Immunisation debate

[min]

I am hoping this one doesn't start any arguments, that isn't my intention. Just curious to know people's opinions on the to immunise or not to immunise debate.

For us there was no question, Jackson was immunised and all of our future children will be too. We believe that the possible side effects and risks of immunisations are far less dangerous than the alternative of our child possibly contracting one of the ilnesses and becoming seriously ill, and in turn infecting other children, and them too becoming seriously ill.

I have a friend who isn't having her child immunised and one of her arguments was that the diseases aren't around anymore. My response to that was "that is because outbreaks of those diseases have been lessened because of immunisations, if we all of a sudden stop trying to prevent them, one person from overseas may bring that disease in, and that is when it would begin to spread." She also told me that parents who do have their children immunised are only doing it because they are not well informed on the subject, and that is what I really took offence to. I am just as well informed (in my opinion I am better informed) than her! Our decision for Jackson to get his needles was not a flippant decision by any stretch of the imagination, we made that decision and any other decision regarding his upbringing because we believe it is the best thing for him and his health.

I was going to do a poll, but couldn't remember how to, so just after your opnions.

[*Ali*]

I have hd my daughter immunised as I would hate to see her suffer with any of the illnesses that can be contracted if they are not. One problem with not immunising your children is that it is very difficult to get them into any daycare and I also think that you are asked to show your immunisation card when enrolling your children into school (please someone correct me if I am wrong). As I said to my mum the other day when I was holding my crying baby after her first injctions- it is a neccisary evil!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Well, I would think with a Medical Genetics degree and working in a hospital I may know a bit more than your friend! LOL - not because of the degree or the work, just that I can now read all the medical papers and understand them, something that does take a bit of practice.

There's no way my babies aren't going to be immunised. I have had many immunisations, some of them rather "unusual" due to my travels, and the diseases are so horrid that I'd rather have an injection than run the risk: even at 7 years old I'd happily sit for my injections. And I wasn't bribed with sweeties for that.

You are quite right in saying that immunisations led to the irradication of the disease for that generation in that area. We have seen in recent times, when parents stopped immunising children, that immigrants have brought those diseases back (there are studies in both the UK and the USA about this).

The only thing that has ever put me off childhood immunisation injections is that the UK Government currently backs them, which must mean there's something wrong with them. But reading independent papers (not NHS of Dept of Health ones) shows that immunisations are best... so I'll just have to assume that the Govt. slipped up this once and gave advice that is good and proper. Can't see that ever happening again though.

[Colleen]

Jaykob has been immunised for everything except chickenpox, because he already had chickenpox before he was due to have the needle.

My own opinion is that immunisations are a good idea, for the momentary pain they suffer, that prevents the long term pain of suffering a disease. They wont even remember it!

My dad suffered polio as a child and dps sister was almost killed by chickenpox. So my choice was obvious.

Yes these diseases are no longer around, THANKS to the creation of immunisations and the continuation of them.

Again, thats just my opinion and as Min said, not wanting to cause any conflict!

[Melbo]

Min I am in complete agreement with you on every point.

My grandmother said to me recently that she remembers the days when every cough and sneeze was something to be feared. They lived in a very different world to ours.

My sister has stopped having her children vaccinated. I don't discuss it with her because she knows I hold the opposite opinion.

[BellyBelly]

It's a personal decision for sure, something you can choose to do if you choose to immunise is stretch out the vaccinations to avoid overloading your baby's system. You don't have to be spot on schedule with them all. I also have in my birth preferences template which all parents have taken on is to defer hep b until 2 months rather than birth.

[Trillian]

Yes you do have to show a record of immunisation when you enroll your child in daycare/kindy/pre-school and school. Also bear in mind that if your child is not immunised and there is a contagious outbreak at that facility, your child/ren may be excluded from attending during the duration of the outbreak depending on the policy of the school.

My children are all immunised according to the schedule for their year of birth, with the addition of the Chicken pox vaccine. Although I have chosen NOT to immunise for meningococcal and pneumococcal disease because I really do think that the risk of them contracting those illnesses are very small in our community. That may be a bit naive in thinking to some of you, but it still does not give them coverage against the full spectrum of those illnesses.

Also, I think there are too many injections and the Government needs to figure out some way of trying to condense them, similar to the MMR.

[mummy2Kaitlyn]

I have Kaitlyn immunised . She reacts sooooo badly to them and turns into a totally different child for 48hours after the shots. However I would never forgive myself if she became ill and it was something I could have prevented for her. I still respect other decisions not to but for us there was no question!

[lisa-jay]

Oh well!
I dont immunise my kids....never have and have no intention of it.
My theory is that if they are fed well, loved and live in a good home, (as opposed to some parts of the world with no running water etc) that if they do get diseases, they will be in a better place to fight it off.
i know immunised kids that have caught the diseases, tthe vaccinations dont protect every one and certainly dont cover for life.
We sit comfortabley with our decision, we never have a problem with schools etc.
There is an amazing woman Hilary Butler, who has just released her book called a little *****..(yes, she has a sence of homour ) and its the latest book that we have read, I would recommend it to any one. Not because it scares people into not vaccinating with horrid stories, but because like Ryn, she too can assess data and show the other side to the debate. Its the first book that i have ever read that has really done that.

Oh, I see there is a nataural editing on this forum, lol.. Ok the book title rymes with Trick!!

[Kell]

we have decided to have both our kids immunised, on schedule and have (i feel) made well informed decisions. we weighed up both sides and decided that immunisation was the way to go for us. I know some people who chose to wait until their kids were 12months figuring that their immune system was better able to cope by that age.
I will add that it is not solely immunisations that have eradicated a lot of these diseases but can also be highly attributed to better hygiene practices and cleaner living, better diet etc - the decrease of these diseases coincide with all these factors.

[Trillian]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but in the rare instances that immumnised children do contract the illnesses they are vaccinated against, don't they only get a milder dose rather than a full on attack of it?

[bon]

I am immunised my kids and I will do the same for our new baby. My concern though is that there are so many needles on the immunisation shedule. They have recently made the Polio medicine a vaccine (so I have heard) so that means at 2 months babies now have to have 4 needles. To me, that is too much for newborn baby to have at once, so I will be spreading them out - 2 in one go, then the other 2 maybe a week or fortnight later. I want my baby to be immunised but I don't want her to be given so many at once - I wouldn't like to have 4 needles in one go!

[christy]

Sherie if the child has a weakened immune system at the time of immunisation there is a chance (don't know percentages ) that they can contract a lowered form of the disease. But it is the same with homeopathic vaccinations as well, either way what is used is a weakened form of the disease to help them build up an immunity to the disease.

I have had Matilda vaccinated against some of the diseases but not all, and I have had some of the vaccines spread out so as not to infiltrate her body with so much at once. I also have chosen to use certain homeopathic vaccinations.

It really is something that I think people should read up on, gain information about both sides & make an informed decision.

Our friends entire family just went through an awful bout of chicken pox & Matilda hasn't had anything for that and it did stir up the thoughts in my mind about what my choice was & why.

[Mumma2three]

I do feel strongly about this. For people that don't immunise that is their choice, and it's all good and well to give them a healthy home, food etc but they won't get the disease because others have immunised. I am immunising my child and thus protecting those who choose not to immunise. I have a friend who wont immunise because her child is too precious. I was extremely offended as to me it means "your child can be immunised, I don't care, but mine is more precious". Also the unimmunised ones are still protected at kindy. If there's an outbreak they don't go to kindy, that's protecting them
However, I am happy to immunise, I couldn't relax if I didnt'. I want to do the absolute best for my kids and for me that is to immunise. My eldest came to me about 2 months ago and asked for the chicken pox vaccine. Im so glad I had her done for all the rest or she'd have wanted all them as well! So I know I did the right thing.
Also my close friend has a 9 mth old whom she hasnt vaccinated, and he got a terrible cough the other night. My friend cried all night thinking it was whooping cough, rushed off to Doc's in the morning and they calmed her down and said it wasnt'. She said she talked to the Dr for about an hour and can't get her son in soon enough to have his vaccines, it scared the life out of her (he just has to wait until he's better). Just made me realise, what WOULD happen if the unvaccinated got sick, isn't that worse?? I think that it's good to look at the positive and negative sides, but really what IF a child got a disease and wasn't vacinnated.
My best friends little 6 month old got pneumaccocal and the ONLY reason she didn't die is because she'd had the first immunisation. All the Dr's attested to this and said it saved her life. My friend is first in line for every single immunisation. So instead of just looking at what happens if there's a dodgy immunisation, really look at a disease and see what it can do to a little person xo

[Liz]

We've chosen to immunise after much reading. There's scary stories on both sides of the coin. I too would be panicking at every sickness if he wasn't immunised and would be devestated if he got whooping cough or something awful that I could have prevented.

My bro hasn't vaccinated his kids, and have not run into any problems with schools etc.

My only gripe against the vaccines is the heavy metals present in them. The jab itself doesn't worry me (I know some people are sensitive to 'hurting' their baby). I guess it helps that Tallon doesn't get upset when he's jabbed! heh.

I'm not sure if I agree with condensing it all into less needles.. that's a lot for the poor little body to cope with! Much easier to cope with a few extra jabs IMO. Once again, I have a boy that doesn't seem to care he's getting stabbed with a big needle. LOL. My view might be different were he to be really distressed each time.

I also used to fear that if he wasn't immunised, that he had to stay away from kids recently vaccinated.. especially with polio etc. But apparently that has changed.. it's no longer a 'live' virus that they inject, plus it's no longer oral, so it's not contagious from their poos etc.

I also read that the flu injection can NOT give you the flu for the same reason.. it's not a live virus. So all those ppl that reckon they got the flu from the shot - you didn't! hehe.

[lisa-jay]

I'm certainly not relying on other immunised kids to protect my kids, quite the opposite in fact.
We have friends that have just had the MMR..did you know, for example, that those kids wil now secrete the viruses from their noses?? This is how *wild measles* is passed on.
I'm not frightened of my kids getting ill, chinese medicine says that the high fever of measles gets rid of the toxins carried in the body to that point.
I dont know if its true, but for every thing with vaccinations, there is a counter argument.
Chicken pox vaccine lasts a max of 10 years. 2 of my kids have had the actual virus and now, (hopefully) have life long immunity. I'm not exactly looking forward to my other child and baby on the way to getting it, but I really see it as part of normal development.

I cant imagine ever vaccinating my kids, but they may choose to further down the line, and thats cool with me. I'm doing the best by my kids, as we all are. As long as we research and weigh it all up, I don think we can judge anyone for the decisions they make.

[MantaRay]

I did all the research when pg with Jack and decided to immunise him. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from day care to say that a child there had menningicoccal (sp?). I have never been so glad in my life that Jack had been immunised. Probably he wouldn't have got it anyway, but knowing he was vaccinated gave me some peace of mind. Also if he had got it, I would never have gotten over the guilts. That made my decision for this bub much easier - do the same again and immunise!

With regard to the metals, the one I was most worried about was mercury (used in the preservative thiomersal), but this is not used in any vaccinations in Aus anymore. The last one it was in was the birth dose of Hep B but the one that has been used for the last 5 years is mercury free. I believe it is still in vaccinations in the UK though.

Melanie

[Liz]

Lisa-jay - I agree with -some- of the childhood diseases. Chickenpox is one that if you're gonna get it, you should have as a child.. not as an adult. And I don't like that it only lasts 10 years, and then they can still get it as an adult. I'm still weighing up some of the vaccinations. Mumps is another one that men especially dont' want as an adult.

It's an ongoing debate in my mind.. but ultimately I'm pro-vaccination. And I'll continue to read up on them as they come up.