Parents, beware the devastating consequences of measles | Vaccines and immunisation

After reading the letters on the disinformation and the hesitation of the vaccines (the overvoltage of measles shows why vaccinations are crucial, July 20), I felt that I had to write to tell you about an unrecognized cause in the 1980s, with 11 state schools and a certain number of private schools that took the service of vaccination, we had 98% on the school. This was due to the system for sending letters to the house to parents requesting their consent and followed by phone, if necessary, by the staff of the school office. The children came in class prizes.

Then, the local health authorities decided that this service should be interrupted and that the parents were invited to take their child to the local surgery of the general practitioner for their vaccinations. Absorption fell to less than 40% of eligible children due to children who did not bring letters home, or parents forgetting or losing the letter – or failing to take time to bring their child to surgery. When I asked GPS of the local health center what was the absorption of the cohort of eligible children, they looked at their files and were surprised, but reluctant to do anything.

Health visitors were responsible and who succeeded a lot, to advise new mothers when the vaccines were due, where to obtain and encourage absorption. It should be compulsory for all vaccines for preschool children (which includes measles) to be made before a child is admitted to school, as in many other countries.

As a midwife, I saw a baby born to a mother who had contact with rubella at the start of pregnancy. The little girl was born with a rash, had bilateral cataracts and was completely deaf. She was very sick. Deaf children’s schools can come back to these children again if vaccination is not taken for any reason. How sad.
Joan Stephens
Liphook, Hampshire

I contracted measles just before creating the NHS. With it came serious ear infections, eardrums that broke out, etc. There were no vaccines, just ear drops. Over the years, infections and operations have continued and now at the age of 82, I have no hearing with complications. I pray to people to think seriously about vaccination. The consequences of measles can sometimes be devastating.
Jean Jackson
Green seer, buckinghamshire