval agency, reputable news sources.

I'm open to debate and think we should read widely, but would at the same time bear in mind we should question how much weight personal opinion blogs by individuals with an axe to grind add to the intelligent discussion.

midnightsun · 27/10/2009 08:35

The author of the blog positions himself as a "societal and economics observer and commentator with an endtimes, future history perspective"

End times and the end of the world are a significant theme it would appear from a cursory look. Lots of conspiracy theories and writing about always controversial topics such as 9/11, Gaza, middle east war...

I rest my case. Just want people to be aware of that if they click on your link.

alyonor · 27/10/2009 11:10

I am still completely undecided and I agree that these conspiracy theories will just add up more confusion but it also does not help to see that a majority of doctors and nurses are refusing the vaccine, not just here in the UK, but also in France, Spain, Portugal, etc... if the health professional have reserves regarding this vaccine, how can the general public have any confidence in it?

hobnob57 · 27/10/2009 11:24

I'm not sure that HP have reservations about the vaccine, but that they think that the illness is not that serious so doesn't warrant it (they are not in at-risk groups). Well, that's what the doctors who work with my mum have been saying. Still, it's a wee bit irresponsible since the reasoning behind the vaccination programme for HC workers is to ensure that they aren't off ill when they are most needed, as far as I can see.

extremelychocolateymilkroll · 27/10/2009 13:58

Saw my doctor today for my 24 week check. At my surgery in London they are having drop in clinics from Saturday for the next 4 Saturdays for those considered high priority. He didn't know which vaccine they were offering and said to ask the practice manager. His advice is to have the vaccine as he has faith in the authorities whom he said had not misled the public during his career. He also pointed out that the vaccine for seasonal flu is altered each year and is based on the flu of the previous year.

suey2 · 27/10/2009 15:04

extremelychoc i disagree with your doc- what about the panic over SARS, bird flu and CJD? Massively overstated! And what about thalidomide?

My SIL saw her OB this morning who said 'don't have it, it's not been tested on PG women. end of

beachedwhalenow · 27/10/2009 16:08

Just thought I'd flag up to you all (in case you dont spot the advert) Mums Net is having a Live webchat with Professor David Salisbury, Dept of Health director of immunisation, Friday, Oct 30, 1pm..... it will give you an opportunity to ask a question.

jardins · 27/10/2009 17:07

Just to interject: I had my 28 week check-up today with my midwife here in France who did not even bring up the subject of the Swine Flu jab. When I asked her about it she answered that it was available as from now and when I asked her for her personal opinion she retorted that she was against it (media hype, pressure, the usual arguments) and would not have it in my shoes nor would she give it to her small children.

Ho hum.