MMR controversy

[hindonly]

Just wondering if any1 had concerns about admininistering the MMR to their bubs?
The other night on TV it had a segment on about MMR being closely linked child Autism - which is a bit frightening. Apparently ppl are talking of this big time in the UK but this is the 1st Ive heard of it.
Now Im very concerned about it but would really like to know others opinion.

Thanks,
Carol

[katanya]

Yes I have heard of it, and the MMR scared us silly because both my DP and I work with Austic children and adults..

We read both sides, attempted to get the needle split(not avaliable in Australia) and eventually decided to get homeopathic support..Felix had the needle at 15 mths and all the other needles were done spearately (there is 3 in the 12 mth needles)

Wih Felix's respiratory illness it was highly recomended to us that he have the needle as measles has a awful respiratory component..with another child not sure what our choices will be..we weren't able to get the measles shot separately, not mumps..just rubella..

there is website called AVN, which talkes about informaed vaccination, and will present the arguements for the no VAX side or delayed sceduale..alternatively you ca look at the HIC goverment site and theys hould have links to the government side and medical stand point for the MMR..both sides have very valid points..

Good luck in your research, it's one of those desicions only you as parents can decide what is best for your child..

[christy]

I too was definately concerned about the information present for MMR. I have discussed this with our GP who helped me get the vaccination separated into 2 different ones which were given to Matilda a month apart, so she had needles at 12 months, 13 months and then 15 months (because she was sick with an ear infection we waited...)

I did have to pay more & it was more work for our Dr but luckily they did it for us I also went to the homeopath & got some drops that help their bodies cope with the vaccinations.

[Ali]

Hi Carol,

I saw that documentary on the ABC and it was terrifying! Both my girls have had their MMRs so it is a bit late for me to make the decision but I certainly understand you being worried.
The only thing was that at the end of the show they stated that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that there is a link between autism and the vaccination.
As Katanya says only you can make the decision for your children and good luck in your research,

[katanya]

I too was definately concerned about the information present for MMR. I have discussed this with our GP who helped me get the vaccination separated into 2 different ones which were given to Matilda a month apart, so she had needles at 12 months, 13 months and then 15 months (because she was sick with an ear infection we waited...)

Christy I rang everywhere..how did you get it done????? We were told it wasn't being done anymore in Australia!!!

[Sun Nymph]

I watched this program and at the end of it DH asked me what I thought, and I said, "the same as what I've always thought - your doomed if you do and doomed if you don't." I looked into both sides and found valid points to both sides of the arguements and in the end went with my gut feeling, which was to delay the MMR. I administered the stuff to kids in my previouse life (before kids) but this made the decision no easier for me.
My heart goes out to the families with kids with autism, whatever caused it.

[Ambah]

I was really worried about getting the MMR for Aidyn as well... but I guess what it comes down to in the end is that a lot of child-care centres, and school require the kids to have up to date immunisations, as well as you can lose out on some of your centrelink benefits too I think, if you dont follow the proper immunisation schedule? (This is just stuff I have heard along the grapevine...)
Lucky for us Aidyn seems to be perfectly fine.... Does anyone know how soon after this vaccination the symptoms of autism present themselves (for the cases where it was suspected to have been caused by the MMR)? Or could it be years?

[Melinda]

Katanya - I think Christy might mean that Matilda had the MMR on one occasion, the Hib & Hepatitis needle on another occasion and the Meningococcal needle on another occasion.....so not actually the MMR needle separated IYKWIM??? That's the way I took it anyway.....??!!

[Ambah]

Yeah that is exactly what we did for Aidyn too - had the 3 needles seperately, as I made it known to my Dr that I was concerned about Aidyn supposedly having to have so many immunisations done at once.

[lisa-jay]

As someone from the Uk, where many people don’t vaccinate, I think its great to see this now being debated here in Australia. It is good to question anything given routinely to kids.
When I arrived here, having non vaccinated kids has not been a problem. You cant be forced to vaccinate and if it ever became mandatory I would leave. Its a horrible decision, either way but as a non vaccinator, I can change my mind at a later date, as can my girls.
These diseases, many of us had as kids...they even vaccinate for chicken pox here. I find that quite shocking, since the full reactions of vaccines are often not noted.
Anyway, to get my kids into school I have to sign an agreement to say that I will take my kids out of school if measles etc has an out brake. Fine by me. Same applies for centre link etc, I have to sign a form.
I wish any parent luck with their decision, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t in the UK....I guess you have to make the best decision you can with the most info you can get.
Incidentally, the guy that discovered the link, Andrew Wakefield, was hounded out of the Uk about 5 years ago, and is now being charged for gross misconduct by the medical board. He still maintains there is a link and does have some pretty damming evidence.

[christy]

Actually... our GP had some vaccines from the UK shipped out by someone & he did separate the MMR for me 8-[ I did have to sign heaps of forms but what happened was someone who had ordered it from the UK & had it sent to the GP's office ordered 2 and only needed 1, when I brought up my misgivings about using this particular vaccination and asking for it to be split they did it, but I did have to sign multiple forms & pay $150 for it. I did have them done a month separately to the Hib & Hep B.

And I am not vaccinating against Chicken Pox either....

[Fenella]

From everything I have heard, I am convinced that the benefits of vaccination (of all types) outweigh the risks.

It seems to me that there are many other more likely explanations for the apparent rise in autism than the MMR vaccine. There have been studies showing the the rise in autism diagnoses has continued *after* the MMR vaccine was phased out in Japan, for example. And the criteria for diagnosis of autism have changed significantly in the past 20-30 years (meaning children are much more likely to be diagnosed as being autistic than they were, say, 30 years ago).

I'm not sure about the chicken pox vaccine, as chicken pox seems much less dangerous than many other diseases for which vaccines are available, but if it works and is safe I think I would prefer my kids didn't get it.

Just throwing in a different opinion

[~Jo~]

It scares the hell out of me too... Im very comfortable with my decision to not immunise. My eldest daughter had a reaction to her needles when she was 2 months old..i then started researching and i just did not like what i was reading so that was as far as we went. In terms of school and daycare we have never had any issues whatsoever...there are more and more people choosing not to vaccinate.

Jo

[bon]

I too believe that the benefits of vaccinations outweigh the risks. I have followed the vaccination schedule for my kids, and I was pleased when the pneumoccocal vaccine became part of it because it is such a scary infection.

Chicken Pox can be quite a dangerous disease in babies and small children and in adults. I will be getting Grace vaccinated for that when she is 18 months old also. I just don't want to take the risk.

Bon

[lisa-jay]

The thing with the chicken pox vaccine, is that the effects of the vaccine last 10 years max...so does not offer life long immunity. Chicken pox is much more complicated in adults than kids. Once you have had it as a kid, you can cross it off the list, the vaccine will just delay it.

[Phteven]

I'm another who prefers to vaccinate because I think that the benefits outweigh the risks - so far Yasin has had no adverse reactions (I might fell differantly if he had).
On the other hand if people choose not to vaccinate I have no problems with that. Whether people decide to vaccinate or not they make thier descision with thier children's best interests at heart and I think we should all respect that people's opinions may differ but thier intentions towards thier children are usually very similar.

[mooshie]

I am another one who chooses to vaccinate - although i am a bit concerned about the MMR one - which lani will be getting next week. It is a totally personal decision whether or not you vaccinate your child, but my thoughts are imagine if your child caught one of the diseases and did not pull through and knowing that there was a vaccinatation out there that would of prevented them catching the disease - it would tear you apart.

my first dd died in 2002 at the age of 3 1/2 yrs from a brain tumour - she was a perfectly happy healthy child until she hit the age of 3yrs and 3mths then bang our whole world changed in the matter of hours - we were told her tumour was "rare" about 15 children a year are diagnosed with her sort of tumour (there has been nothing like this on either side of the families) so something so rare did happen to our daughter and god i only wish there was some vaccine out there which could of protected her against this.

we had another "issue" a few years back when our ds was 2 we were on holidays when he came down with a viral infection - high fever, stiff neck, aversion to light and also the rash - we took him to the gp and we were admitted straight to hospital with suspected meningacocal, they gave him the antibiotics straight away and collected bloods which thankfully came back negative and it turned out to be a virus - we then immediately got him vaccinated.

i waited until ds hit kinder until we got him vaccinated against chicken pox and he has now been done - lani will also get the same vaccination done.

after being in and out of childrens hospitals when our dd was sick we knew of a few children that were in the hospital for meningitis caused by the chicken pox.

anyway that is all a bit of a long reason why i choose to vaccinate but having said that i still have the nagging doubt about this mmr one - i am going to seperate the mmr one from the others next week.

good to see this subject is being discussed pleasantly and there is no hostility for those for or against.

[Keen]

I think with several of the vaccinations it is a hard decision to make. There are good arguments for and against. I guess each individual needs to way up the pros and cons (like any parent needs to do on a daily basis pretty much!) and make the decision that best makes them comfortable with their choice.

As for chicken pox vacc, I had this as a kid (so Im told), but have a friend who didnt have it and had chicken pox when he was in his eraly twenties - apparently as a result now has fertility problems - but then this doesnt always happen, so it remains an individual choice and I think can depend on the circumstance of the child involved as well.

Either way I think its great that we each consider to such degree the welfare of our children - because I believe that is paramount.