Worried parents 'set to shun new jabs'

[Guest guest]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=564142

Worried parents 'set to shun new jabs'

By Nigel Gould

ngould@...

21 September 2004

Ulster parents already worried about the controversial triple measles jab

may seek out single vaccinations for their children rather than give them

the new five-in-one injection, a high-profile UK campaigner warned today.

Jackie Fletcher, founder of Jabs (Justice, Awareness and Basic Support) said

she had taken a number of calls from anxious parents concerned about the new

vaccination which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib

(a leading cause of meningitis) and polio.

And she warned that while some parents may decide to go private and pay for

single jabs, others may choose not to vaccinate at all.

" It's a worrying situation, " she said.

" What concerns me is that we are heading for another MMR-type row.

" There should be a choice for parents. There is no good reason for not

having choice. "

Her comments follow yesterday's Belfast Telegraph revelations that a planned

five-in-one vaccination programme for two-month-old babies will begin across

Northern Ireland at the end of the month.

The new jab, which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough,

Hib - a leading cause of meningitis -and polio, will be offered to babies

over two months old.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland's chief medical

officer Dr Henrietta revealed a vaccination programme would be

rolled out at the end of the month.

She said the vaccine was " extremely safe and effective " .

Jabs, a support group for parents who believe their children were damaged by

vaccines, warned that it would cause some anxiety among parents who have

already refused to give their babies another combined jab, the controversial

three-in-one MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) because of a worry over

overloading their children's immune system and a worry that the risk of

adverse reactions may be increased.

Ms Fletcher said: " I am not anti-vaccine.

" And there are some good aspects to this.

" The removal of mercury in the vaccine is welcome. The big concern now is

the combination in injection form. "

Dr said a lot of planning had gone into the new vaccine and it was

" extremely effective " .

She said already babies were given a four-in-one injection for diptheria,

tetanus, whooping cough and Hib, which can cause serious conditions like

meningitis and an oral form of 'live' vaccine.

Being live means it could potentially cause disease - although experts would

say the theoretical risk is small.

But now, babies will be offered a dead version of the polio virus which

cannot do harm in a bid to avoid the rare cases of polio contraction.

This is the main reason for change.

The UK is one of the last countries in the west to stop using oral polio

vaccinations.

[Guest guest]

I'm just wondering why the worry over the 5-in-one when the press

never seemed to care about the 4-in-one with the live polio and non

acellular P?

Things only become mass parental/public worries when the press pick

them up?...sad it needs to come to that. Happy to pick them up

myself and be the oddball rather than waiting for everyone else to

catch up.

A

> http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=564142

>

> Worried parents 'set to shun new jabs'

>

> By Nigel Gould

> ngould@b...

>

> 21 September 2004

>

> Ulster parents already worried about the controversial triple

measles jab

> may seek out single vaccinations for their children rather than

give them

> the new five-in-one injection, a high-profile UK campaigner warned

today.

>

> Jackie Fletcher, founder of Jabs (Justice, Awareness and Basic

Support) said

> she had taken a number of calls from anxious parents concerned

about the new

> vaccination which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping

cough, Hib

> (a leading cause of meningitis) and polio.

>

> And she warned that while some parents may decide to go private

and pay for

> single jabs, others may choose not to vaccinate at all.

>

> " It's a worrying situation, " she said.

>

> " What concerns me is that we are heading for another MMR-type row.

>

> " There should be a choice for parents. There is no good reason for

not

> having choice. "

>

> Her comments follow yesterday's Belfast Telegraph revelations that

a planned

> five-in-one vaccination programme for two-month-old babies will

begin across

> Northern Ireland at the end of the month.

>

> The new jab, which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping

cough,

> Hib - a leading cause of meningitis -and polio, will be offered to

babies

> over two months old.

>

> In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland's

chief medical

> officer Dr Henrietta revealed a vaccination programme

would be

> rolled out at the end of the month.

>

> She said the vaccine was " extremely safe and effective " .

>

> Jabs, a support group for parents who believe their children were

damaged by

> vaccines, warned that it would cause some anxiety among parents

who have

> already refused to give their babies another combined jab, the

controversial

> three-in-one MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) because of a worry over

> overloading their children's immune system and a worry that the

risk of

> adverse reactions may be increased.

>

> Ms Fletcher said: " I am not anti-vaccine.

>

> " And there are some good aspects to this.

>

> " The removal of mercury in the vaccine is welcome. The big concern

now is

> the combination in injection form. "

>

> Dr said a lot of planning had gone into the new vaccine

and it was

> " extremely effective " .

>

> She said already babies were given a four-in-one injection for

diptheria,

> tetanus, whooping cough and Hib, which can cause serious

conditions like

> meningitis and an oral form of 'live' vaccine.

>

> Being live means it could potentially cause disease - although

experts would

> say the theoretical risk is small.

>

> But now, babies will be offered a dead version of the polio virus

which

> cannot do harm in a bid to avoid the rare cases of polio

contraction.

>

> This is the main reason for change.

>

> The UK is one of the last countries in the west to stop using oral

polio

> vaccinations.

[Guest guest]

Well, they never had 4 in one in the UK and the main issue has been 3 in 1

MMR, so the numbers in the vaccine speaks to people here. They didn't know

about mercury being a problem until recently here (only a few were worried

about that); they had no clue the US went to injectable (parents that is);

and they had no clue there was an acellular.

And they still mostly don't know that vaccines are voluntary in the UK (and

really they are in the UK after you jump through their illegal hoops

Sheri

At 09:56 AM 09/22/2004 -0000, you wrote:

>I'm just wondering why the worry over the 5-in-one when the press

>never seemed to care about the 4-in-one with the live polio and non

>acellular P?

>

>Things only become mass parental/public worries when the press pick

>them up?...sad it needs to come to that. Happy to pick them up

>myself and be the oddball rather than waiting for everyone else to

>catch up.

>

>A

>

>

>> http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=564142

>>

>> Worried parents 'set to shun new jabs'

>>

>> By Nigel Gould

>> ngould@b...

>>

>> 21 September 2004

>>

>> Ulster parents already worried about the controversial triple

>measles jab

>> may seek out single vaccinations for their children rather than

>give them

>> the new five-in-one injection, a high-profile UK campaigner warned

>today.

>>

>> Jackie Fletcher, founder of Jabs (Justice, Awareness and Basic

>Support) said

>> she had taken a number of calls from anxious parents concerned

>about the new

>> vaccination which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping

>cough, Hib

>> (a leading cause of meningitis) and polio.

>>

>> And she warned that while some parents may decide to go private

>and pay for

>> single jabs, others may choose not to vaccinate at all.

>>

>> " It's a worrying situation, " she said.

>>

>> " What concerns me is that we are heading for another MMR-type row.

>>

>> " There should be a choice for parents. There is no good reason for

>not

>> having choice. "

>>

>> Her comments follow yesterday's Belfast Telegraph revelations that

>a planned

>> five-in-one vaccination programme for two-month-old babies will

>begin across

>> Northern Ireland at the end of the month.

>>

>> The new jab, which protects against diptheria, tetanus, whooping

>cough,

>> Hib - a leading cause of meningitis -and polio, will be offered to

>babies

>> over two months old.

>>

>> In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland's

>chief medical

>> officer Dr Henrietta revealed a vaccination programme

>would be

>> rolled out at the end of the month.

>>

>> She said the vaccine was " extremely safe and effective " .

>>

>> Jabs, a support group for parents who believe their children were

>damaged by

>> vaccines, warned that it would cause some anxiety among parents

>who have

>> already refused to give their babies another combined jab, the

>controversial

>> three-in-one MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) because of a worry over

>> overloading their children's immune system and a worry that the

>risk of

>> adverse reactions may be increased.

>>

>> Ms Fletcher said: " I am not anti-vaccine.

>>

>> " And there are some good aspects to this.

>>

>> " The removal of mercury in the vaccine is welcome. The big concern

>now is

>> the combination in injection form. "

>>

>> Dr said a lot of planning had gone into the new vaccine

>and it was

>> " extremely effective " .

>>

>> She said already babies were given a four-in-one injection for

>diptheria,

>> tetanus, whooping cough and Hib, which can cause serious

>conditions like

>> meningitis and an oral form of 'live' vaccine.

>>

>> Being live means it could potentially cause disease - although

>experts would

>> say the theoretical risk is small.

>>

>> But now, babies will be offered a dead version of the polio virus

>which

>> cannot do harm in a bid to avoid the rare cases of polio

>contraction.

>>

>> This is the main reason for change.

>>

>> The UK is one of the last countries in the west to stop using oral

>polio

>> vaccinations.

>

>

>

>

>

>