General Chat

Both my sons had the triple whammy. I thought I'd had german measles when I was a child, but I actually got it (no idea where from) when I was in my 20s and I discovered I had a rash on my way to a party where a work colleague was, who was pregnant. I went straight home and confirmed with GP that that is what I had. Luckily the colleague had a healthy girl, but as she had lost a baby with a heart defect two years earlier, you can imagine how I felt, in case I'd passed it on to her without realising. I am glad my sons won't be accidentally passing this on to anyone. But we ought to get over this controlling nature obsession. We can't control the weather, and although we have eradicated many diseases the last 100 years has seen that influenza can kill millions, AIDS is a scourge etc. We need to take all the precautions we can. Its awful when children are damaged through vaccines - if indeed it is the vaccine that does the damage - but being deaf and blind through catching measles isn't a good thing either. nell

Unfortunately the experts don't even seem to agree on the dangers and advantages. I do sometimes think they have to be cautious because they are scared of litigation Dee xx

I know I'm bound to upset and anger some people and I want to appoligies now before I start, BUT I do feel that unless there is a valid medical reason (allergies to ingradients) that ALL children should have the MMR regardless of gender! I made a big song and dance at being told I had to have the MR (measle, rubella double) when I was 12 but then last year we had an out break of mumps at Uni so I had the triple MMR. The reason all children need to be immunised is to develop herd immunity to the diseases. At the end of the day there is no proven reason that MMR has any majior side effects and the diseases can caurse serious complications. There is no evidence that the single vaccinations are any safer, in fact the triple is if anything the safest as it protects the child against all 3 illnesses in one go. Please Please Please try to remember that your not only protecting your children from these nasty diseases but also your grandchildren and their children. MUMPS causes swelling to the glands in the neck And may be swelling around the ovaries (in girls) or testes (in boys after puberty) - I have seen a boy with mumps whos testes were swollen and he was in agony!!! ***Complications*** Most cases of mumps are mild, but when complications occur they can be serious. About 1 in 4 adolescent boys or adult men with mumps develop an inflammation of one or both testes (orchitis). This inflammation can be very painful and if it affects both testes, there is some evidence to suggest it may lead to sterility. More rarely, around 5% of females with mumps may experience swelling of the ovaries (oophritis). Brain inflammation (encephalitis) and inflammation of the meninges (meningitis) occasionally occurs. Other parts of the body such as the pancreas and thyroid may also be inflamed, which can be painful. Another rare complication of mumps is deafness in one ear, but this only happens in around one in 15,000 cases. Pregnant women who develop mumps in the first 3 months of pregnancy (the first trimester) have a slightly higher risk of miscarriage, but there is no evidence that mumps can cause deformities in an unborn child. Not forgetting sterility partically in boys. RUBELLA ***Complications*** If a pregnant woman who is not immune comes into contact with the rubella virus, her baby can be seriously affected. This is especially the case in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. The virus can lead miscarriage, stillbirth or a range of birth defects including deafness, mental retardation, heart defects and cataracts. If you do come into contact with rubella and you have any of the symptoms such as a rash you should see your GP. They will be able to diagnose rubella and may offer you a test to see if your baby has been affected. If this is the case, you will be encouraged to have some counselling and talk to you GP, nurse or midwife and your partner. There are a number of options available to parents who are expecting a baby affected by rubella. Very rarely, the virus that causes rubella will cause an inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or bleeding disorders. MEASLES ***Complications*** Complications are more likely in children with a weakened immune system, such as those with leukaemia or AIDS, and children with a poor diet. Some of the common complications related to measles are: * Diarrhoea; * Vomiting; * Eye infection (conjunctivits); * Inflammation of the voicebox (laryngitis); * Inner ear infection and inflammation (otitis media) - often with earache; and * Fits due to fever (febrile convulsions) – brought on by fever and high temperature. They are alarming but not usually dangerous. Less common complications include: * Meningitis; * Pneumonia (lung infection) – signs are fast, laboured breathing, chest pain, deteriorating condition; * Hepatitis; * Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) - can be fatal, so you should watch for drowsiness, headache, and vomiting; * Low platelet (white blood cell) count – known medically as thrombocytopenia, which affects the blood's ability to clot; * Bronchitis and croup (infection of the airways) – hacking, barking cough; and * Squint – the virus may affect eye nerves and muscles. Rarely, measles can lead to: * Serious eye disorders; * Heart and nervous system problems; and * Very rarely, a serious brain complication can occur (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis), sometimes years later. If you are planning to get pregnant, and haven’t had measles yet, you should arrange with your GP to have the MMR vaccine. If you catch measles during pregnancy it can pass to your baby, and can be very damaging or fatal. Measles in pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour or a baby with low birth weight. The MMR jab cannot be given during pregnancy.

Some very valid points made and I agree with Blue, it would be nice to see all the childhood diseases eradicated like Smallpox was I'm not sure, but think, that the smallpox programme had adverse effects on some children, I suspect all these programmes have some failings Dee x

My son contracted rubella as a baby, before he was due to have his MMR at one year old as was then the practice. Thank god he didn't have any of the nasty complications but It still took over a year for the glands in his neck and head to return to normal size. We had to keep taking him for checkups and he looked like he had horns. I read somewhere that to keep people in general safe from a disease there has to be certain percentage of successful vaccination in the population - over 90% I think - to prevent an epidemic. We aren't anywhere meeting that. And you aren't absolutely safe if you've had your child vaccinated if the overall levels of vaccination are too low because of those vaccinated only (and I'm hazy on the figures) 90 percentish actually develop the antibodies to protect them. What is the most important thing is that everyone who medically can be is vaccinated to protect those for whom the vaccination doesn't work. So vaccination is not just about your own kids health but about all kids health. And those people that advise individual vaccinations are causing probably uncessary anxiety and distress in my opinion. From what I've read individual vaccines are no better than combined ones and the child has to cope with 2 or 3 stressful injections when one would have sufficed. Both my kids are fully vaccinated. After seeing what rubella did to my son even without complications I wasn't taking any risks. Angela

sons come home last week with letter from school saying they need mmr updated a booster jab if they get mumps its bad in this age and all the scare mongering reports with the letter anyway, i werent gona let him have it as its jabs for this jabs for that came home from work friday and hed got hubby to sign it and took it in, he says he wants the jab he dont want mumps, so it seems theyve got to the kids in school too makes you feel useless

Julie, I can't say I am happy about a child being put under that sort of pressure I noticed Diane said earlier that her GP surgery is 'cool' towards her following her decision. I t would concern me if I thought that teachers would make life difficult for a child who for some reason didn't conform Dee x

I contacted Rubella when I was 13 and now have a lifelong immunity to it. When my two daughters were offered a Rubella vaccination (pre MMR), I was told they would have to have a booster at around 20 years old. My argument was - why vaccinate when immunity only lasts a relatively short time? Both my daughters have had Rubella in their teens, with no ill-effects, and both now have lifelong immunity. Elder son had Measles jab in 1973, despite an allergy to eggs, and suffered badly. I was told later by my GP that he should never have been given the jab. Elder daughter wasn't given jab, or Whooping Cough jab, because of her excema. She contacted Measles from a friend at playgroup (who had been immunised), and although she was quite ill with it, has no after effects. In fact her immunised friend was much more ill. Younger daughter had triple vaccine and Measles jab as did younger son, both with no ill effects. When younger son was 6, combined MMR vaccine was introduced and I refused to have him done on the grounds that he had already had his Measles jab. Nobody could tell me if or what his reaction might be to more Measles vaccine or why it was needed. At this time I was childminding a lovely little boy, who was very bright and alert - until he had his MMR vaccine. He changed almost overnight - he stopped speaking, his movements became jerky and he became very introverted. He later was diagnosed with a form of autism. Privately his parents were told the MMR vaccine was a probable cause, but of course this was never publicly admitted. None of my 4 grandchildren have had the combined MMR vaccine, their parents think it is just too much to inflict on a baby's body at such a young age - and I have to say that I agree with them, probably because we have seen the effect it had on one small boy.. I had chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella as a child, as did my husband and my brother and none of us suffered any lasting effects. We probably were very lucky if the publicity surrounding the benefits of the combined MMR vaccine is true. Our parents held measles/mumps/chicken pox parties when all the local children got together because it was thought it was better to have these diseases in childhood and get them over with! How times have changed! Sue xx

Sue Times certainly have changed. I can remember my mother encouraging me to mix with children who had measles, chicken pox and the like. Her reasoning was that it was 'best to catch them while you were young' Dee x