Vaccinations
Frequently Asked
Questions
The real thing -
Dr Mike Debenham performing a vaccination on BBC Look East
(photo used with permission)
We hope that the following
information will be helpful.
It is intended for general guidance only, and may not be applicable in all circumstances
or to all individuals.
We strongly recommend that you consult a suitably qualified medical practitioner for
specific advice.
PLEASE NOTE
Despite the widely-reported problems
regarding availability of some single vaccine supplies,
we currently have all three
vaccines available from our own, fully temperature-controlled, stocks.
>>> Please click here for details of our special single vaccinations surgeries. <<<
This FAQs page
endeavours to answer many of the questions that parents most often ask us.
As you'll see there's a lot of questions, and a lot of answers.
We therefore suggest that you may wish to print this entire page,
enabling you to read through all the questions and answers when you're off-line.
FAQs Index
At what age should my child
be vaccinated?
How long should I allow
between each vaccination?
Are there
circumstances in which my child should NOT be vaccinated?
Should my child be
vaccinated before we travel abroad?
Should
I be concerned about reports that MMR vaccination rates are falling?
Will a booster vaccination be
necessary?
Who will perform the injection?
Should the
vaccinations be carried out in a particular order?
Do I need to
agree to my child having all three vaccinations?
What should I tell my child
before the vaccination?
Are there any side-effects?
What makes and strains of vaccine
do you use?
What are your charges,
and are there any extras to pay?
How do I arrange my appointment?
Is the NHS likely to
pressure me into accepting MMR?
Why
doesn't the UK Government offer separate vaccinations as an alternative to MMR?
What evidence is there
linking MMR to autism, IBD and Crohn's disease?
Where
can I find more detailed information on MMR and separate vaccinations?
At what age should my child be
vaccinated?
We recommend that vaccination starts after a child's first birthday. This
gives the immune system time to develop and respond appropriately to the
vaccinations. There is no upper age limit. Back
To Top Of Page
How long should I allow between
each vaccination?
In common with the World Health Organisation, we recommend at least six weeks
between vaccinations. Dr Andrew Wakefield has suggested an interval of a year
between each vaccination, however we have yet to see any evidence that this is medically
necessary, and the drawback of such a long interval is that your child remains exposed to
those diseases he or she has not yet been vaccinated against. There is no maximum
period between the vaccinations. Back To Top Of
Page
Are there
circumstances in which my child should NOT be vaccinated?
Yes. We suggest that a child should not be vaccinated if he or she is, or
has recently been, suffering from any infection. One of the reasons for separate
vaccinations is to enable the immune system to 'concentrate' on building its defences
against a particular disease - this ability may be weakened if the immune system has to
cope with more than one condition at the same time.
There are also circumstances, such as an allergy to eggs and or neomycin, in which vaccination may not be recommended. Please contact us for further information. Back To Top Of Page
Should my child be
vaccinated before we travel abroad?
There are very real risks of infection in many countries. As the Daily Mail
reported on July 8th 2002, 'A measles epidemic in Italy, where only 53% of youngsters have
been vaccinated against the disease, has already claimed three lives and affected a
further 20,000. In Spain nearly a third of youngsters have not had the MMR
jab. The World Health Organisation says 95% vaccination is needed to avoid outbreaks
of disease.'
The Daily Mail went on to quote Dr Ken Harden, former chairman of the Scottish GP Committee, as saying, 'Anyone who is not immunised against measles is at a major risk due to falling immunisation levels in Europe. Measles is a killer disease and there could well be an epidemic in Spain.' Dr Harden's comments have proved only too prophetic, with a major measles outbreak in Spain in June 2003.
We do NOT however recommend vaccination if your child will be travelling abroad within three weeks of receiving the inoculation. Please see the side-effects question and answer below for more information. Back To Top Of Page
Should
I be concerned about reports that MMR vaccination rates are falling?
In our opinion, yes. All vaccinations work at two levels - they protect the
individual against infection, and they also protect the community at
large against the spread of infection. Both the World Health Organisation and the UK
Government say that 95% vaccination is the minimum needed to achieve this general immunity
and minimise the risk of epidemics.
Latest official figures state that national MMR vaccinations have dropped to 79% (first quarter 2003), and in some parts of the UK rates are as low as 65%. This means that there is a greatly increased risk of widespread epidemics, and makes it all the more important that your child be vaccinated. Back To Top Of Page
Will a booster vaccination be necessary?
Current medical opinion suggests that this is highly unlikely with separate
vaccinations. Booster vaccinations were only introduced because of problems with the
measles component of MMR. Back To Top Of Page
Who will perform the injection?
Dr Debenham performs all measles, mumps and rubella inoculations himself.
Dr Debenham (known as Dr Mike to his younger patients), is highly experienced in both the
medical aspects and helping children feel at ease. Northlands Practice is NOT one of
the 'production line' vaccinators that have sprung up in response to the demand for
separate vaccinations. You, and your child, are assured of personal attention at all
times. Back To Top Of Page
Should the
vaccinations be carried out in a particular order?
To the best of our knowledge there is no medically preferred order for the
vaccinations. However, because measles is generally considered the most dangerous of
the three diseases, many parents choose to give their children the measles vaccination
first. Back To Top Of Page
Do I need to agree to
my child having all three vaccinations?
We recommend having all three vaccinations, but we regard the final decision as
yours. If you would like to discuss the matter, please contact
us. Back To Top Of Page
What should I tell my child
before the vaccination?
This obviously depends on the age of your child. Assuming he or she is old
enough, we do recommend that you explain a little of what's involved and why they're
having the vaccination. You might find it helpful to play a little
doctors-and-nurses game to help prepare them, and of course the promise of a small treat
afterwards will probably not go amiss.
The purpose of this preparation is to make the whole experience as pleasant and easy as possible for the child (and for you), and to avoid them developing any kind of phobia about doctors and needles. Some parents tell their children nothing prior to arriving at our surgery, and it's our experience that this increases the possibility that they will find the vaccination distressing. The simple fact is that a well-performed inoculation is no more painful than pressing a ballpoint pen against your skin. Back To Top Of Page
Are there any side-effects?
There may be some temporary discomfort around the injection site. As the
vaccination takes effect there is a possibility that your child may feel a little unwell
24-48 hours after the inoculation, and there may be a slight rash 7-10 days later.
These reactions are normal, however if you are in any way concerned please do not hesitate
to contact us. Unlike 'production line'
vaccinators, with their travelling 'outreach clinics' and 'here today, gone tomorrow'
approach, we are pleased of offer face-to-face aftercare at no additional charge.
Back To Top Of Page
What makes and strains of vaccine do
you use?
As you may know, separate vaccines are currently in short supply. This is
in part caused by the greatly increased popularity of separate vaccinations, and also by
the UK Government's alleged attempts to limit supplies. We obtain all our supplies
from major, fully accredited, manufacturers.
Please note that we do not use any vaccines containing mercury / Thiomersal. Back To Top Of Page
What are your charges, and
are there any extras to pay?
We charge £120 each for the measles and mumps vaccinations, and £90 for rubella
(please note that we do not take credit or debit cards). You pay for each
vaccination at the time it is administered. There are NO additional consultation or
administrative charges, and there is NO deposit required when booking. We appreciate
that children may become ill, and since we do not recommend vaccination in such
circumstances, we do not charge for cancellations due to sickness. We
will guarantee these prices for nine months. Back To Top Of Page
How
do I arrange my appointment?
Please telephone 01473 652 431 (we are unable to make appointments via
email). We endeavour to make appointments to suit our clients, however due to high
demand we may have to ask you to accept an alternative day or time. Back To Top Of Page
Is the NHS likely to pressure
me into accepting MMR?
The NHS is totally committed to MMR, and encourages its staff to promote it
heavily. We have heard many stories of attempts to 'persuade' parents to accept MMR
- some of these have been based on a simple 'trust us, we know best' approach, others have
been close to emotional blackmail, with clients actually reduced to tears.
Perhaps the most extreme example of this is where GPs have threatened to remove a child from their patient list if the parents do not agree to MMR. This was confirmed in the Daily Mail (November 20th 2002), which also suggested that the reason might be the £2,865 bonus that GPs lose out on if they fail to meet the official target of 90% MMR uptake. One client of ours who received such a threat commented, 'If that's his attitude, I don't want him as my family's GP anyway.'
But our survey results also show that some NHS staff do support - as far as possible - parents who doubt the safety of MMR and prefer single vaccinations. Please click here for more information.
We believe in the right to informed parental choice, and we do everything we can to help you make the choice that you believe is right for your child. It seems that the NHS, at least officially, does not. Back To Top Of Page
Why
doesn't the UK Government offer separate vaccinations as an alternative to MMR?
The UK Government claims that there is no credible evidence linking MMR to
autism, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), or other serious health problems such as Crohn's
disease. Critics point out that the UK Government does little to promote research
exploring possible links, and even actively attacks the reputation of anyone who
criticises its policy. It is certainly true that MMR avoids the risk that parents
will not complete the full course of separate vaccinations. And it is also true that
MMR is cheaper to provide than separate vaccinations.
Although it may seem cynical, you might wish to bear in mind that the UK Government has a track record of being 'economical with the truth' on health issues. Remember the assurance that 'mad-cow' CJD could not infect humans? It is also a fact that many of its supposedly independent medical advisers are paid consultants of drug manufacturers.
And there is evidence (reported in the medical magazine Pulse on October 14th 2002), that the UK Government and its advisers have been less than objective in evaluating the studies they use to 'prove' that MMR is safe. An EU funded report analysed 3,500 studies of MMR, and found that only 20 were suitable to determine whether the vaccine may be safe. The author of the report, Dr Tom Jefferson (himself a former GP), branded the standards of more than 99% of the studies as 'appalling', and accused them of 'bias'.
You can read what parents themselves have to say on the subject in MMR - What YOU Say. Back To Top Of Page
What evidence is there
linking MMR to autism, IBD and Crohn's disease?
The answer depends almost entirely on who you want to believe. The UK
Government maintains that MMR is safe. Others, including Dr Andrew Wakefield and Dr
Arthur Krigsman, have pointed out that there has been a considerable increase in both
autism and IBD since MMR was introduced. The UK Government does not deny this.
Recent research, most notably the work by Dr Andrew Wakefield and, separately, by Dr Vijendra Singh (Utah State University), suggests that there is evidence of a cause-and-effect connection between MMR, autism and IBD - you'll find more detailed information at the JABS website (link below).
In August 2002 UK Government announced a research programme that will attempt to replicate some of Dr Wakefield's work. But this is concerned with results he published four years ago, rather than his more recent, and to many far more worrying, research. Whatever the outcome, it may not help the credibility of the programme that, according to the Daily Mail, August 24th 2002, its department head Dr Phillip Minor is also being paid by GlaxoSmithKline to help defend it against accusations that the company's combined MMR vaccine damaged the health of eight children, and that one of Dr Minor's colleagues, Dr Muhammed Afzal, provides advice to legal companies involved.
As far as we know, there has been no suggestion of a comparable increase in either autism or IBD amongst children who have received separate vaccinations.
In our view, it would be premature to say that a link has been either proven or not proven. We believe that further truly independent research is urgently needed, that the UK Government should abandon its attempt to bully parents into MMR, and that parents should have freedom of choice. Back To Top Of Page
Where
can I find more detailed information on MMR and separate vaccinations?
The UK Government offers its pro-MMR advice via NHS Direct (telephone 0845 4647),
and at:
http://www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk.
For a very different assessment of the risks of MMR, we suggest you visit:
http://www.jabs.org.uk.
You will also find a wealth of information by using the Google search engine:
http://www.google.com, with the search term "MMR
vaccination".
Just click on any of the above links to visit these sites.
For further information on any aspect of vaccinations, please contact us. Back To Top Of Page
Your Child ~ Your Choice