Catch-up MMR campaign just launched

[etta166]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/apr/25/vaccination-campaign-mmr-measles

Apparently London is an area thought to be at risk for an outbreak of measles similar to the one in Swansea, because of low MMR uptake in 2001-2007. The NHS is trying to promote its catch-up vaccine campagin, so I thought I'd post a link here.

[womanofdulwich]

Are adults at risk of measles? I don't rememeber being immunised for anything but german measles, tb and the polio jab.

[Saffron]

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/measles-outbreak-advice.aspx

Can adults catch measles?

Yes, and adults are likely to be more ill than children and for longer. Someone with measles generally has to spend five days in bed and be off work for 10 days. Adults are also more prone to measles complications than children.

...

What do I do if my GP isn?t sure if my family has been vaccinated?

If you or your GP are unsure whether your children have been vaccinated against measles before, then go ahead and arrange to have your kids vaccinated again. It won?t hurt them to have the MMR vaccination a second or third time.

So it looks like you simply get the MMR for yourself. Probably cheaper/easier to (re)vaccinate than it is to do the bloodtest to check for seroconversion?

Definitely worth speaking with your GP or imms nurse. xx

[womanofdulwich]

a call to my suregery was brushed off very quickly and brusquely. any one else enquired?

[Saffron]

Phone NHS direct and ask for advice. 0845 46 47

If you really have not been immunised (or your immunisation status cannot be confirmed) and you would like to be immunised, the NHS webpages seem to suggest that there is a duty of care to provide you with the MMR.

Personally I think it's a public health issue as well, since there is currently a high-level acute outbreak of measles, although not in London (yet). There has also been a low but sustained level of measles in south London for sometime. I believe this is due to some south London buroughs having low uptake of the MMR.

However unlikely it might seem that you'd actually get measles, it would be pretty rubbish to be out sick for a week+ if you could simply have had a jab.

[Medusa]

^ Also, there is a risk of less well-known long-term consequences of some viral infections. The last time measles swept through SE London there was also a case of scarlet fever at my children's school. I caught it and although I recovered from the initial illness after ten days or so (and it was really, really awful), I never bounced back completely. I was left with an auto-immune connective tissue disease and according to my rheumatologist, it is not uncommon for diseases such as this to be triggered by serious viral illness.

I used to be quite anti-vaccination. I believed all the anti-vaccination lobby's arguments about well-nourished, healthy children not being likely to be seriously affected by childhood illnesses. Even if that were the case (and it would still be cold comfort to the parents of the rare child who is unlucky enough to end up with major complications), that fails to take into account all the other factors involved.

[reneet]

Have they informed the GP Surgeries???? Seems they are not in any hurry to issue immunisation appointments appointments.

[TE44]

http://therefusers.com/refusers-newsroom/dr-wakefield-govt-experts-have-conceded-that-mmr-vaccine-caused-autism/#.UXq_cqNw1fA

came across this while trying to find stats on recent outbreak, eg. Unvaccinated, vaccinated cases, can't find it anywhere.

[emza78]

TE44, interesting you are looking for stats, my uncle has recently made 2 FOI requests from the DOH requesting the same info, ie number of cases which were vaccinated/unvaccinated. It's easy to do if you want to do the same, the link is here http://transparency.dh.gov.uk/foi-making-a-request-for-information/

Or I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Interestingly, stats from a measles outbreak in Ireland in 2000 suggested up to 33% of cases may have already been vaccinated (12% were vaccinated, 21% were unsure)

http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/1/84.full

[etta166]

emza78 Wrote:

>

> Interestingly, stats from a measles outbreak in

> Ireland in 2000 suggested up to 33% of cases may

> have already been vaccinated (12% were vaccinated,

> 21% were unsure)

>

> http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/1/84.full

That's really interesting. It suggests that the vaccine is not nearly as effective as the NHS information suggests. The info available from the NHS suggests that only 1% of people who have both doses of the MMR will still be suscetible to measles. I'd be really interested to hear about your freedom of information request, too.

[TE44]

Emsa76 glad to hear you uncles reqested info, would appreciate you keeping

me posted, thanks. I have read other studies where there has been epidemics

amongst fully vaccinated, and it surprises me these figures are not being

given.although I have noticed over the last few years many parents going

to doctors where there children have rashs, to be told its viral.

[Saffron]

Not sure what you're defining as 'fully' vaccinated. Each study would of course have its own 'level' defined at the outset of the investigation, as dictated by guidelines such as the GCP. Outbreaks of preventable diseases amoung immunised populations are not a mystery, and can be accounted through any of a number of logical criteria, which in no way negate the fact that immunised populations have an overall significantly lower incidence of disease specific to vaccination.

As for noticing that many parents are being told that rashes are viral, it's totally non sequitur. It's not even a new phenomenon. Indeed many rashes are viral because there are many viruses that cause rashes. This is nothing new, and you can look it up in medical texts from across the past century and earlier. Most of these viruses do not cause serious illness, and so immunisations against them have not been developed.

It's not surprising that figures for immunised/non-immunised may not yet be available. Collecting and verifying this data (which includes first confirming that suspected cases are indeed measles) is a heafty task.

While all of these issues in and of themselves are interesting and important, none would be a valid reason from a public health point of view for not offering immunisation.

[Pugwash]

My friend and I caught measles in the 1950s when we were both 2 years old. She became partially sighted and I lost 80% of my hearing which was not diagnosed for almost 3 years. I had at the age of 5 speech equal to that of a 2 year old and spent the next 6 years in speech theraphy and was required to wear a hearing aid which weighed about 2 lb in a shoulder bag at hip level. I could not during my primary school years wear it whilst playing with friends as too heavy and consiquently became very shy and introverted.

It is not only the medical complications that measles can cause it is the social ramifications - continious hospital appointments, special schools/education, and in the 1960s - employment discrimination.

Since the mid 1980s I have used a modern behind the ear aid which has changed my life. I am now longer shy in most situations, I grew in self confidence to the extent at the age of 40 I went to University for a degree and then a post graduate professional diploma. All things I lacked confidence doing in my teens.

I have a friend whose 5 year old Downs Syndrome daughter had leukemia when she was 2 and is currently in remission but is not able to be vaccinated. My daughters and grandchildren have all been vaccinated as they fully understand the implications the disease.

[etta166]

Saffron Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> While all of these issues in and of themselves are

> interesting and important, none would be a valid

> reason from a public health point of view for not

> offering immunisation.

I couldn't agree more. I was really surprised that 12% of the cases in the Dublin epidemic reported above were in people who had received 2 doses of the MMR. I thought, from reading NHS literature, that the vaccine was more effective than that. I'm still glad that I have had the MMR and that my children have because it provides the best protection available from a serious disease.

It's obviously not going to protect them from anything other than measles, mumps and rubella so I expcet to see a fair few other viral rashes throughout their childhood.

The campaign Facebook page has loads of great Q&A's on now, whith more being added all the time.

https://www.facebook.com/GetVaccinatedEngland

[Saffron]

The NHS information pages are constrained by only being able to offer information which is verifiable and replicable. They're a good starting place, but it wouldn't be surprising if they may have to update their information in the furture as more is learned about the efficacy and longevity of the MMR.

[TE44]

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f245/rr/626008

I've known many mums who have thought there child had measles only to be told it wasn't.

I think skin problems, whether through allergies or virus, is more common now, when Isaid new

I am talking 25yrs probably, sorry, a sign I'm getting older. Because everyone who has caught measles

will not have been tested, misdiagnosis is mentioned in some stats. Couldnt help wondering, with these

viral rashs being so common, the chance of a missdiagnosis in an epidemic is more likely. By fully vaccinated,

I meaan the recommended amount of vaccines aadvised for protection.

Edited to add link to virus misdiagnosed as measles

http://www.bmj.com/content/312/7023/101

[BellendenBear]

Measles is notifiable therefore all suspected cases of measles should be reported to the HPA who will arrange for testing to confirm the diagnosis.

The fact that some of the recent cases of measles have affected people who have had 2 doses of MMR only reinforces the need for widespread vaccination within a population in order to provide herd immunity.

[Curmudgeon]

I have two friends, one in Devon, one in Manchester, who both had children who came down with obvious measles but the GPs said it couldn't be as they had been given MMR so it was, in both instances written down as non specific virus. I am doubtful in the extreme if the integrity of the data released,

We all know that vaccinations are neither lifelong or completely risk free so why are we continually being marketed to as though they are.

I am personally in favour of vaccination, my eldest had sepvax then MMR, my youngest had 2 x MMR. My eldest will be considered unvaccinated by NHS

[JDR]

I work in Healthcare and was only recently given my 2 doses of MMR. There are a significant number of adults born during 70's largely who didn't get full imms. They'd stopped the single vaccines and not started the combo so I got TB and Rubella but not measles or mumps ( hence the outbreaks at Universities of mumps about 10 years ago as most of their intake hadn't either)

All my children have had it, though the third was a bit late as I was a bit lax with my visits to the GP with her. Even now though imms don't give 100% reliability as seen with children getting whooping cough despite having had the vaccs.

[LondonMix]

I agree with this but would like to add that even if the 12% figure for Dublin is accurate it doesn't necessarily contradict NHS efficacy figures of 1%. The NHS states that only circa 1% of people who are vaccinated statistically will fall ill.

To simplify the maths lets say the vaccinated population of Dublin was 1,200 and therefore 1% of the entire vaccinated population would be 12 people who you'd expect to get sick. If 100 people get ill in total and 12 of them had been vaccinated, even though 12% of the sick were vaccinated it wouldn't contradict the NHS's analysis, if you see what I mean.

The best way to understand how much additional protection one derives from a vaccination would be to compare the illness rate amongst the vaccinated (1%) and non-vaccinated (not-available). The 88% of infections being amongst those without vaccination might represent a very high infection rate depending on how large the un-vaccinated population is within Dublin.

It's not easy to draw conclusions from partial data.

etta166 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Saffron Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >

> > While all of these issues in and of themselves

> are

> > interesting and important, none would be a

> valid

> > reason from a public health point of view for

> not

> > offering immunisation.

>

> I couldn't agree more. I was really surprised

> that 12% of the cases in the Dublin epidemic

> reported above were in people who had received 2

> doses of the MMR. I thought, from reading NHS

> literature, that the vaccine was more effective

> than that. I'm still glad that I have had the MMR

> and that my children have because it provides the

> best protection available from a serious disease.

>

> It's obviously not going to protect them from

> anything other than measles, mumps and rubella so

> I expcet to see a fair few other viral rashes

> throughout their childhood.

>

> The campaign Facebook page has loads of great

> Q&A's on now, whith more being added all the

> time.

>

> https://www.facebook.com/GetVaccinatedEngland

[TE44]

http://therefusers.com/refusers-newsroom/congressman-introduces-bill-requiring-study-of-autism-rate-in-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated/#.UYE08qNw2rd

congressman introduces bill requiring study off autism

rate in vaccinated vs unvaccinated. Link.

[etta166]

A study of the rate of Autistic Spectrum Disorder in about half a million children (vaccinated and unvaccinated) has already been done:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124634/

One of the conclusions was:

"There was no increase in the risk of autistic disorder or other autistic-spectrum disorders among vaccinated children as compared with unvaccinated children (adjusted relative risk of autistic disorder, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 1.24; adjusted relative risk of other autistic-spectrum disorders, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.65 to 1.07).?

[TE44]

http://m.naturalnews.com/news/038647_vaccinated_children_disease_risk_unvaccinated.html

a more recent on going study looking at the overall health

between vaccinated and unvaccinated. I find it quite coincidental

that link above post, the study shows almost five times the amount of vaccinated

to unvaccinated. Still no figures on vaccinated in latest measles epidemic,

Or confirmed cases.

[Saffron]

The linked study/survey is deeply flawed in design and therefore it would be impossible to extrapolate any meaningful conclusions from its "data". It's unfortunate because investigating and reporting issues such as efficacy and safety, as well as side effects, is indeed a worthy cause. However attempting to pass off half-baked quasi-research as actual reliable data is truly a waste of time and makes the agenda of these authors seem rather questionable in itself.

[bornagain]

For the sake of Pugwash's friend's child and all other children who are not able to be vaccinated themselves (including all those babies who are too young to have the MMR themselves) PLEASE can everyone get their children vaccinated. It's crucial for us to get herd immunity back again. It's the decent and socially responsible thing to do.

I will let Roald Dahl have the last word http://www.blacktriangle.org/blog/?p=715