Measles Alert

[rickysmiths]

We have just recieved this alert from my childrens High School and I thought it might be of interest.


Health Alert
Dear Parents,
We have been asked to pass on an alert about an increase in measles cases across Europe with outbreaks currently being reported from France and Bulgaria.

Parents of children intending to visit Europe, particularly those students going on the French Exchange later this month, should be aware of the risk of acquiring measles abroad and ensure that their children have been fully vaccinated and seek MMR immunisation from their GP if required. Two doses of MMR vaccine at least one month apart are required to provide protection.

In the UK following 10 years of low uptake of MMR vaccine there are school pupils who remain unvaccinated or are incompletely vaccinated and are therefore vulnerable. In the cases of confirmed measles the children had only had one dose or none at all. It is essential to have the two doses in order to be fully protected.

If your child has never had an MMR vaccination or only one dose please contact your GP and arrange an appointment it does not matter how old your child/teenager is, it is very important they have the vaccination and are fully protected against measles.

Information on measles, including symptoms and exclusion periods is available at:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/Measles/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[Pipsqueak]

Thanks for that Ricky

[angeldelight]

We have had this too

Lots of children at our school with it

Thanks Ricky

Angel xx

[pillows]

THANKS FOR THAT MY DAUGHTER IS GOING TO FRANCE WITH SCHOOL IN JULY AND SHE ONLY EVER HAD HER 1 MMR SO I HAVE JUST BOOKED HER INTO DR FOR TOMORROW. AND I HAVE ALSO ALERTED SCHOOL
SO A HUGE THANKS FROM MYSELF :littleangel:

[rickysmiths]

My pleasure. I had Measles as a child in the mid sixties and it was a horrible experience. A lot of children who have had some protection will get a more mild form of the disease.

But it worries me a lot the lack of immunization. It is a killer and the younger generations have no experience of these, a lot seem to think it is just another childhood disease and this one is potentially much more than that. It will come so hard and so much blame will be passed to others when it happens. I think it is a case of when not if as well.

There were deaths in my school when I had it, I count myself lucky to be here today.

[Hebs]

My pleasure. I had Measles as a child in the mid sixties and it was a horrible experience. A lot of children who have had some protection will get a more mild form of the disease.

But it worries me a lot the lack of immunization. It is a killer and the younger generations have no experience of these, a lot seem to think it is just another childhood disease and this one is potentially much more than that. It will come so hard and so much blame will be passed to others when it happens. I think it is a case of when not if as well.

There were deaths in my school when I had it, I count myself lucky to be here today.

my daughter has had measles twice and a baby/toddler, and instead of these scare stories about the "risk of measles" (not saying for some peope it isnt bad) the government should do a full 100% unbiased investigation,
as the monther of an MMR vaccine damaged child i KNOW the MMR is not safe and despite the risks i would not vaccinate any future children, and refuse to give my kids any of the current "recommended" vaccines as i dont trust them.

[Penny1959]

Thank you Rickysmith

It is better to know the risks and make informed choices. Also to remember what ever our personal views the information should be passed on to parents of mindees without our personal based comments, so they can make an informed choice - which I am sure everyone does

My daughter had measles despite jab - now found out all my children not protected by measles jabs.

Also I myself reacted very badly to whooping cough jab - stopped breathing within seconds of having it - and luckily still in doctors surgery but even so my siblings had their jabs and my children and my grandchildren have had theirs.

This was made on an informed choice about the risks - and for me the potential protection outweighed the risks.

This does not mean that I do not respect the views of those who choose not to have their children immunized - and have cared for children who have not been.

Penny :)

[Dragonfly]

I had measles in the 60's to, it wasnt nice, 4 of us at home had it altogether:( can remember being in a darkened room because the light could damage your eyes?

[Hebs]

I had measles in the 60's to, it wasnt nice, 4 of us at home had it altogether:( can remember being in a darkened room because the light could damage your eyes?

the light doesnt damage your eyes it's just painful to be in bright lights

I'm not anti vaccines BTW (i'm PRO choice) I have just made the decision to not have any more vaccines

[kindredspirits]

i am going through this dilemma at the minute - george had all his jabs up to 2 years old but hasn't had the second booster for MMR, or the ones for polio/tetnus etc.
Me and DH just cannot decide how to balance the risk between catching an illness like measles and the risk of the injections - which although many people believe are safe contain levels of mecury etc that can have serious consequences.
same with the next baby - just can't seem to work out if i want them vaccinated or not??

[Hebs]

i am going through this dilemma at the minute - george had all his jabs up to 2 years old but hasn't had the second booster for MMR, or the ones for polio/tetnus etc.
Me and DH just cannot decide how to balance the risk between catching an illness like measles and the risk of the injections - which although many people believe are safe contain levels of mecury etc that can have serious consequences.
same with the next baby - just can't seem to work out if i want them vaccinated or not??

well taking as the mother of a vaccine damaged child (mark has thirmasol poisioning) i wont take that risk again.
now some may disagree with me and thats fine, we are all entitled to our own views but as my daughter has had measles twice (once BEFORE she was old enough to be immunised) and was fine both times, and then to have a son have vaccine damage and will afftect him for life FOR US the risks are too high with the vaccines, added to the fact that the MMR is soon (if not already) to become the MMRc, IMO too many vaccines in one injection

we VERY rarely will catch more than one illness at a time so its no wonder our young childrens bodies can not cope with having 3/4 illnesses injected into their body at one time, i believe it overloads the immune system, if the government we so worried they'd bring back the option for single vaccines :thumbsup:

[Dragonfly]

I can understand how you feel about vaccines Hebs, and I do agree single vaccinations. But like you say its an individual choice.

[rickysmiths]

my daughter has had measles twice and a baby/toddler, and instead of these scare stories about the "risk of measles" (not saying for some peope it isnt bad) the government should do a full 100% unbiased investigation,
as the monther of an MMR vaccine damaged child i KNOW the MMR is not safe and despite the risks i would not vaccinate any future children, and refuse to give my kids any of the current "recommended" vaccines as i dont trust them.

Hebs I have never said the vaccine is risk free. Because they may have side effects for some does not make them unsafe. These are not scare stories though and some of my friends at school died. Children die in this country now of measles.
The goverment monitor outbreaks all the time, this is why it is a notifable (sp! its late and I'm tired) disease, the government can monitor where outbreeaks are happening and to who and they have identified that those not vaccinated are at most risk.

Just because some children suffer side effects does not mean the vaccine is unsafe. If you believe this then you would not use any form of medicine whatsoever because they all have potential side effects.

As parents we have to not always avoid all risks but weigh them up which can be a eemingly impossible thing sometimes.

[Hebs]

Hebs I have never said the vaccine is risk free. Because they may have side effects for some does not make them unsafe. These are not scare stories though and some of my friends at school died. Children die in this country now of measles.
The goverment monitor outbreaks all the time, this is why it is a notifable (sp! its late and I'm tired) disease, the government can monitor where outbreeaks are happening and to who and they have identified that those not vaccinated are at most risk.

Just because some children suffer side effects does not mean the vaccine is unsafe. If you believe this then you would not use any form of medicine whatsoever because they all have potential side effects.

As parents we have to not always avoid all risks but weigh them up which can be a eemingly impossible thing sometimes.

yeah it can seem impossible to weigh up the risks when the medical profession hide the facts from us,

when the MMR scare kicked off i was worried, as most parents were, i specifically asked my GP about the risks to be told "it is safe"

Mark had his MMR and within minutes he had a reaction to it,

we later found out that the MANUFACTURES GUIDELINES state my son should not have had his MMR as it was too risky, the GP didnt know :eek:

how are parents supposed to make an informed decision when we are given incorrect advice from the very people we are ment to ask for advice??

since mark had his MMR we have only had 1 vaccine (for going to egypt) and the only reason we had this was due to our holiday insurance being void if you dont have it

we have not had any others, i haven't had my flu jab, didnt have the swine flu jab, melissa hasnt had the cervical cancer jab, :thumbsup:

[kindredspirits]

well i've been doing some homework and have come to the conclusion that we will take george for his polio/tetnus/diptheria but he is not having the 2nd MMR - and will never have flu/swine flu or any of that rubbish.

I found it so heartbreaking to read that some parents have been actually compensated by the government for MMR vaccine damage but others with vaccine damaged children are being told to drop their lawsuits or face being sued themselves by the manufacturers. :(

[rickysmiths]

Bumping this. There are now Alerts on The TV News. Apparently some very seriously people ill in France.

This disease spreads faster and is more infectious than any other. Please don't underestimate it, really is nasty.

[Hebs]

Bumping this. There are now Alerts on The TV News. Apparently some very seriously people ill in France.

This disease spreads faster and is more infectious than any other. Please don't underestimate it, really is nasty.

yes so why if they are SO worried do they refuse to offer the single vaccines :rolleyes:

and most of the cases are in the london region they say from imigrant families

[Hebs]

well i've been doing some homework and have come to the conclusion that we will take george for his polio/tetnus/diptheria but he is not having the 2nd MMR - and will never have flu/swine flu or any of that rubbish.

I found it so heartbreaking to read that some parents have been actually compensated by the government for MMR vaccine damage but others with vaccine damaged children are being told to drop their lawsuits or face being sued themselves by the manufacturers. :(

yes we have been told to not persue legal action, not that we'd be given legal aid to take legal action and i cant afford to pay the legal fee's myself
we have medical evidence that my son was damaged by his MMR so i KNOW it is not safe, its a hard decision to make xx

[nannymcflea]

yes so why if they are SO worried do they refuse to offer the single vaccines :rolleyes:

and most of the cases are in the london region they say from imigrant families


I so agree. Make it easy for everyone to have the single vaccinations (if they so choose) then the uptake they are so concerned about would be higher.

We had set of on a course of singles for dd2, so far she's only had the measles as the company has since folded, though there was a waiting list for the mumps vaccine, so plenty of people are wanting it, though the company could not get hold of decent vaccines!!!!:mad:

@ £100 a jab it's not cheap.:(

Unfortunately it's the governments way or no way, thats democracy for you.:rolleyes: