[franklymum]

Sigh. This topic comes up again and again.

OP, while i can understand your concern for you newborn the most important fact about anyone that comes into contact with your baby is this - whether they are sick or unwell.

Vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults alike can all pass on something if they are currently contagious - people who are vaccinated still get sick. This includes the scary ones too like whooping cough. Vaccinated children both contract and pass on diseases even if they are perhaps not suffering a severe case of the disease because they've been vaccinated.

Sometimes the person doesn't know they are unwell because there are no symptoms - this can also be a problem for both vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults and both have the possibility of passing something on.

The safest thing you can do is keep those who have a cough/feel unwell/might be coming down with something away from your newborn and take all the usual precautions.

I am not coming from a particular stance here - anti-vax or pro-vax, i am simply pointing out the logic of the situation. Goodluck and congratulations OP.

[Sif]

Being unvaccinated is NOT the same as being disease ridden.

Being vaccinated is NOT the same as being immune.

When are people going to understand this.

Unless a vaccinated child or adult has had their immunity TESTED to PROVE they have developed immunity, they are a risk to a newborn.

If you are so afraid of your child catching a communicable disease, your best bet is to put the child in a bubble, that is the ONLY way to can ensure safety.

[WaitForIt]

I don't have an all or nothing view on illness so the bubble wont be necessary.

Of course I would keep sick people away, whether vaccinated or not. Of course I will take my baby outside and in public. But there is a big difference between someone sitting over the way in a cafe to someone holding and snuggling for multiple days.

I'm not looking to prevent my child from getting any form of illness, just reduce the risk of catching the big ones.

[CallMeProtart]

[/b]Vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults alike can all pass on something if they are currently contagious - people who are vaccinated still get sick. This includes the scary ones too like whooping cough. Vaccinated children both contract and pass on diseases even if they are perhaps not suffering a severe case of the disease because they've been vaccinated.

Yes this is an area I'm fuzzy about re: vaccinations - on the one hand I believe that a person, say, vaccinated against whooping cough, can still get sick from the virus, it just wouldn't be likely to progress to full blown whooping cough. So they could still have the virus to pass on.
But yet you do hear about the low immunity members of a community being protected by 'herd immunity' - how does that work if the virus is just as prevelant as otherwise, but just not so severe? How is it that some diseases have been virtually eliminated due to vaccinations - shouldn't they still be around, just without much symptom?

This is something I still don't understand regarding vaccinations. I suppose maybe it depends what sort of disease it is - like say smallpox/chickenpox, if you're immune you're immune, so it just doesn't hang around in your body at all - whereas whooping cough, the immunity thing kind of partially protects you, but you still can carry the virus - is that something like how it works?

[franklymum]

OP, regarding your above reply i am honestly curious then what threat you think having a healthy (ie. not sick/coughing etc) unvaccinated child around your newborn poses? As i said i fully realize that people can be sick without showing any symptoms yet but that applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated children (both of which can contract and pass along these diseases even if, perhaps, the disease is milder for the vaccinated child).

Again, i am not having a go and i appreciate your need to protect your child but i'd really be interested to know why you regard having a healthy non vaccinated child around as more threatening than you would regard a healthy vaccinated one?

This post has been edited by franklymum: 23/04/2012, 02:01 PM

[*mylittleprince*]

I find this an interesting topic. 2 of my very close friends don't immunise. I see my one friend 3 times a week and other friend once a week. Also have an acquintace who doesn't vaccinate that we will start seeing quite often. I'm pregnant with twins and so worried about this.

I would feel strange asking them and their children not too touch (although maybe the adults would be immunised?).

So confusing to know what is right.

[pratique]

Yes this is an area I'm fuzzy about re: vaccinations - on the one hand I believe that a person, say, vaccinated against whooping cough, can still get sick from the virus, it just wouldn't be likely to progress to full blown whooping cough. So they could still have the virus to pass on.
But yet you do hear about the low immunity members of a community being protected by 'herd immunity' - how does that work if the virus is just as prevelant as otherwise, but just not so severe? How is it that some diseases have been virtually eliminated due to vaccinations - shouldn't they still be around, just without much symptom?

This is something I still don't understand regarding vaccinations. I suppose maybe it depends what sort of disease it is - like say smallpox/chickenpox, if you're immune you're immune, so it just doesn't hang around in your body at all - whereas whooping cough, the immunity thing kind of partially protects you, but you still can carry the virus - is that something like how it works?

When you are vaxinated your body will build up antibodies to fight the disease if you come in contact with it. Then if the pathogen is ingested at a later state, symptoms may appear as your body is fighting it (this is why sometimes people get sick after the flu shot for example) However, because the body has the appropraite antibodies it is able to fight it off at a relatively quicker rate.

Herd immunity protects communities as the disease is stop shorter at a much quicker rate. When individuals are immunised they are able to kill the pathogen and not spread the disease. Over time the disease is not as prevalent. Incubation periods will differ for various diseases, thus the ability to 'hang around' so to speak.

Small pox has not been seen in the community since the late 70's.

[tenar]

Just because both vaccinated and unvaccinated people can catch and pass on a given disease doesn't mean that they are equally likely to. A vaccinated person has a high chance of being protected from that disease. An unvaccinated person has no protection from that disease (unless they have already had it before, in which case their status is the same as if they were vaccinated.

Non-vaccinated people are therefore a much higher risk to babies in this context, regardless of their reasons (good or not) for not vaccinating. That doesn't mean vaccinated people pose no risk, of course they do, but the risk is significantly reduced.

Of course sick people should not be around newborns and most people in the community would realise this as an obvious fact. The problem isn't people with symptoms, it's people who are infectious but don't have any symptoms yet.

[squirt081]

It is a deal breaker to me. No newborn is knowlingly exposed to a non vaccinated child and no handling by the parents of an unvaccinated child until the baby has their first vaccination.
Good luck with this.

This

Now my DD is nearly 3yrs and DS 18mths I have no problems with non vaccinated ppl around them but not when they CANT have them cause they are to young.

Dont care who they are or what they say it's a big STAY AWAY.

[trishalishous]

its cultural to have a 'confinement' or babymoon for us, so contact will be limited in the first month anyway.
ill be staying away from certain circles until bellyfruit has had the 6week shots, but will be going overseas at 6months old.