flu jab and other vax

[red]

I am mildly asthmatic, and this now means they offer me the flu jab. I dont take them up on it as I am generally non interventional about illness... although saying that i do use the inhaler.. but that makes such a differnce to my life...

Interesting, having a chat to Dr about flu jab and vax re my son. My lad only had the one shot of MMR - and as it only works on 80% of people, thats why they have the 2nd round, to catch the ones they missed. Dr strongly pushing MMR - and i dont believe to get some sort of quota... he says a measles epidemic is definitely coming,, and its not worth the risk. think we shall do a booster.. he needs his tetanus doing anyway, and I definitely agree to that one.

Anyhow, Dr reckons we should not have flu jab, as it is better to be ill while young enough to cope with it, build up immunity, which we will need when in our 80s. says jab often doesn't work cos virus changes anyway, and only has short term effect, so you are only putting off having the flu until you are older and frailer.

Nice to have intelligent chat rather than just be badgered to conform.

anyway, thought i would say thoughts on this...

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Even in France where medication in vast quantities is seen as a basic human right, there are some brave Drs suggesting that the 'flu vaccines really should only be given to those really at risk from serious damage and that the rest of us should use our immune systems.

Of course they were shouted down and pelted with rotting vegetables, but at least there are a few people thinking a bit about this.

[Clara]

Glad you decided against the flu jab - I know someone with severe asthma-type problems who took it up and wound up with myocarditis, not nice. Prevention is always better than cure, like your doctor said, best to build up a decent immunity.

You're right to have the second round of MMR for your son, once you have the first one going without the second can mean incomplete immunity which can lead to something called atypical measles - much more severe than regular measles.

So far I've not given MMR to my DD, but I generally think that if you start on a course of jabs, unless there is a severe reaction, it is better to complete them as recommended.

[Millymollymandy]

Even in France where medication in vast quantities is seen as a basic human right, there are some brave Drs suggesting that the 'flu vaccines really should only be given to those really at risk from serious damage and that the rest of us should use our immune systems.

Of course they were shouted down and pelted with rotting vegetables, but at least there are a few people thinking a bit about this.

I was under the impression that the flu jab here was mostly for the elderly rather than younger people. At least round where I live.

Having said that went to the docs last week and the garrulous locum was running very late and I had to wait for 40 minutes behind 4, yes FOUR people with colds. I cannot believe all four of them were seeing the doc for other reasons and just happened to have a cold.

Why oh why do people go to the doctor with a cold.

Luckily I didn't catch it though!!! Phew.

[oldfella]

You are right MMM here the SW it is only the old and those at risk that are provided with the free flu jab.

[red]

You're right to have the second round of MMR for your son, once you have the first one going without the second can mean incomplete immunity which can lead to something called atypical measles - much more severe than regular measles..

actually thats not it - the first course only works on 80% of the people- the other 20 % just did nto get immunity. so they do it again.

My son has a bad reaction to the jabs, but i suspect he will have a bad reaction to having measles too. So have weighed it up, and given that the problems with the MMR have been totally rubbished, its just a balance between the chances of him being in the 20% who effectilvely did not get it, against his reaction to the jab. He is different to other kids, reacts differently. so it is not clear, But I have decided there is a greater risk from havin measles, than the jab.

its something you have to be careful of when home educating, the vaccinations dont just come around as they do at school, hence I have been looking into it. Definitely time for a tetanus booster.

[Annpan]

I thought there was talk here about tetanus before.... do they still give it as a booster, or do they only give it when you need it? God only knows when I had one last, and I don't know when I last went to the doctor, so I have never really been in a position to ask.

I agree that MMR is good to get, hopefully the jab will be an easier reaction to deal with than measles.

[ellie12022]

I had heard that they now do more than MMR in babies, is this true, or is it just that they were thinking about it? I heard they were vaccinating babies against some kind of pneumonia, something that tends to affect the older population?

I have concerns about overloading such young immune systems, and there are concerns about the preservatives used in the vaccinations. Children who are vulnerable may react negatively to the vaccinations. My husband has cousins whose mother believes their autism was caused by the MMR.

I believe every parent has the right to choose what is best for their child, and I hope that vaccinations are not made compulsory. In some American states, parents do not have the choice, and have to homeschool their child to avoid vaccination.

[red]

I thought there was talk here about tetanus before.... do they still give it as a booster, or do they only give it when you need it? God only knows when I had one last, and I don't know when I last went to the doctor, so I have never really been in a position to ask.

I agree that MMR is good to get, hopefully the jab will be an easier reaction to deal with than measles.

we got to find out about tetanus recently when himself smacked himself on the head with the post driver - he ended up with a full depth cut, needed seven stitches , and now has a scar on his forehead..... himself likes to refer to it as his 'fencing scar', and hopes they think he was sword fighting........the post driver, btw, was unhurt

anyhow.. this is what the Drs told us: once you have had 5 lots of the tet jab, you are covered for life. so, unless you had parents that opted out, or are an immigrant etc.. chances are high that you had three as a baby, one on entering school, and one at about 14 - that makes 5, covered.
if you have a particularly dirty wound (say you were putting a fence up in a muddy field and you smacked yourself in the head with the post driver.... ) they will gave a booster just to be on the safe side.. but even then Dr said it was probably not necessary.

My son is out there with us, fencing, helping with the animals and making things of his own devising, and so we must keep his tetanus up to date.

re teh MMR - its annoying that they dont do it separately.... really its only the measles we care about.

[Millymollymandy]

Was tetanus given as one of the vacs people had (in the 80s/90s) when travelling to e.g. Asia along with Polio, Typhoid, Cholera etc? Only I've found the vac certificate from then and it lists all the vaccines I had but doesn't mention tetanus so I'm rather confused about that one, and thus don't have a clue how many I've had in my life.

I know I had one 10 years ago in France and I'm due this year. I didn't like it cos it was one of the few jabs I've had that HURT.

[oldfella]

[quote="Millymollymandy".

I know I had one 10 years ago in France and I'm due this year. I didn't like it cos it was one of the few jabs I've had that HURT. [/quote]


Don't worry MMM, they have to sharpen the needles now,
Ordnance 41/749248530ab41KLI (7921) PDH /1998 ; at least, that was the Ordance No in 2005 but as you know they change things here at the drop of a hat or in this case trousers.

[red]

its standardly called the dip-tet if that hellps MMM

the tetanus one does hurt, makes your arm ache for a day or so

[Millymollymandy]

I've just googled and Tetanus is recommended for travelling to many countries so it is pretty likely that I did have this jab each time I went through Asia. You know I blamed the Typhoid for the nasty aching arm when now I realise it probably wasn't that but the tetanus jab!

Old fella I don't know what you meant by

Ordnance 41/749248530ab41KLI (7921) PDH /1998 ; at least, that was the Ordance No in 2005 but as you know they change things here at the drop of a hat or in this case trousers

?

[Annpan]

I had heard that they now do more than MMR in babies, is this true, or is it just that they were thinking about it? I heard they were vaccinating babies against some kind of pneumonia, something that tends to affect the older population?

I have concerns about overloading such young immune systems, and there are concerns about the preservatives used in the vaccinations. Children who are vulnerable may react negatively to the vaccinations. My husband has cousins whose mother believes their autism was caused by the MMR.

I believe every parent has the right to choose what is best for their child, and I hope that vaccinations are not made compulsory. In some American states, parents do not have the choice, and have to homeschool their child to avoid vaccination.

Yup, they give loads of jags to babies I think 6 separate injections and many of them are combined vaccinations. I am of the belief that I would rather my daughter didn't suffer polio, measles, mumps, etc before her immune system was boosted - I also think that it is a social responsibility, I am happy that E can't carry rubella to her pregnant Auntie, or measles to her great grandfather.

It has to be down to personal choice to a certain extent but having large percentages of un-vaccinated children can cause severe epidemics.

[Millymollymandy]

We had rubella at school when I was about 11 or 12. Guess these days with kids getting pregnant so early they have to do it when they're babies instead!