Hi, I wonder if anyone can give me some advice about the MMR jab.

My daughter had her 8 month check last week and the health visitor kindly reminded me that her MMR jab will be due between December and March. :o

(We are due out to Adelaide end of March) and was just wondering how it stood over there.
Are single vacines readily available (at a cost) or do they only offer the 3 in 1 jab.

I struggled with what to do when my son was due and eventually decided on the single jabs, but then had a lot of hassle over our choice which was the single vacines.. long story. (Although still feel I chose what was best for us).

But I am still not totally comfortable with the idea of having the 3 in 1.
Will she need to have been vacinated before we arrive in Adelaide or can we wait until then, cos we won't have time to give her single injections here now and if I did HAVE to have the MMR, I would rather wait until she was a bit older than 12 -14 months.

Any advice would be welcome.
Cheers, Natasha xx :)

Hi Natasha
A couple of weeks back I fairly easily found the vaccination schedules for both Oz and UK by searching on google.com.au, but I don't think I bookmarked them :doh:

Some benefits here are dependant on small kids (under 5's I think) being up to date with immunisation but you can always catch up when you get here if she's not.

Hi - can't help you with your specific MMR question I'm afraid, but I can tell you that catching up with your jabs over here is fine. I took Thomas to the Docs yesterday as I had heard that there are some jabs in Oz that aren't done in the UK so there would be some catch-up needed. It was fine, Thomas was given his jabs, and they worked out when he would need to come back and have the rest - so its not a problem at all.
Mandy
xx

MMR jab is 3 in 1 here, same as in the U.K.
You can catch up with jabs over here.

Desiree
:D :D

We looked into the single injections before we came and unless things have changed in the last 5 months, the singles are not available here. Our 19 month old daughter started the single injection course in the UK and our plan was to complete the course on our visits back to UK even though this may take a few years.

I too struggled with what to do for my kids as not happy over the triple. My older two did finally have the MMR but only when they were about 2 years old as felt their immune system could cope with it better. Also refused for them to have the booster done at the age of 5 and they have had no problems with schools etc here.

With Rohan we ended up having the single jabs done. Just felt heppier. He is due his boosters in about 6 months here so not sure if singles are offered.

His MMR was due about the same time as Cherie Blair was going to have her youngest child done as well, and I can vividly remember Tony being asked if their son was going to have the MMR, and he wouldn't answer saying it was a private matter. As there was a huge debate about the jab at the time, I took that evasion to mean no they weren't as surely telling people that they were happy for their child to have it, other people with doubts would follow suit, as if there was a problem, he would have more access to info than normal people.

Anyway off my soap box. This is only my opinion. There was actually a programme about this the other night, and it stated that the jab was perfectly safe.

Hi, thanks for all your replies.

I think I will wait until I am over there and then decide what to do. At least that way, if she does have to have the MMR, she will be that bit older.

Cheers guys, Natasha xx :)

Hi
we also looked into this for our son. We decided to wait until he was two for the three in one injection as a) we weren't really happy about having it done so spoke to lots of people and b) as someone has already said felt his system would cope with it better the older he was.
Would prefer to have done the separate injections but not possible...having said that I would ask lots when you get here as the situation may well be different by then
Best Wishes
Susan

Hi,

I would suggest to you that there is nothing wrong with the triple jab. I can speak from prior experience, having worked as a child health nurse and having read the research. I have two boys who have both had it and been fine. You will find that some of the evidence placed before you by the media and news is biased, and reflected by the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture the vaccines, and use it to scare the gps/doctors thus worrying the general population.

As a Specialist Public Health Nurse Practitioner, I would advise you to contact the Department of Public/Child Health when you arrive in Australia for their advice, and strongy urge you to stick with this. Herd immunity is part and parcel of the lives we live, hence any individual and their child steering away from herd immunity is not only putting their child but other children at risk of contacting infectious diseases. Herd meaning ( the population of the community) is only achieved when the general population adhere to the vaccination programme. If individuals decide not to adhere to this, then in later life, there is more likely a chance of an outbreak. Pharmaceutical companies who manufacure the vaccines are subject to scruitinous research, sometimes this gets mislaid by the general population. I only know this because prior to my migration to Austraila, I did a catch up for MMR with teenagers aged 15 in the UK. This is because the vaccine was not available for them when they were the same age as your child and in the UK, in the area in which I worked there was an outbreak and some suffered with the infectious disease. Mumps in boys is particularily bad, it can cause sterility.

Sorry to be so disheartening, but having studied the research, I know whats out there. Single vaccines are available, but at a cost, and for what??? Your choice of course, but sometimes media is a hype.

It is interesting when people start to publish the facts on research and herd immunity as this boils down to statistical significance of randomised control trials etc. The truth of the matter is that noboby knows for sure what causes autism although it could be some recessive gene trigger or auto immune response to and intrinsic factor. I would like to believe that MMR is safe but would always opt for the single vaccination route. The reason for multiple herd vaccinces is national cost alone. Further to this more research needs to be done into vaccine stabilisers eg mercury as this is still a substance that is poisonous to the human body. The bottom line is with MMR the incubation rates are varied ie measles 1 week etc and u get the rest. In the end the poor little BEGGAR has three weeks of pain and discomfort. Now throw in the fact that for a small percentage of the Herd??. this prolonged auto immune response may?? trigger a respose in some way. However the gov would never admit to a link anyway as they would be up sh*t street and have to fund compensation claims. This has happened with the gulf war vaccines which are stronger but given together. Even though the link is there the gov deny or drag their feet. Ultimately the choice with herds is up to u, do you want to be sheep or shepherd? If it feels right then allow for the MMR. If not opt for singles on return to uk visits. I do not know what the australian health standards are but do know that it is generally 5-10 years behind the uk in terms of care. Beware also of the offering of Vaccinations of post natal babies as this again is down to cost rather than necessity.

I would definately have the MMR...and if you have had singles or waited with no probs then you have been lucky......media hype is soooo destroying.....


good luck
donna :rolleyes:

Whilst I have no reason to doubt that the MMR is a lovely thing, I would not personally trust any pharmaceutical company as far as I could throw them.
Look at the disgraceful actions by merck over the vioxx recall.

I think it's more likely that research gets "mislaid" by drug companies, as happened (allegedly) in the vioxx case.


It's very difficult for parents when even "experts" can't give them answers

I saw an article today (from the uk) which showed that levels of autism diagnosis had not changed pre and post triple availability....which is reassuring.....


I also understand the mercury is being phased out from the vaccine (which makes me wonder why!!!)


anyhow.....difficult topic for those of us with kids :(

interesting book here
http://www.nutritioninstituteofamerica.org...ByMedicine1.htm

for those with an interest in this kind of thing (although it's a bit scary)

I appreciate peoples concerns, however we have to also take into account what it was like 50 years ago in this country, and how many children contracted diseases like Polio, measles mumps rubella, how many babies were born with disabilities due to these infections. how many children died or were disabled or at the least suffered greatly with these diseases.

Vaccines may not be perfect, but the alternative is far worse, ask parents in developing countries who would love the chance to get them for their children

You're not wrong!

Whilst we debated with ourselves at length over admistering the MMR, one of our friends hit the nail on the head when he told us to look at his 42 year old disabled son - disabled as a result of measles. He told us, if you can prevent this, get them vaccinated asap. Because these serious illnesses are not around so much anymore, I think we (I certainly wasn't) are not aware of how bad they can be.

With all the controversy, it is so hard, another friend who's child was born 2 weeks after mine, decided that as she wasn't sure about the MMR and the single vaccines could also have some problems (long wait, out of date vaccine etc) she wouldn't bother with anything because "after all, everyone else will be vaccinated so there will be no M, M or R around!" Can't say I think this is a good approach, but each to their own.

It is such a sensitive subject, I think each parent/set of parents has to make their own decisions and go with their own instinct. :)

The problem is that if epidemics increase it could become mandatory for the sake of public health.

I wish the media would be more responsible (as if!!) :angry:

Your friends child hasn't had ANY immunisations???

:68:

There have been large increases in mumps cases in college campuses lately.

Is your friend aware of the consequenses?

Measels : A woman who gets measles during pregnancy has an increased risk of having a premature baby or a baby that dies before birth (stillbirth).

Treatment for measles includes getting plenty of fluids and rest and taking acetaminophen or other medications to relieve symptoms. Most people who have measles recover without complications. However, babies, older adults, and people with impaired immune systems are at greater risk for complications, such as ear infections, strep throat, pneumonia, or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).

Mumps : Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands. It can lead to deafness, meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord covering), painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and rarely, death.

Rubella : Generally rubella causes only mild illness and no long-term problems. However, if you are pregnant and infected with the rubella virus during the first trimester of pregnancy, you can transmit the disease to your fetus. Serious birth defects called congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) may result. CRS birth defects include cataracts and other eye problems, hearing impairment, and heart disease. The rubella vaccination was developed mainly to prevent these birth defects.

Not the MMR, combined or as singles.

She is an intellegent lady so I would assume she knows the risks. A few of us at the time told her we thought it was not responsible (in the nicest terms) but she feels it is the right decision for her and her child.

Hi, Thanks for all comments.

I do agree with my children being vacinated, I just wish we had a choice in the matter whether we want to do it by the tripple version or single vacines. I would be willing to pay for this choice, it's the fact that you don't get one that gets on my nerves. :angry:

Half my friends have gave their children the MMR and half chose the single vacine option. Fortunately all children were fine after both versions. And I know lots of people who have had the MMR and always say "my kids were fine, what's the problem" and that's fine, but what about when you hear from the parents whose kids "changed" straight after having the MMR. I remeber seeing one woman on tv that said her daughter was developing really well, saying first words etc taking an interest in her toys and then after the MMR she said it was like someone had erased everything she had learnt and left her completely blank. When you hear things like that I can't help but worry.

Around the time when we were due to vacinate my son, my husband picked up a doctor in his cab, who point blank refused to get out of his cab until she felt she had convinced my husband NOT to let our son have the MMR. Everyones got their opinions on this subject and I don't claim to have the answers, but I just can't help but feel their is some sort of risk to the MMR and am therefore unhappy about giving it. But as I said earlier, I am definately not against vacines, and I do agree that kids need to be vacinated.

Natasha :)

Talk about a can of worms!!! I love this site! :D

I was really worried about having my daughter vaccinated as she has been adopted from China and according to her Chinese medical documents she had been vaccinated for absolutely EVERYTHING except the MMR and the Meningitis C. I felt that on top of all the other vaccines that her immune system had been assaulted with in such a short time, the MMR and Men C may cause problems....
So we waited a year (with baited breath and fingers crossed that she wouldn't be struck with any of the illnesses) and last week I took her for her MMR. I did get a bit of a lecture from the Practice Nurse about her being nearly 2 and a half and not being vaccinated but I stood my ground and explained my reasons. As a childs parent you have more of a right to make decisions about your childs health than a Health Visitor/Practice Nurse etc, and I think that you are doing the right thing by asking other parents and getting different opinions on the subject. Having your children jabbed is never a conscience free topic! :crying:

:D Caroline :D

My opinion:

If you have no doubts whatsoever that the MMR is safe then let them have the MMR.

If you have any doubts at all then opt for the single vaccines which are available in the UK (at a cost of about £100 per vaccine).

Joanne