flu jab and other vax

[Annpan]

So did I MMM but they don't give it anymore... I think they started doing MMR in '87 or thereabouts, so all the 12 year olds now had it as a baby. (only they didn't because Dr. Eejit put the fear of God into folks)

It doesn't mean that there isn't the chance of enough people left out of the immunisation to carry it in from another country and spread it for example,

[red]

I'm no convinced that there is a valid argument for giveing the rubella vax to boys. I know they can pass it on to their female rellies.. but the risk is during pregnancy, so would make sense to only give to people likely to get pregnant. ie girls...

[MuddyWitch]

Red,

I had the rubella jab as a teenager. Whist pregnant with my eldest I worked with a lad who went off sick, only to come back a couple of days later saying he'd had rubella. On going to my next check-up the nurse did a quick bloodtest & informed me I was no-longer immune! My daughter was born healthy, 7 months later.

About 5% of us need to be jabbed twice, but if all teenage boys had the jab too the risk of coming into contact whilst pregnant would be reduced.

MW

[Annpan]

It is like what I am saying with the social responsibility of getting immunised, you create a buffer zone around those who need protected the most.

[Millymollymandy]

But boys don't want to suffer German measles any more than girls do (aside from the pregnancy bit). I'm sure I had G measles when I was a kid but can't really remember, those sort of things were par for the course 40 (ahem!) years ago!

[red]

Red,

I had the rubella jab as a teenager. Whist pregnant with my eldest I worked with a lad who went off sick, only to come back a couple of days later saying he'd had rubella. On going to my next check-up the nurse did a quick bloodtest & informed me I was no-longer immune! My daughter was born healthy, 7 months later.

About 5% of us need to be jabbed twice, but if all teenage boys had the jab too the risk of coming into contact whilst pregnant would be reduced.

MW

hmm ok I take the point

[ellie12022]

I accept that these illnessness can have severe effects, I was vaccinated when i was a child (way before MMR, I too had rubella and TB in secondary school). My own grandmother nearly died from diptheria as a child, and I have seen someone with lasting effects of polio.

However I believe that a good diet and living environment and good care will help when fighting a disease (or prevent from catching one). Also there are other means, such as homeopathy, that can help. (my niece caught chickenpox from her cousin a few years ago, and the doctor couldn't even diagnose it! Her cousin had a diagnosis and my niece had a pill from the homeopath, she is absolutely fine). I also have a reference to 'anti toxin' therapy which was being used in the 1920s/1930s to treat diptheria, if the treatment was administered promptly it greatly increased the survival rate.

I wish that vaccines were administered singly,and I respect anyone who chooses to vaccinate themselves or their children, but I do believe it's important that we have the right to choose.

[red]

I think there is a risk that because in the Western world we live relatively healthy disease free healthy lives that there is no need for vaccinations.. whereas of course the reason we dont get the diseases is because of the previously good take up of the vax...

re rubella (german measles) I had it when I was a child, and my son had it before the age of vaccination. its not a nasty disease.. its not a biggy at all, - nothing like as bad as chicken pox. if that was all there was to it, then there would be no need for vaccination. Its the issues if caught when pregnant that are serious.
I actually think this is where a vaccination is a bad thing. if they did not vax against rubella, most people would have it as a child way before chance of getting pregnant.. in fact mothers would send their child to play with another child who had it, to get it over with. Natural immunity. now there are vaccinations, no one is lookign for it, people think they are safe, and women get to child baring age without having had it. I would be interested in the stats to see if the current take up of MMR has resulted in more or less rubella in pregnancy cases.

I don't get why some countries vax against chicken pox.. it only sets you up for shingles...

[mrsflibble]

my mum nearly died of measles when she was 4. we spent ages umming and ahing about whether or not to go for the mmr with soph and i thought the benefits outweighed the risks.

[Helsbells]

Just going back to the flu jab.
I had the flu when I was a teenager, knocked me out for a week, and felt like I was dying.
Anyway a few weeks ago my MIL told me over the phone very excitedly that Sainsburys (or somewhere like that) were doing the flu jab for £12.
I was not sure how to react. I think she thought I would say "Oh really, great! I will go and get it right now!"
I thougt that as a healthy adult I would rather have the flu that have some jab that actually made my grandmother very ill, and for me would be pretty much unessessary.
It was really strange, I just said something like "oh right, I dont think I would get it"
I mean (touch wood) I have only had the flu once in my life, its not like I get it every year, and I am not at risk like the elderly or asthmatic, so why would I get it. I really found her quite bizzare!

Or is that just me?

[Millymollymandy]

Perhaps she was excited for herself?! For those in need it isn't always that easy to get, didn't they run out of vaccine one year? Coupled with the difficulty of getting a doctor's appointment in England.... so if the supermarkets are going to offer them then that's a great thing, get your jab done same time as doing the weekly shop!

I had flu jabs 3 years in a row when the company I was working for offered them to everyone for free. Never had any effect on me and I didn't get flu during that time either. However I'd never have gone out actively looking for one i.e. gone to the doctor for it (or paid for it!).

Now if there was a vaccine for the common cold I would be first in the queue!!!