About the Author - Destiny?

[Nair Snehalatha]

I remember my mother telling me that I had severe whooping cough when I was a baby --- was nearly killed---- the medicine was Pertussin--- my mother had said.

[Katharine]

Sorry to hear about your problems Anita. It's a worry as a parent to know what to do for the best. I know I agonised for ages about whether to let my children have the various vaccinations.

I was especially concerned about the MMR for my son, as that was about the time all the scare stories were circulating In the end I decided to go ahead, as I know from my parent's experience that Measles is a very nasty illness. I tried to comfort myself with the thought, that if he had a reaction, he'd probably have been one of those that was seriously ill if he caught Measles, and that hopefully any reaction wouldn't be as bad as having the diseased itself.

About the time of his vaccination it became apparent that he had various food intolerances, but whether they were triggered by the jab or not, I have no way of knowing. There is a family history of such problems, so maybe he'd have developed them anyway.

My youngest daughter developed a skin rash after her injections at 2,3 and 4 months. I had to use homeopathy to clear it up. She also developed food intolerances, but before the MMR was due, so to minimise the risk of any further side effects, I paid a lot of money for her to have the single Measles vaccine. She didn't have any problems, but now I am faced with the difficulty of what to do over the next few years, as she still hasn't been vaccinated against Mumps and Rubella, and the doctor is no longer practising.

I didn't realise Whooping cough was caused by bacteria. I assumed it was an airborne virus.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I know it seems the wisest thing to do to vaccinate against the illness etc, but my disabled grandson, is not allowed to have the vaccination for whooping cough! It makes you wonder doesn't it, exactly what is in these injections if they don't allow certain children to have it as it's not safe for them.

[Katharine]

I think the Measles vaccine isn't suitable for those with an allergy to eggs. I do know a family who didn't have the Whooping cough vaccine for medical reasons, but the mother didn't go into details, so I don't know why they didn't have it. I do know though, that there is Coeliac's disease in their family, so maybe it's that? Either that, or I know the father doesn't drive, again for undisclosed reasons. So I wonder if he suffers from epilepsy or something where he's in danger of passing out suddenly. Again, is there a link between that and the Whooping cough vaccine?

It is rather worrying Julie, that there must be something that would be dangerous for your grandson, that the rest of the population are being given.

I suppose the trouble is, that as most of the serious diseases have just about disappeared, we've forgotten what life would be like if children weren't vaccinated. My parents speak of the fear of an outbreak of Polio, which could strike anyone regardless of general health. I do think thought that some vaccines are unnecessary for the general public, such as for Chicken Pox which I believe is about to introduced. If caught as a child, it's normally a mild illness. I'd certainly never have considered it for any of my children.

[Poppy]

This thread is becoming most surreal. It is the skill of surgeons/doctors coupled with the body's healing abilities that cure us, not intervention from some supernatural power.

I agree with this. What about all the other children dying around the world. Malaria kills a child a minute; God would save them, wouldn't he, if he had the chance?

[Moonraker]

Of course he would. Good to see some sense spoken, Poppy!