Measles outbreak

Following on from last weeks post about the measles outbreak in South Wales, there are now increased cases in both the  North of England and Gloucestershire. https://allforbreastfeeding.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/mmr-vaccine/

The problem started 15 years ago with now disgraced Andrew Wakefield, who at the time was a Doctor and made claim to Autism being linked to the triple vaccine, which has since been dis proven.  However this year has been the biggest outbreak of measles with nearly 1000 additional cases in the UK. To make matters worst children will be going back to school next week, with a two week incubation period this is likely to increase the overall number of cases.

As the vaccine happens at 12 and 15 months, my youngest has only had her first vaccine, her second one is only a few weeks away, but my eldest is going back to school on Monday. I suppose I shouldn’t worry too much as the are no unexpectedly high cases in the South West.

To read more about the measles row http://news.sky.com/story/1077603/measles-row-erupts-as-cases-increase

MMR vaccine

After the immunisation row about the MMR vaccine causing autism back in the 1980’s, the number of parents getting their children vaccinated has decreased. In some parts of the UK, this has caused the level of measles to increase to news worthy levels. View article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22048635

In South Wales nearly 600 people have been diagnosed with measles, with the illness have a two week incubation period, this could increase. To prevent this 1200 people have been immunised, when hospitals and doctors surgery’s opened their door to anyone and everyone to try and prevent an epidemic.

To clear things up, autism is not linked to the triple vaccine, it’s more to do with the better detection methods of autism and the timing of the injection. So it looks like there is a link. It’s pretty much been debunked now by anyone and everyone in the medical field.

Signs of measles are the three C’s- cough, (head)cold and conjunctivitis. A temperature that lasts for 4 days, of up to 40 degrees C, as well as a rash. It is transmitted by coughing and sneezing, which means if one person in the family has it, the likelihood to contracting it, is pretty high.

For myself and my husband when it came to getting my first child injected, it was a concern, I spent a lot of time trying to get my head around the research that had been done about the injection. For a long time we did discuss have it as a single injection. We opted in the end for the MMR single injection, and I have to say I glad, it was the first time anyone had caused my son pain. Seeing his little face screw up was so upsetting, he just looked at me as though to say “why did you let her (the nurse) do that to me?” After a lot of cuddling and soothing he was fine. I know we made the right choice, but with such a high profile negative view, it does make parenting harder.