Measles jab

I'm so sorry this happened to your little GS, and I hope he makes a speedy recovery. I think this is another area where social media has a lot to answer for - scaremongering about vaccines has become rife among some groups, and as you say, the rise in people who aren't vaccinating their children is leading to cases like your GS. I think a lot of parents now just brush off measles as something fairly insignificant and don't realise just how serious it can be.

MissInterpreted

I'm so sorry this happened to your little GS, and I hope he makes a speedy recovery. I think this is another area where social media has a lot to answer for - scaremongering about vaccines has become rife among some groups, and as you say, the rise in people who aren't vaccinating their children is leading to cases like your GS. I think a lot of parents now just brush off measles as something fairly insignificant and don't realise just how serious it can be.

I completely agree.

I also wish OP’s little GS a full and speedy recovery.

Poor little boy, wishing him a full and speedy recovery.
I so agree with you about parents not seeking vaccination for measles, so irresponsible.

Thanks for good wishes, is such a worry.
But sadly these outbreaks will continue unabated whilst some parents don’t vaccinate. Not sure why there isn’t a government driven campaign on the TV showing how measles affects babies and small children. Some might say that is the nanny state but if it saves children’s lives I would say is more than worth it.

Your poor little grandson, I hope he is better soon.

I had measles as a child before the vaccine was available. I was about six. I can still remember how ill I felt and being hot, itchy and blotchy. Measles is a horrible illness even without complications and I wonder why parents are still unwilling to have their children vaccinated when the risks have been proved to be almost non existent.

Of course nobody can force parents to do this

Perhaps not, but in Australia an Immunisation Certificate has to be provided before a child can start primary school. This doesn’t mean a child has been vaccinated, but I suppose it shows if they haven’t.

We all used to get measles but I suspect it might have been a bit milder than it is now. I still remember it as the worst infectious disease I had as a child and I had the lot, including scarlet fever.

Babs03 I hope he makes a good recovery.

My youngest caught measles before she was old enough to be vaccinated although my other DC had had their vaccinations.

She didn't need to be hospitalised and did recover well thank goodness.

A few of the really scary things about measles:

1. It's INCREDIBLY contagious. I have been told (learned this in a continuing education short course) that FIVE MINUTES with an infected person is enough for you to be infected.

2. You only need a population of 100,000 susceptible people for it to keep spreading. In epidemiological terms, that's not a lot.

3. I read on Medscape (web site for health care professionals) that there is evidence that measles can depress the immune system for up to two years after the infection.

I do hope your little GS gets better soon. You're absolutely correct that he is too young to have had the vaccine; being a live vaccine (at least here in Canada and I assume the UK is similar) it is normally only administered after 12 months of age. Sometimes if there's an outbreak they will decrease that age to 6 months, but live vaccines are most effective if given after 1 year of age.

Unfortunately not only do parents consider vaccines 'dangerous' but many health care workers don't consider it that important either.

My grandchild isn't vaccinated but no one, including the GP, seems to care.

It's a crisis in the making for all kids and it isn't good enough.

I think that there should be a financial penalty for not vaccinating your children. So it's the parents choice. Not a nanny state decision. Child allowance withheld for example.

Of course it would be a nightmare to enforce.
I suppose if the UK were in a better financial position, parents could be offered a financial inducement. Gift vouchers for example.

OP I do hope your GS makes a speedy recovery. Poor little chap. And poor parents.

Babs I do hope your little GS makes a swift recovery. Beyond my understanding why parents refuse to have their children vaccinated!!! The argument is they have a right to refuse vaccination - however they do not have a right to allow their children to infect others ! 😡Your GCs parents must be beside themselves with worry, as you say measles can cause hearing and sight problems. My friend is deaf - the result of childhood measles.
On a more positive note many infants catch measles and recover well ( me included!)
Please keep us posted on this thread and let us know how your little grandson is doing. If his parents have the slightest concern regarding his symptoms I am sure they will take no chances and immediately take him back to hospital. Do try not to overthink. 💐

Thanks again. He is back in hospital because his temp is spiking again but the parents at least feel he is in the right place and staff have reassured them as much as poss.
In my opinion children unvaccinated should not be allowed nursery places or to be put on a waiting list for primary school if they are not vaccinated.
That might sound draconian but for families going through what ours are going through it really couldn’t be more stark the dangers parents who don’t vaccinate are visiting upon babies and small children.

Glad to hear that things are improving Babs.
I agree with you completely. The scaremongering doctor starting the anti - vaccine terror campaign has blood on his hands.
My daughter was hospitalised, aged one, with temperature spikes and febrile convulsions- later measles was confirmed. She bears the scar of the lumbar puncture still.
All of mine had all of their vaccinations, as have all of my grandchildren.
My Viking granddaughters have been vaccinated against chickenpox, also.

Babs03, I am so sorry that you and your family are going through this.

I quite agree with you that we have a duty not only to our own children but also to others and should have our children fully immunised as soon as they are old enough.

My mother had a classmate who died of diphtheria and my father knew someone who had polio, so they knew why we should have all the immunisations that were available. The trouble is that now people are fortunate enough not to have direct experience of so many diseases and so they don’t realise the importance of prevention.

Measles is a horrible thing, I do hope your little one begins to recover very soon babs. It’s scary to see them so unwell when they’re little.
My oldest daughter, despite being vaccinated, had measles when she was 11. I was shocked at how ill she, an otherwise healthy and robust child, became. Like many others. I fail to understand why parents don’t ensure that their children are vaccinated against. what can be, such serious conditions. I’ve often wondered if our daughter being diagnosed with asthma and various other allergic conditions was connected to her having had measles only a few months before.

I wonder if more parents are reluctant to have their babies and children vaccinated since the MMR vaccine became the norm?

Perhaps they think having the three vaccines at once is too much and if they were offered separately would the uptake ne higher?
There was no mumps vaccine when mine were young and I remember sending their children round when mine caught mumps so they could catch it when they were young as it can cause more problems for older boys.

Neighbours sent their children round (a 'mumps party')

I thought theMMR vaccine was given quite early, about two months or three months old. Then further boosters during the first year.

Babs I hope your grandson gets well soon.

GS coming home again this morning. Giving painkillers has brought temp down so thank God he didn’t fit.
Hoping he will turn a corner now, spots seem to be fading a bit, not as clumped so 🙏🏾
@madalane they vaccinate against meningitis at an earlier age but MMR isn’t given until they are one year old.
X

My daughter was in hospital with gastro enteritis when she was a year old and they were worried about possible kidney damage so I was told not to have her vaccinated against measles. She was about 5 when she caught measles and wasn't too bad, but had to be in a darkened room because her eyes were so sensitive. 45 years later her eyes are still very sensitive to sunlight and she spends a lot of the year wearing sunglasses.

I was 13 when I caught measles. It went straight to my chest and I missed a month of school. Basically it was horrible.

So glad to hear your GS seems to be on the mend.

My oldest child couldn’t have live vaccines. Herd immunity is so important and sadly I think that has been lost for measles.

Ahhh, thanks for the information Babs.
Poor baby, I hope he’s feeling better very soon.