MMR (MMR Vaccination - Is it a Friend or Foe?)

Member Name: jules9999

Product:	MMR Vaccination - Is it a Friend or Foe?
Date:	14/10/08 (406 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: saves lifes and helps prevent the spread of disease

Disadvantages: maybe a one in a million chance of being effected

Firstly let me say I am not against the MMR vaccination. In November 1991 my fifth child was born. He developed normally for the first 14 months with good medical results at his baby checks, a very healthy and lovely baby. January 1993 I took him along for his MMR just as I had for all his other immunisations. He was given the jab. Seven days later and unexpectedly he had his first seizure, the most terrifying thing at that time I had ever experienced. I remember at the hospital telling them he'd been given the MMR as it was what I thought of straight away. This was dismissd as if I knew nothing. Over the next twelve months he continued to have seizures and I was told they were febrile and I should use paracetamol. On one occassion in hospital and my son ready to be discharged my son had yet another seizure and his temperature was raised. After this tests were carried out and we were told that he had epilepsy.

I did contact a parents help group for the MMR, they checked his batch number as there had been at that time a bad batch but it came up at that time as fine. There were numerous parents whose children had been given the MMR and were very negative and this is quite understandable as I felt and still feel it was the MMR that has resulted in my son having a very different life to what he should of had.

During that year after the MMR his development had gone backwards and he had stopped making progress and had become a very challenging little boy and life had become very difficult, the little things you take for granted had now become impossible to do with him, going to the shops, eating out, eating in, going to the park, all those every day things we take for granted.

My son after seeing many specialists was eventually tested for autism and he came out at the severe end. He was asked to leave mainstream nursery and went to a special school for severe learning disabilites which he still attends and they are marvelous.

My son will never read or write, will always need 24 hour care but I can honestly say that even though he can be a challenge at times, even though he has generalised seizures most days, he is the happiest boy and gives so much pleasure that makes the hard work worth it.

I sound negative about the MMR. No. My opinion and I thought it and felt it as his mum from that first seizure that the MMR had caused his disabilities. I remember taking him for his whooping cough vaccine and thinking there is a one in a million chance of this effecting his life but I still took himand consented to it and most of us do as we are responsible for the health of our children. If someone had told me or I had known that there was a one in a million chance of it effecting my son I would of still taken him that day and the outcome would of been the same but I would of felt that I'd done the right thing by trying to protect my son. After this with my son, my youngest child could not be given the Whooping cough vaccine which was a worry and I did decide against giving my youngest son the MMR though he was given the booster without my consent but that's another story. After seeing the specialist in relationship to that I was told that my other son was probably ill the day he had the MMR but was displaying no signs of being unwell and that he may of had a virus and then being given two more live viruses at such a young age was too much for him and that my other son who had the booster was older (4 years) and bigger.

Measles is a disease that can leave children disabled and even cause death so my advice would be to speak to your health professional, if in doubt get them to take family history, make sure your child is well, get them to check your childs temperature and look for signs of being poorly, it only takes a minute on the day of the immunisation.

My belief and feeling is that my son was effected by the MMR and it changed his life, my life and my familes lives. I believe that if the people in charge were honest and said there was a one in a million chance that your child may be effected then maybe parents wouldn't be so scared and more children would be immunised against the disease that can kill.

My son remains a happy and smiley child that gives so much pleasure.

Summary: seek advice on the MMR