The U.K. has one of the lowest take up rate of the MMR vaccine in Europe

petra

^tragic couple^
He’s a convicted rapist. He committed the rape when he was 14.He served 20 years in an American prison.
As for her 🤬

I meant tragic in the sense that they believe all the conspiracy theories which then impinged one by one on their children.

Not in the way you appeared to interpret it.

My first son caught measles before the vaccination was available. He was only 18 months old and was so ill. He lay limp in my arms for so many days. The doctor visited every day. Luckily the antibiotics stopped some of the life threatening problems associated with measles.
One of my cousins had heart problems and was partially sighted and deaf after measles.

Like many other GNs, I am old enough to have gone through the childhood illnesses as a rite of passage. The last thing I wanted was for my children to suffer so I was very glad to be able to have them vaccinated.

This generation of parents probably have no experience of measles or any other "common" childhood infections so they don't feel the same imperative to get their children vaccinated and they may even believe the illnesses to have been eradicated. Add to this the conspiracy theories and anti- vaxx ideology becomes more explicable though not more excusable

Yes, AmberGran, I do believe people of our age were, and are, the vaccine generation. In a lot of vaccine programmes we were probably the guinea pigs. My sisters and I certainly were with whooping cough one, then just coming onto the market in 1940s. We already had the disease, were sent to Scotland to recuperate and a Scottish doctor arrived to examine us, complete with new vaccine. We often laugh about how we got a double dose. We survived. As a child I remember seeing children with polio and many other conditions , most eradicated or treatable in my lifetime. You have to also factor in no NHS until 1948 and parents unable to afford doctors or hospitals. I tell my grandkids to be thankful they live in the 21st Century medically.
It never fails to amaze me how many young people are prepared to vape, take recreational drugs, cosmetic surgery and quick fix slimming aids but won't give their own children the protection of long established vaccines. I am a great believer in free vaccine programmes across the world.

petra

^tragic couple^
He’s a convicted rapist. He committed the rape when he was 14.He served 20 years in an American prison.
As for her 🤬

The tragedy is they got together and produced five uncared-for children.
I hope the other four are safe in loving homes now.

tragic couple
He’s a convicted rapist. He committed the rape when he was 14.He served 20 years in an American prison.
As for her 🤬

Does anyone remember as a child having contracted measles, there wasn't a vaccine then, having to lie in a darkened room?

escaped

Allira

I wonder if the takeup for the measles vaccination might be higher if they were offered as single, not triple vaccines?

One of my DC was quite ill after having the measles vaccine as she had a reaction and the thought of her having to have had a triple vaccine made me wonder.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but in France, I think the single measles vaccine is available.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility to order it and have your own UK GP administer it.

I'm sure it is available but you have to pay privately here.

Vaccinations are important but having a choice whether to choose triple or single vaccines for your children is important too, imo.

Yes, GrannyGravy13. DD took her youngest somewhere near London Bridge (?) to get the single vaccine privately. It was quite expensive.

SusieB50

Sago

Unfortunately many migrants are arriving without any vaccination history.

Now more than ever we need to be vaccinating our children.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623524000072

I retired over ten years ago and my job was a public health nurse in a very poor area with a high influx of new arrivals from abroad. One of our responsibilities was to check the family immunisation status . If there was no evidence or record we just started again to ensure they were covered (it does no harm) I have to say as most of the families came from countries with high levels of infectious diseases the parents were very willing to have anything offered -also free!! Unlike some of the UK parents with their many antivax theories . I agree that it is so much more difficult nowadays as GP surgeries do most of the immunisations ,very few clinics available ,so problems getting through to the GP and getting appointments, no reminders sent out anymore , health visiting roles have changed concentrating on more vulnerable people, In addition so many families are constantly moving with little housing security and get lost in the system . If it was the case of having to have evidence of completed immunisation on starting school I think it would improve the uptake but then it’s no longer parental choice….

Having dealt with my own surgery recently I've realised how terrible their lines of communication now are [and the service they provide] compared to how it used to be pre pandemic. I used to work for them and we provided imo a much better personal service. My partner is on blood thinners for a blood clot and hasn't seen a doctor for years.

escaped

Allira

I wonder if the takeup for the measles vaccination might be higher if they were offered as single, not triple vaccines?

One of my DC was quite ill after having the measles vaccine as she had a reaction and the thought of her having to have had a triple vaccine made me wonder.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but in France, I think the single measles vaccine is available.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility to order it and have your own UK GP administer it.

You can get single vaccines privately, but they are not recommended by the NHS

I understand that the former doctor who started the vaccines - contribute - to autism trope based on very flawed data is ambling around the USA earning a good living giving lectures on the subject.
He was struck off and is unable to practice in Britain, which, of course, plays into his conspiracy theory.
Sadly, he'll fit right in across the pond with RFK jr at the helm.

Sago

Unfortunately many migrants are arriving without any vaccination history.

Now more than ever we need to be vaccinating our children.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623524000072

I retired over ten years ago and my job was a public health nurse in a very poor area with a high influx of new arrivals from abroad. One of our responsibilities was to check the family immunisation status . If there was no evidence or record we just started again to ensure they were covered (it does no harm) I have to say as most of the families came from countries with high levels of infectious diseases the parents were very willing to have anything offered -also free!! Unlike some of the UK parents with their many antivax theories . I agree that it is so much more difficult nowadays as GP surgeries do most of the immunisations ,very few clinics available ,so problems getting through to the GP and getting appointments, no reminders sent out anymore , health visiting roles have changed concentrating on more vulnerable people, In addition so many families are constantly moving with little housing security and get lost in the system . If it was the case of having to have evidence of completed immunisation on starting school I think it would improve the uptake but then it’s no longer parental choice….

Thank you WWM2
I’ve just read we are lowest in the G7, rates across the whole of Europe and Asia have been dropping or remaining static.
I agree with the French system, obligatory vaccination before attending nursery/school.

Allira

I wonder if the takeup for the measles vaccination might be higher if they were offered as single, not triple vaccines?

One of my DC was quite ill after having the measles vaccine as she had a reaction and the thought of her having to have had a triple vaccine made me wonder.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but in France, I think the single measles vaccine is available.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility to order it and have your own UK GP administer it.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And I bet all these mothers received the benefit of immunisation themselves.

Because their mothers ie us, remembered having measles and mumps themselves!

Obviously I never had rubella because someone came and jabbed a needle containing thee vaccine into my arm in hospital a couple of days after DC3 was born. A bit late in the day, I thought.

And I bet all these mothers received the benefit of immunisation themselves.

I wonder if the takeup for the measles vaccination might be higher if they were offered as single, not triple vaccines?

One of my DC was quite ill after having the measles vaccine as she had a reaction and the thought of her having to have had a triple vaccine made me wonder.

^They were a tragic couple.*
Not as tragic as all their children, especially the last poor baby. They have shown no remorse.

Visgir1

All new born babies registered with a GP are automatically called in for their routine checks/injections via their mothers details. No excuse to claim they don't know. All young mothers have a phone, it pops up as a text or email plus on NHS app.
A friend who is a GP, comments those parents who don't have their children vaccinated therefore opening them up to serious illnesses, should be prosecuted for Child abuse.

Although they took it to the extreme, that is exactly what Gordon and Marten did, and paid the penalty both tragically in their daughters death and to the Crown.

They were a tragic couple.

I really do think that there should be far stricter controls on what is allowed via social media channels because that's the place a lot of younger people seem to be getting their information from and having looked at some of it recently, it's horrifying!

An array of misinformation and falsehoods BUT some of those pushing these ideas are from or were from the medical community!

All new born babies registered with a GP are automatically called in for their routine checks/injections via their mothers details. No excuse to claim they don't know. All young mothers have a phone, it pops up as a text or email plus on NHS app.
A friend who is a GP, comments those parents who don't have their children vaccinated therefore opening them up to serious illnesses, should be prosecuted for Child abuse.

Sago

Unfortunately many migrants are arriving without any vaccination history.

Now more than ever we need to be vaccinating our children.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623524000072

That is true. In particular TB had been more or less eradicated until new arrivals started to bring it in.

My dd2 was born in Abu Dhabi where a TB jab was routine for new babies, since it was endemic in an area with many thousands of workers from the sub-continent.

Babies were also routinely given the MMR at 12 months - so much more sensible IMO than waiting (then in the U.K.) until 14 or so.

I agree with the French system - children should not able to start nursery or school without the appropriate vaccines. That would galvanise parents into ‘remembering’ to get it done.

Herd immunity requires a high percentage of vaccine uptake - in the 90%+ area.

The poor child who died recently lived in Liverpool where only 74% of children have had the measles vaccine (according to Sky News) and cases are currently circulating.

As other posters have said, this generation of young parents have grown up never experiencing harmful childhood infectious diseases - thankfully, due to vaccinations.

But they need to know that, without vaccine uptake, these awful illnesses will return. No-one wants that!

Parents are relying on their 'feelings' about the dangers of vaccination and ignoring factual evidence, at risk to their children's lives, and we are now seeing the consequences.