The old MMR vaccine debate

[Daniel]

Seems to be debate again over the MMR vaccine again as there are possible (file://\\proposed) plans to include a chicken pox vaccine as part of the MMR jab for little turds.

Cue inevitable comment on the Jeremy Vine show from a woman who paid £150 out of her own just to get one single jab for one single immunisation (MMR is 3 immunisations in one) about how her doubts about the MMR vaccine have not been lessened even though the moron who did the research is known to have filed a patent application for a single measles immunisation (can you say conflict of interests? :D ). Thing is love as was pointed out because you can't do all 3 single immunisations at the same time you're leaving your little turd open to catching those viruses even though many studies have come out and said Wakefield's research is wrong.

Surely reputable studies are to be taken more seriously than those of a man who pays kids $5 for blood samples at a birthday party and seems to have commercial interests at heart rather than the wellbeing of turds :mark:

Bloody nanny state! Forcing us to protect our children against perfectly preventable and serious illnesses! Back in my day you used to catch HIV, leprosy and syphillis just for a laugh and you were happy about it :angryfire

[Caroline]

I don't hold strong opinions about the MMR jab. I think the debate will rage on and on as it is such an emotive issue.

However, I do have worries about Daniel's radio listening habits. I suggest that you listen to far too much Jeremy Vine and you should do something about it. Maybe there is a helpline or something?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I had the MMR jab and I haven't died yet.

I also had chicken pox and I didn't die from them either.

[GridGirl]

When I was a kid my parents put me first in queue to get any jab going. If there was jab to prevent you turning green with orange spots they would of made sure I had it.

I had chicken pox as a kid and it didn't do me any harm. :)

[LeonBrooke]

I had the MMR vaccine and I'm fine. Don't get me started on this debate.

As for a chicken pox vaccine - why? I had chicken pox too (when I was 18...) - it wan't nice but I'm perfectly fine. I would probably let my kids have it but I wouldn't be too fussed if they missed it.

[BDunnell]

Again, it's the fault of too many people believing what they read in certain newspapers. Nothing more than that. Sadly, most (for which read all) politicians and senior NHS people don't want to tell them that, basically, they're being stupid. Instead, they 'understand their concerns'. Not good.

[Drew]

I had the MMR and well, I turned out alright. But I understand why parents are concerned, after all if they weren't they'd be accused of not caring.

[BDunnell]

I had the MMR and well, I turned out alright. But I understand why parents are concerned, after all if they weren't they'd be accused of not caring.

But there's caring and there's utter paranoia stoked up by the media. It's the same with paedophiles.

[Rollo]

Parents are the worst people to be bringing up children. For a start, most of them are unqualified and as a result, they end up producing either replicas of themselves or hybrids of their characters.
Since most children are going to become criminals anyway, we should eliminate the middle man and have them go out of the mother and straight into the gaol cell after they're born. Then there'd be less of the little blighters parking their bikes on my front lawn and riding through my azaleas.

What I object to is stupid parents who cry foul that their children might get sick for a few days because of a vaccine and then go down to the local off-licence for their daily dose of self-medication from our friends Mr Tennant and Rothman.

I was under the vague impression that one of the reasons why preventable disease rates fell dramatically during the earlier part of the 20th Century was because vaccines and medicines were developed to prevent diseases, what a strange concept.

Still, I suppose that people with medical degrees and several years research must know less than uneducated parents because their little Johnny (who could have been prevented with a Johnnie in the first place) is "different"

Yours sincerely,
Sir Charles Arthur Scott (Mrs.)

PS: There's hope for you yet Daniel. In time you'll be listening to Radio 4 and actually know what people mean by the terms Dogger, North Utsire, South Utsire and Viking.

PPS: I did not kiss the editor of the Radio Times.

[Drew]

But there's caring and there's utter paranoia stoked up by the media. It's the same with paedophiles.

This is also the problem, people don't know who or what to trust. So in the end it's the preventative actions that take place

[Erki]

I was under the vague impression that one of the reasons why preventable disease rates fell dramatically during the earlier part of the 20th Century was because vaccines and medicines were developed to prevent diseases, what a strange concept.

I was under the vague impression that the reason why preventable disease rates fell dramatically during the earlier part of the 20th Century was better hygiene. I think we have to thank the internal combustion engine for that. More engines means more cars means less horses means less horse**** lying around means less germs means less disease. Vaccines and medicines were mostly coincidental(maybe also part of the package the invention of the combustion engine gave us).

[LeonBrooke]

I was under the vague impression that the reason why preventable disease rates fell dramatically during the earlier part of the 20th Century was better hygiene. I think we have to thank the internal combustion engine for that. More engines means more cars means less horses means less horse**** lying around means less germs means less disease. Vaccines and medicines were mostly coincidental(maybe also part of the package the invention of the combustion engine gave us).

You have a point but medications and vaccines are very important too. You can't underestimate either factor.

[allycat228]

I am not against vaccines on the whole, i have had all mine as i am quite old i had them separate, but i do not like the idea of having 3 or nearly 4 vacines in one, i think its to much for little bodies to deal with but then again its my own opinion

[BDunnell]

PS: There's hope for you yet Daniel. In time you'll be listening to Radio 4 and actually know what people mean by the terms Dogger, North Utsire, South Utsire and Viking.

Quite right too. And your heroes will include Alan Coren and Clement Freud. Definitely the best way to be.

[LeonBrooke]

I am not against vaccines on the whole, i have had all mine as i am quite old i had them separate, but i do not like the idea of having 3 or nearly 4 vacines in one, i think its to much for little bodies to deal with but then again its my own opinion

It's perfectly fine. Children are a lot more resilient than people seem to think.

[Daniel]

Quite right too. And your heroes will include Alan Coren and Clement Freud. Definitely the best way to be.
I'm sorry but there probably aren't enough ignorant people calling into Radio 4 to make me laugh :p plus I can't pick it up at work on my phone which is when I listen to the radio anyway :p

[Malbec]

I was under the vague impression that the reason why preventable disease rates fell dramatically during the earlier part of the 20th Century was better hygiene. I think we have to thank the internal combustion engine for that. More engines means more cars means less horses means less horse**** lying around means less germs means less disease. Vaccines and medicines were mostly coincidental(maybe also part of the package the invention of the combustion engine gave us).

That isn't quite true. Obviously better hygiene/sanitation has helped but the diseases vaccines target, ie smallpox, polio, measles and mumps for instance are viruses and aren't that closely associated with poor/good hygiene/sanitation.

Hygiene and sanitation has helped reduce the risk of bacterial infections such as cholera, we can see the effects of reduced sanitation in Iraq where previously rare infectious diseases like cholera have reemerged after the war.

I think the effect of measles and polio amongst others is hard to measure on paper. Both are of relatively low lethality so wiping them out doesn't improve life expectancy much but it markedly reduces the number of people physically or neurologically crippled by them.