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Mum urges vaccine push and shares how son died after catching measles (www.bbc.com)
submitted 10 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world
47 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A mother whose child died aged six from a brain inflammation caused by measles hopes sharing her story will encourage parents to "vaccinate more".

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of measles outbreaks in parts of London.

Gemma Larkman-Jones wants more parents to consider having their children vaccinated sooner.

...

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, UKHSA chief executive, warned that measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and added that a "national call to action" is needed across the country.

Vaccination rates across the UK have been dropping, but there are particular concerns in parts of the capital as well as in some areas of the West Midlands.

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[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 72 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

Sometimes I think about how years ago parents would lie over their children's beds crying. Praying for a miracle because that is all that can save their child now is the work of God. They have see this before, heard the stories. Seen the other children die just recently. They know the pain, they know what is coming. They have done all they can. They sent for the doctor who said he won't be coming back as he has other patients to attend to, ones that might live. Yes they do what they can but it is all for nothing. They bury their child and go back home.

They sit there unable to cry anymore, the silence is broken from a cough in the younger child's room. They then pray to God that this is just a cold. God doesn't listen, God doesn't bring miracles. But man does. One day the work of God comes in the hands of the many and changes the suffering forever.

Sometimes I wonder what those people would say to us. I bet they would hate us for not taking something they would give their lives for.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 47 points 10 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

deleted by creator

[–] Saltblue@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

You would be surprised to know that some people today unironically believe that the germ theory is a hoax, and yes it's the demographic you are suspecting.

[–] SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

People back in the day were scared of inoculation/vaccination as well. See the following comic about a cow pox inoculation turning people into cows: https://www.themorgan.org/sites/default/files/images/blog/gillray_277009v_0001.jpg

It's not just a modern phenomena.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 36 points 10 months ago

I don't think it will change a lot of peoples minds. For most people, truth is social and they look to their in-group more than raw facts. Group membership is really important to the brain, and it reacts to threats to group membership similarly to how it reacts to a physical threat.

Related to the above, frankly a lot of people are too cowardly and fragile to admit fault. You've probably seen low stakes versions of this in real life. You're arguing with someone about what year a movie came out. You say it was 1990, they say 1989. You look it up and find it was in fact released March, 1990. Instead of them saying "Shit, you got me," they'll pull some bullshit like "Oh but march is still basically the previous year so i'm still basically right". Cowards. It doesn't matter much when it's about trivia, but when it's about shit like vaccines people die.

[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

"I honestly think that if people knew that this was a possibility they would vaccinate more,"

There isn't a doctor on Earth who doesn't tell mothers not to vaccinate their children. Look at this woman's face. You know she shared every single anti-vax post since 2020.

[–] JoBo@feddit.uk 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

She has to live with that every day of her life and is now doing what she can to save others that trauma, despite knowing that there will be dickheads who just want to pile on anyway. Have some humanity.

"Samuel didn't need to die and that's the guilt I carry every day with me," she said.

[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That's fair, she seemingly learned her lesson at the cost of her son's life, so people shouldn't pile on. But she is not getting an ounce of sympathy from me.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern 3 points 10 months ago

Nah, fuck that kid killing idiot.

[–] thecrotch@sh.itjust.works 10 points 10 months ago

Look at this woman's face. You know she shared every single anti-vax post since 2020.

You got all that from her physical appearance, huh? I actually agree with your stance on vaccines, but fuck you anyway and fuck the people who upvoted this

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Yay bodyshaming, huh?

[–] banazir@lemmy.ml 13 points 10 months ago

Remember when humanity solved this issue and children didn't have to die? Those were good times.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 6 points 10 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

A mother whose child died aged six from a brain inflammation caused by measles hopes sharing her story will encourage parents to "vaccinate more".

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of measles outbreaks in parts of London.

Her son, Samuel, developed a rare form of brain inflammation after catching measles, and died in 2019.

"I honestly think that if people knew that this was a possibility they would vaccinate more," Ms Larkman-Jones, 45, of Brixton, south London, told the PA Media news agency.

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, UKHSA chief executive, warned that measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and added that a "national call to action" is needed across the country.

In February 2019 Samuel was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital where a lumbar puncture and an MRI test found he had the neurological disorder subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

The original article contains 393 words, the summary contains 143 words. Saved 64%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] creamed_eels@toast.ooo 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

…she said he had been put on a delayed vaccination programme.

I’m not familiar with this. Can any English readers enlighten me? Why was it delayed?

[–] jaschen@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Means fuck around and found out.

[–] creamed_eels@toast.ooo 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The way it’s written implies the kid was placed in some sort of DHS “program” (?) maybe a scheduling thing (?), not that the mother was an anti-vax idiot, although it’s entirely possible she was. Either way the poor kid died of a preventable disease. Terrible.

[–] Rukmer@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Usually it means the parents opted for this. Not that anyone deserved this, I'm just clarifying what it likely means.

[–] HessiaNerd@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The 'soft' antivax stance is getting vaccinated for more than one thing at a time it too hard on young bodies.

It's bullshit on the spectrum of antivax.

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/delaying-skipping-and-altering-vaccine-schedules-addressing-selective-vaccination

It actually has some interesting history as this was the claim of Andrew Wakefield, one of the guys who threw gas on the antivax fire linking MMR to autism (he had a patent on a Measles vaccine, separate from the MMR). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_MMR_autism_fraud

[–] creamed_eels@toast.ooo 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So it does sound like something she chose because…autism or whatever else these types pull out of their ass. It’s heartbreaking for those kids

[–] HessiaNerd@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

At least she is facing reality and trying to warn others. It seems to me to be more common to double down and blame any other cockamamie idea rather than accept that she made the wrong choice.

[–] creamed_eels@toast.ooo 2 points 10 months ago

Yes, absolutely. But it’s still total garbage that the revelation comes only after her poor son is effected personally. People need to realise and care their shit takes have devastating real world consequences not only for themselves but others around them.

[–] Mediocre_Bard@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Fucked around, found out, and killed an innocent kid.

[–] Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

No. It was not her choice that caused this outcome. How do I know? I read the article: “ … he had been put on a delayed vaccination programme.” The woman had surely suffered enough losing her child - let’s not make it worse.

[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

A delayed vaccination programme isn't a real thing, it's just what happens when you miss vaccines so the doctors have no choice but to create a delayed schedule. It's a result of not taking your child's health seriously. It was directly this parents choice not to get her son vaccinated on the doctor administered schedule.

[–] Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

I bow to your superior knowledge and intimate understanding of this particular case. Many thanks.

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

if ooonly someone had told her... are you kidding me.

[–] madsen@lemmy.world 70 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Did you read the article? She's not saying that she didn't know that measles are dangerous, she's saying that she thinks people would vaccinate more and sooner if they knew the potential delayed effects of measles. Her son died 4 years after catching it and he wasn't vaccinated at 2 because he was on a delayed vaccination program (it doesn't say why). It's a super tragic story really and it doesn't seem like she's anti-vax or anything like it, quite the opposite.

[–] Kolrami@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago

I'll blame his/her mistake on the article. Most of the time I don't have to read the captions of pictures to obtain important information that would have also been in the normal text of the article.

Samuel developed measles aged two in 2014 and recovered, but was admitted to hospital in 2019 after his mother noticed he often lost his balance while walking

Why wasn't that part in the article proper?

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

interesting, thank you!

if the problem is these delayed vaccinations, why isnt that the meat of this problem? seems less about communication and more about a failed implementation plan (in general)

[–] jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 44 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The problem isn't just delayed vaccinations.

The kid could have had a health issue that prevented him from receiving the vaccine.

The real issue is people who choose not to get it for any reason other than a health problem that prevents them from getting it. This kid could be alive if it hadn't spread to him from unvaccinated people.

Herd immunity saves lives.

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 16 points 10 months ago

i think i get it, i appreciate you taking the time

[–] kbotc@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Delayed vaccination was an anti vax talking point awhile back: Somehow parents were convinced by morons on the internet that you had to space vaccines out more. Basically once you start questioning the actual science, the more susceptible you are to just never actually finish the vaccine series, so antivaxxers win.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882604/

Intentionally delayed vaccine doses are not uncommon. Children whose parents delay vaccinations may be at increased risk of not receiving all recommended vaccine doses by 19 months of age and are more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases. Providers should consider strategies such as educational materials that address parents' vaccine safety and efficacy concerns to encourage timely vaccination.

[–] Moonrise2473@feddit.it 4 points 10 months ago

For example some doctors, if a baby is suspected to have an acute form "Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome" to the egg, they prefer to delay the shot of a few months waiting for the diagnosis, in the tiny chance that if some egg proteins are present in the vaccine (some of them are grew in chicken eggs)