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The reason for vaccinations

(89 Posts)
Elegran Sat 09-Nov-19 22:54:41

Two in hospital in Edinburgh with diphtheria. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-50358872

Hetty58 Sat 09-Nov-19 23:00:43

I'm so glad we're vaccinated against it. I suppose that there is always a small chance of catching it when abroad, though.

Farmor15 Sat 09-Nov-19 23:04:27

And this:
www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/31/measles-wipes-out-immune-systems-memory-study-finds

Elegran Sat 09-Nov-19 23:25:45

Anyone who is vaccinated shouldn't catch it wherever they are. It may be that these patients were not?

QuaintIrene Sat 09-Nov-19 23:41:16

My mum had a school photo and 9 children out of 30 died of diphtheria. My dads little brother died of it aged 3.
Measles are also making a comeback. Measles made me partially deaf. I was a poorly child and I didn’t have vaccinations. It was considered too dangerous.
Vaccines save lives. I don’t know what to think about the mmr and autism links. That is for another thread, though. I digress.

ElaineI Sun 10-Nov-19 00:14:39

Disproved QuaintIrene and is the reason for the lowering of uptake of MMR and increase in measles cases.
The diphtheria cases in Edinburgh are people who have been abroad and not vaccinated and are related Elegran.

Marjgran Sun 10-Nov-19 09:39:37

Whole of Women’s hour on ?Thursday or Friday was devoted to vaccinations. Really worth a listen. Immunity wears off over time but still confers some protection and when it is very active lessens the presence of the disease in the community

Sparklefizz Sun 10-Nov-19 09:47:27

I believe the MMR vaccination is too much all at once for a tiny baby's body. I paid for my grandchildren to be given the single vaccinations instead rather than a triple jab.

Vaccinations don't always work. I was vaccinated against Whooping Cough as a baby, then aged 6 I nearly died from it when an epidemic went round my primary school. I remember my Mum saying repeatedly "But you were vaccinated ...."

Patticake123 Sun 10-Nov-19 09:48:32

My Mum, the oldest of four children was the only one to survive diphtheria in the early part of the last century. Apparently, my grandfather, in his distress walked around their village tipping disinfectant into all of the gutters and drains. Nowadays we can have a injection that works.

Liz46 Sun 10-Nov-19 10:02:42

I am 73 and on a visit to the nurse, she recommended that I have an MMR. I took her advice and am going back for the second dose soon.

4allweknow Sun 10-Nov-19 10:12:40

I am all for vaccinations though I too felt the MMR was just too much at once and had them administered separately for GC. Would be interesting to hear if those involved in the diphtheria episode were young or old. There are some countries where vaccination is not so widespread. Something that should perhaps be included in passport details ie what you are vaccinated against. How that would be managed is another topic altogether.

Sb74 Sun 10-Nov-19 10:25:33

Both my children had full MMR jab. It’s not too much all in one go. It wouldn’t be available in this day and age if there was any real clinical evidence it leads to any serious adverse side effects. This attitude is why the uptake is so poor. Advancements in medicines and vaccines is one of the key reasons, along with hygiene, diet and lifestyle of course, that many enjoy old age into their late 80s and 90s. The NHS does not fund medicines lightly. Any medicine deemed worthy and beneficial enough to be provided free at the point of use by our NHS should be gladly received by those eligible. Ignoring your health risks puts individuals at risk, the wider population at risk and greater strain on the overall health economy. So please make sure that have any vaccinations and treatment that you are entitled to have for the sake of everyone.

Oopsminty Sun 10-Nov-19 10:26:58

Hear, hear, Sb74

Oopsminty Sun 10-Nov-19 10:28:18

Vaccinations don't always work. I was vaccinated against Whooping Cough as a baby, then aged 6 I nearly died from it when an epidemic went round my primary school. I remember my Mum saying repeatedly "But you were vaccinated ...."

No, they don't

This is common knowledge. I think it's about 1 in 10.

Which is why the herd immunity is so important.

Elegran Sun 10-Nov-19 10:36:00

When I was a small child, one of my mother's friends had diphtheria. Before it was diagnosed, my mother had been going round to her house making her meals and generally helping a sick friend, so she caught it too. Mum was confined to bed with her friends coming in to cook and clean and look after me. I remember playing on her bed so that a neighbour could get on with housework!
That was about 1943 - before vaccinations. It is amazing that I didn't go down with it too.

Elegran Sun 10-Nov-19 10:37:18

That they sometimes don't work should never be a reason not to have them.

Elegran Sun 10-Nov-19 10:40:03

The herd immunity is important, but if everyone just relied on that, it would cease to exist. Herd immunity is not a reason to skip the jab either.

Dee1012 Sun 10-Nov-19 10:41:22

My mum died in 1990 of TB, I can recall a conversation with her specialist at the time who told me that the BCG vaccination didn't work for everyone and there were differences in the length of immunity for people.
My own view is everyone should have a 'booster' if at all possible and suitable.

Oopsminty Sun 10-Nov-19 10:42:33

Of course not, Elegran.

My point was that all children who can have the vaccine, should have it. As MMR. Single doses are pointless, cause problems and the only people who benefit are the clinics who charge for it

Herd immunity against measles requires that 90-95% of the entire population are immune

sazz1 Sun 10-Nov-19 10:49:52

My foster daughter caught measles even though she was fully vaccinated and it affected her spleen. She was ill for 4 weeks on antibiotics too.
Sadly vaccines are not 100%

annodomini Sun 10-Nov-19 10:52:06

The sister of a school friend almost died of diphtheria but the family, in the early 1940s, was anti-vaccination and my friend was never vaccinated for anything when I lined up with my classmates for boosters or when BCG was introduced for TB - and what a boon that has been. I had a bad reaction to a diphtheria booster when I was ten. My arm swelled up and I missed out on a family trip to see Peter Pan on stage in Glasgow. Regrettably, it didn't get me out of having to play the piano (badly) in the Ayrshire Music Festival the following week. sad

Elegran Sun 10-Nov-19 10:54:32

I was seconding what you posted, Oopsminty, as there are people around whose logic goes "Immunisation has almost eliminated XXXX so I don't need to be immunised"

I have had whooping cough twice, too, the second time was as an adult just fifteen years or so ago. I remembered the first time and was able to tell the GP the diagnosis. I also remembered that a child with a nasty cough had stood near me about 10 days before I felt ill.

My daughter had it as a child - she obligingly produced a coughing fit and whoop in front of the GP, who said he had never encountered the whoop before. Vaccination had weakened the disease so that people didn't have the obvious signs any more, so it was not being diagnosed as often.

schnackie Sun 10-Nov-19 10:55:44

Patticake123 your post really choked me up, thinking of your poor grandfather. How desperately sad and powerless he must have felt. As a retired paediatric nurse, strongly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated is one of my life's passions. I have taken care of children who weren't and (sometimes, nearly) sometimes died.

Saggi Sun 10-Nov-19 10:58:51

I didn’t have injections as a child...didn’t even know if I could’ve had them.... think my dad was ‘against’ them. The only injection I remember having was a tetanus jab in A &E when I was about 11 , as I had jumped onto a rusty nail and it went through my plimsole ( obligatory summer wear ) for all kids in our district! My mum had taken me...with the nail protruding through top of foot on a bus to hospital!!! Next injection was given at school against TB I think. No other injection until a rubella jab just after I had my first child. Plenty more since though . Amazingly I never had measles...mumps.... or chickenpox , although my brothers did!

Kisathecat Sun 10-Nov-19 11:00:17

Marjgran vaccinations don’t lessen the presence of disease. What actually happens is that vaccinated individuals don’t mount an immune response against disease. They are still carriers of disease and for many weeks after vaccination are a danger to immunocompromised individuals because of the reality of virus shedding. Your post also highlights the fact that the idea of herd immunity by vaccines is an untruth because of all the adults whose vaccinations are no longer active.
There is a good reason that more and more people are choosing not to vaccinate. It is very unwise to disregard these people and pour scorn upon the people whose children have died or been damaged by vaccines and have had the courage to tell their stories.
An industry that is protected by the law against liability must be questioned. You can argue about the science of vaccinations till you’re blue in the face - not many ordinary people can understand the complexities of this subject. But if they are so safe, why Is big pharma not liable when things go wrong?