Interview 07

She had found it useful to listen to a Radio Four programme that had presented both sides of the…

Gender Male

I guess from just hearing both sides of the story and also hearing about the fact that this was a very small sample size I think that really made me doubt that if, because the thing is, the MMR has been taken by children not just in England but, you know, in so many countries in the whole world I mean, if you think about how many children have taken it, it must be millions if not billions of children who’ve had it and so if you compare that with twelve cases then I just didn’t think that was and I guess, I guess Radio Four was quite, they did show both, both arguments, so I just a, and maybe as well the papers that made such a big fuss about it are not really the papers that I read and maybe not as reputable.

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Remember how amazing it is that immunisation exists and what it has achieved.

Gender Male

Of course it’s your own decision and you have to decide what’s right for your child but I think it’s definitely worth it to think about the fact that immunisations really are miracles and they have decreased the death rate of all these, the rates that people get these diseases has gone down so incredibly, we are so lucky to have them because we would be facing so much more worry if we didn’t have them. And so I think of course you have to decide for yourself for your own child but, but I think, you know, really immunisations are great and if you ever want to travel in developing countries, you know, that’s another thing you never you, you certainly should have your children immunised then and also I think it is a matter of responsibility to the general public and to other children, that I think that should be considered as well.

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Making the decision wasn’t difficult for her because she had lived in Africa and had seen what…

Gender Male

I guess partially because I’ve worked in Africa and there are, theres a very low rate of vaccination in the country that I was working in [country] and you know, I saw lots of people with polio for example, you know, they couldn’t walk and, and you know, it’s such a common occurrence to see someone with polio that you know, Oh yeah that person has polio, that person has polio And, it just, and also, because I was working with, in education for women I also learned that theres so many children, you know, are dying of things like measles and, you know, lots of these preventable diseases so I think that made me quite pro-vaccination, because I, in fact I think vaccinations are miracles.

So I guess for me making the decision to immunise my children wasn’t a difficult decision because I think immunisations are wonderful, and, and I know, I know that, that there can be side effects but I think if you look at the statistics of if you didn’t get the immunisation and what are the chances of becoming ill with that, of the child becoming ill with that disease, versus if you look at the statistic of if you get the immunisation what is the chance of having a side effect. Then I would think that it’s much riskier not to be immunised.

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