Measles vaccination

Anything in life has risks, but if you compare the risks of vaccination, and they are very rare, against the risks of death or lifelong serious disability as a result of getting measles, then the decision is a no brainer. The problem is that most people only look at the vaccination risks not the measles risks.

Anja I am truly sorry for your loss, but was it proved that the vaccination caused the death? often these things can be entirely unrelated, not cause and effect.

Worst

And sympathy to youAnja and your son or daughter. Parents wore nightmare . The vaccination debate is a minefield.

Am I right in believing that the single vaccines are no longer available as a private ( fee paying ) option?

Our oldest son is 28 and autistic. I have always firmly believed that the MMR triggered it (different from causing it). There were some bad batches of the MMR vaccine in the early nineties. Our second son had it and was thankfully alright but by the time our daughter was born in 1996 the first concerns about the MMR were being voiced. We paid for her to have the measles and rubella components separately and my nephew, who is the same age, had the measles and mumps components separately. The doctor who administered the vaccinations agreed with our gut feelings that a boy did not need the rubella vaccine, but it was vital for a girl and that the complications of mumps affect adolescent boys not girls. I am not anti-vaccine but feel parents should be offered the choice between the MMR and single vaccinations on the NHS.

I agree with vaccination I don’t agree with forced vaccination

Grammaretto, your son was a lucky one who had no adverse effects.

Many many children were not /and now again are not as lucky

I agree with anja.
My DS caught measles aged 1. Even if there'd been a vaccination in those days he was too young to have it.
He was very ill for at least 2 weeks. DGM came to visit and helped me look after him.
There were no lasting effects and afterwards he seemed brighter and more energetic than ever as though his immune system had had a boost.

Yes, I’ve had measles and mumps and whooping coughing German measles, chicken pox. Never, fortunately, had polio or diphtheria.

I’m not against vaccination per se, in fact I paid to have all my grandchildren vaccinated against one of the meningococcal group when two local school children died.

My arguement is for more understanding of parents’ fears and a wider choice of vaccination delivery.

I didn't have German Measles when I was a child and there was no vaccination then, I caught it from a friend's children when I was 25 and had to keep well away from anyone likely to be pregnant. A lot of us who were not vaccinated for measles as children probably had it then.

Presumably adults who weren't vaccinated as children are stillsusceptible to these illnesses?

And what is worse, even if you wanted to opt for singles (which of course you have to pay for) some are not available in this country eg mumps

The case against singles is purely cost and expediency.

The case against singles is that multiple appointments = more likelihood of missing boosters so you end up with more children only half vaccinated for this and that. Which is in some ways more problematic than not vacvinated at all.

The cold chain for the triple is also much more reliable than the singles, making it more effective and less likely to have a bad or contaminated or ineffective batch

The one by the World Health Organisation is quite comprehensive and backed by scientific studies.

Of course, no vaccine is completely safe. But if all governments would just be upfront about possible risks against the quite obvious benefits, rather than denying any serious side effects, then people would trust more.

Plus, as I said upthread, giving the option of single vaccines.

People mix up bacteria and viruses IMO

Exposure to normal bacterias and dirt etc does strengthen your immune system.

Viruses WEAKEN it. And can permanantly alter your DNA and organs.

I think people conflate the two a lot TBH.

There is plenty of research Grammaretto

My DGD had her MMR booster last week and was kept on afterwards to monitor her for any adverse reactions. So they must half expect a reaction.
Fortunately she was fine.
I wonder why no one is doing research into any connections now between MMR and autism or other complications. Have they been frightened off by what happened to AW?

My eldest son was born in 1980 had his first set of jabs and came out in eczema from head to toe as a reaction and the Gp said to avoid having the measles jab when it was due which we did. Luckily he never got measles. Youngest son had all his jabs including mmr and promptly came down with measles, which I was informed wasn't caused by the jab, I think it was.

I am so sorry for those who have lost GC; but personally I would question the link with vaccination

There has in fact been a causal link between the MMR and febrile seizures and there has been a causal link established between febrile seizures and SUDC.

Believe me luckygirl we have not simply done the research but been part of the research. And my training and background mean I can evaluate evidence and statistical evidence.

Yes, sadly children do die as you point out and the causes have still to be discovered and are often unknown. Best we keep an open mind rather than just dismiss suggestions and lines of enquiry perhaps?

I had measles in 1946 at the same time as my younger sister and our baby sister. What a burden that was for my mum. I got bronchitis as a result and later in the year was hospitalised with pneumonia. When my aunt was a child, measles made her blind in one eye. Our neighbour's little girl developed encephalitis with measles. I'm sure that most of us who were born before the days when vaccines became available can think of examples when measles was anything but a mild childhood illness. I'm glad my children and grandchildren have never been exposed to that risk.

I had measles my mum had measles and it caused deafness all my children had measles all my grandkids were vaccinated when they were older not as babies or toddlers and not in the 3 in 1
I think it’s dreadful to consider making all children have the vaccine whilst I fully support those that do have it and think it’s a good programme but it has to be voluntary to consider a child not being able to attend school because the parents chose to not vaccinate is dreadful are they not allowed to go to the cinema play in the park are they going to have to ring a bell when they are around ...disgusting in my opinion

If the children in school are all vaccinated what danger is an I vaccinate child to them

PS Had whooping cough too. All sugar or not, Lucozade was my friend then!

I was born in 1957 and had measles in 1962 ... then the mumps. I remember how dreadful I felt even now.

I am glad the vaccines are now available, and would hope my son or daughter, when GC arrive, choose to take the separate vaccination option so they can monitor each reaction.

My Children are all pre vaccination , they all had measles and were so ill , the first 4 had them one after the other , trying to cope with a lively well toddler, as well as others in various stages of vomiting and listlessness wasn't good , trying to keep the curtains closed , in case they went blind , persuading one to drink , tring to get another to lie down ......... luckily none had any lasting effects , but it is not a simple illness
my youngest 2 were not born while the first lot were ill , but they were very ill too , the youngest was ill for weeks before the measles came out