Information from the Media

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Information and advice from her brother, who works for a medical journal, experience of other children in the family being immunised with no ill effects, belief that some media reports were sensationalised and talking to the practice nurse helped her to make a decision.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 26 >> He thought a recent documentary was one-sided.

For all immunisations: Followed recommendations of health professionals. Believed media only presented one side of the argument.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 15 >> Media reports have created fear amongst parents and some of the reports weren't accurate enough.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Followed recommendations of health professionals. For MMR: Experiences of friends who had had their child immunised were useful. Gathered information from newspaper articles, Department of Health leaflets and the media. Spoke to her parents and friends.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age under 1 >> Interview 14 >> She will read the original research articles rather than just the media reporting of it.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Found it most useful to talk to friends who had already made decisions about their children's immunisations. Took on board recommendations of health professionals.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 21 >> She felt that a documentary showing a mother whose child had died of measles was scaremongering.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Followed recommendations of health professionals. For MMR: Sought out information that was balanced and not biased towards only pro or anti immunisation arguments. Read books written by anthroposophical medical doctors, which influenced her decision.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 41 >> Believes the media misrepresented the level of risk associated with MMR.

For all immunisations: Her experience of working in Public Health informed her decisions about immunisations. She believed much of the information from the media to be inaccurate and biased.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 07 >> She had found it useful to listen to a Radio Four programme that had presented both sides of the argument.

For all immunisations: Her experience of working in Africa where she saw the illnesses that the vaccines prevent, influenced her decision. For MMR, she also listened to a radio programme, which discussed both sides of the argument.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 02 >> She didn't trust media reports of research studies because she knew that the media could put a particular slant on the research done.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib they followed recommendations of health professionals. For MMR: Read research papers in medical journals and talked to family members. Media reports and Department of Health literature had little influence on their decision.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 32 >> She knew from her own work how the media wrongly portrayed health care issues so she didn't believe the media reports on MMR.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Followed recommendations of health professionals. For MMR: Didn't feel the need to search widely for information but talked to her health visitor and read information in the media before making her decisions.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 35 >> Suggests there are better places than the media for getting information about MMR and other immunisations.

For all immunisations: Her medical training and her experience of growing up in a third world country helped her to make decisions about her daughter's immunisations.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Youngest child's age 1-2 years >> Interview 12 >> Felt the media reporting always had a certain spin or gloss and didn't recognise the concerns of parents who chose not to vaccinate.

For DTaP/IPV/Hib: Followed recommendations of health professionals for their son. For MMR and immunisations for their daughter: Conducted an extensive review of the literature and scientific studies using the Internet and talked to their GP and health visitor.

Pregnancy & children >> Immunisation >> Mild or intermediate reactions to MMR >> Mild or intermediate reactions to MMR

Mild or Intermediate Reactions to MMR

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