[ruthann8]

We got lucky......

I was a little freaked out b/c I learned Ellamae could have come in contact with the measles. In NW Iowa, where most of our family is, there is a confirmed case of the measles. It happened on Easter weekend, but we had decided not to go home b/c we were just there the weekend before for my grandma’s funeral and no one was up to having an Easter get together. But if we would have gone, we possible would have been at couple of the places that would have exposed her to the measles. One of them being the Easter egg hunt. You can read about it hear. http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1531789.html

[Samual]

My niece was diagnosed with measles fairly recently, it was very scary, she wasn't even a year old, thankfully she is okay now and has passed all her hearing tests and play tasks. The number of confirmed cases of measles in the UK has risen massively since people have stopped vaccinating their children, there has been a 40% increase in measles since 2007, last month 14 children were diagnosed at one school in north Wales. Last year 1,370 children were diagnosed with measles in the UK, the highest number since records began in 1995.
I bet you're relieved.

[purelegance]

oh wow! that's scary. i'm glad you all were able to avoid them!

[2girls]

I'm glad you were able to avoid the measles.
Unfortunately I think we will be seeing more and more of these stories in the future.
Many parents are afraid of the MMR vaccine (and IMO for good reason). Merck has stopped production on the separate M M R vaccines forcing those nervous parents to delay or even decline the shot.

[ruthann8]

I too am terrified of the MMR vaccine. But because of the the Easter weekend measles scare I went and had her vaccinated.

Does anybody know why Merck stopped making the seperate M M R vaccines? Is there any way to get the seperate M M R shots anymore?

[2girls]

Here is their current supply chart http://www.merck.com/e-business/repo...ply_Status.pdf
They say that they stopped production on the separate doses because they need to focus on the combined MMR right now.
I can speculate that there is much more behind this, perhaps it's 'somebody's' way of FORCING parents to vaccinate for all 3 rather than 1? Or it's simply a bigger money maker?
I sent them an email to find out when they would have the shots available again and I received a reply back with no such answer including a phone # to call them.

[Samual]

You can still get separate shots in the UK, they are free if you've already had one of the illnesses or if there has been a reaction with previous vaccinations, if you simply don't want the combined you have to pay. As I said earlier that my niece had measles, now when she is old enough she will be given Rubella and Mumps vaccines separately, same with her booster too. It seems strange that they would totally remove separate production unless vaccines were as low as the flu vaccine for example, but if that were the case it would be in the press.

[2girls]

I called Merck at the phone # they gave me in their reply email and asked when they planned on having the separate vaccines available. I was told that they have not '"decided on an anticipated return date" but they are taking feed back and reporting it (where to I don't know). So I left my feedback. Maybe anyone else who is concerned about this issue could do the same.
The phone # is
1-800-672-6372