'Why I am welcome the five-in-one vaccine'Clodagh Foelster lost a baby after he received his oral polio vaccine. She tells her story and argues that the new five-in-one vaccine is a good thing... The Government has announced plans to introduce a new five in one vaccine for our babies and in true scare-mongering fashion the media and lobby groups have voiced concerns over the safety of mixing five vaccines together. I lost my son to a vaccine-related illness so it is perhaps surprising that I am supporting these latest proposals. Especially when almost overnight panic has risen to hysteria amongst parents who rely on the media to explain what this new vaccine means. The group JABS - Justice, Awareness and Basic Support - is a support network for parents who believe their children have been damaged by vaccines. As plans for the five in one were announced they attacked the idea saying it 'increased the potential for an adverse reaction' and 'restricts choice for parents'. Strong words which have had their desired effect - hysteria amongst concerned parents. Adding to the hysteria, it seems, is the media. Their job is to sell stories. If everyone accepted the new vaccine as a great idea and left it at that, there would be no story to sell. And that is what every parent should do. Babies are currently vaccinated with a four in one jab and oral polio drops. The five in one jab removes the need for the drops by introducing the polio protection as a fifth element in the jab. So what difference does this make? Quite simply, it means the vaccine that killed my son at three months old will not be around to kill any more. Polio drops are 'live' which means they contain the actual polio virus in miniscule amounts. The idea is that the body will 'fight' the virus, building up it's own immunity to it. However, every year in the UK, up to 12 babies are seriously injured or die because their bodies are not strong enough to fight the virus so instead they contract a form of polio disease. As a parent I made the 'responsible' choice to vaccinate my twin boys who had been born 8 weeks premature. Toby went first and made such a fuss that when it was Zac's turn he spat out his polio drops. Five days later Toby stopped breathing in my arms and he died the next day. I was devastated, even more so when I was told that the very thing I had done to protect him had killed him. He weighed only four pounds when he had his vaccinations, his body was too tiny and his immune system too weak to cope with the live polio vaccine. Polio is the only live vaccine routinely given to our babies. The five in one removes this element as the polio used in it is not live. Despite my experiences, I would urge parents to vaccinate their children. My son did not die from the vaccine, it merely introduced polio into his system. He died from the disease. The disease is the killer, the new five in one removes this disease. All medication, even Calpol, carries a risk. It is up to you, as parents, to weigh up the risks involved. Most commonly babies become 'grizzly' after vaccinations, they may develop a slight fever. You may have a few disturbed nights. And if you choose not to vaccinate? What's the alternative? Your baby could develop a killer disease such as diptheria, meningitis or tetanus, otherwise known as lockjaw. I would advise you to forget the hysteria and panic. Look to the facts. If the five in one vaccine had been around when I had my twins vaccinated I would have two healthy three year olds running around today instead of just one. Where to next?
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