Immunization Side Effects

J.- Immunizations are a wonderful thing...don't worry you are doing the right thing. My daughter usually got very sleepy after her shots but other than that nothing...very healthy!
I have seen children at my center develop a little rash, a slight fever, or a bit of the grumpy bug but, nothing serious in 10 years and over 2,000 children!
Hang in there! H.

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Hi J.:

Whether you are "for or against" immunizations, the fact is that often the substance that is injected into a child may be seen by the body as an "allergen." For the sake of both your children, (and yourself) may I suggest you learn more about the body's "allergen warning system," and the non-invasive way that allergies can be cured via NAET. By testing the body for up-coming immunization substances through muscle response system your child can be treated for those things that his or her body considers an allergen before going for that immunization.

My suggestion to you is that you visit NAET.com, order and read the book "Say Good-Bye to Children's Allergies." If you want to do more research on the subject, you may also want to go to narfnet.org (Nambudripad Allergy Research Foundatin). There are now over 9000 NAET certified practitioners world wide. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton and absolutely love him. His phone number is ###-###-####. One of the wonderful things about NAET is that for children or the infirm, they can be treated through a surrogate, i.e., you. Here is the description paragraph from the book information.

"Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies
By - Devi S. Nambudripad, D.C., L.Ac., R.N., Ph.D.
Paperback-1st Edition 2000
350 pages, 8.5’ X 5.5’ X .75’
ISBN: ISBN: 0-###-###-####-8-4
In Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, the developer of NAET®, will help you understand your child’s illness and will assist you in finding the right help to achieve better health for your child. This book will show you how certain commonly used products in your foods and environment can cause health problems in your child; how you can test your child in your privacy of your own home using the Nambudripad’s Testing Techniques described in the book. This book will educate you how your child’s health problems can relate to allergy, a traditionally under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed condition; and, how allergies can manifest into myriad symptoms that might seem unrelated. The author also provides remedies for mild conditions of common childhood ailments arising from allergies and how to find help in assisting your child find the right help for serious problems such as, asthma, hay-fever, common colds, sinus problems, milk allergy, peanut allergy, sugar allergy, hives, gastritis, vomiting, colic for newborns, ear infections, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, bronchitis, drug reactions, and many other conditions. Dr. Nambudripad explains how allergies are often the underlying causes to pediatric problems and how NAET® testing procedures and NAET® treatments can offer relief from these allergies. The book is supported by NAET® practitioners’ testimonials and patients’ success stories."

Best regards,

M. S.

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There are a lot of folks who are TOTALLY against vaccines. I got them when I was a child and turned out fine. My daughter has gotten all of hers with no ill effects (other than some redness, swelling or warmth at the injection site at the time). I'm sure that there are a wide variety of responses because each of our systems are different, however I find all of the "vaccines are evil" reactions a little alarmist. Just one mom's opinion.

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I expected that you would get all of the militant anti-vaxing respondants and you have.
It's fine to check out all of the links they provide but also double check your information by googling (and honestly, I wouldn't. It only makes you worry more and you really don't have to but if you've already seen all the websites they recommend, then please look at the other side of the argument-such as thimersol has been removed from most vaccinations etc)
On that note, my mother is an RN and I was fully vaccinated as a child and I've recently found out I am not immune to chicken pox so I am getting vaccinated as soon as I can for them. I also received a tetanus shot a few years ago, I get my flu shot (and my kids too) every year. I was also re-immunized for whooping cough when my daughter was born. Other than soreness at the injection sites, I've had no ill effects at all through my lifetime.
Both of my children have had their full vaccinations, on time, on schedule. My son has had no effects that I remember (he recently got his 12 year shots several months ago) but my daughter did develop a fever about a week or so after some of her shots, HOWEVER, she was also teething -4 teeth at a time, each time- at the same time so I could not say it was her vaccinations or not. I actually am more inclined to believe that the four teeth cutting through her gums caused the fever-which went away after the teeth broke- She's fine and her personality is exactly the same and on schedule.
I have two friends whose children have died from illnesses that could have been prevented by a vaccine. I don't care what's in them or how they are made, I know that they work how they are intended to (and I have this discussion with the antivaxers all the time-you will not change their minds and they will not back down from the discussion-I would ask them to provide not just links though but actual experiences of their own where there were ill effects)
I don't know anyone who has been seriously harmed by a vaccine so in my own experience, vaccinating is safer than not vaccinating. I have one friend with a child who has Aspergers and she firmly believes that it was not caused by vaccines.
Unless your child has an allergic reaction or your older child had reactions, I wouldn't even worry about it.

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Hello,

I was wondering...have you researched the ingredients in immunizations???

I never did, until this past week. And no, I'm not one of those radical non-vaxer's yet. All three of my children are up to date on their shots. However, after reading what is IN these shots, I will no longer be doing vaccinations. Or at least selective vaccinations.

These are some of the things in them, from the CDC ( center for disease control...gov't website ):

Aluminum
Antibiotics
Egg Protein
Formaldehyde ( stuff used to preserve dead bodies )
MSG
Thimerosol ( which includes mercury )

There are MANY more ingredients in them, and these are being injected into babies every few months in the first year of their life. I'm thankful to have healthy kids, since like I said...mine are all up to date on their shots.

I'm not making this up. I just realized that sooooo many of us don't research what we give to ourselves and especially our kids before we do.

Anyhow, take the information or leave it. It's up to you. But there have been kids who have been permanently damaged from vaccinations. My grandmother died less than a week after having a flu shot. She had no other conditions.

Christy

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My daughter never had more than mild irritability after her shots, and I think most of that was due to being jabbed in the first place. I remember after the very first ones, her doc said she'd probably sleep through the afternoon and I thought, "Yay, then so will I!" She was conked out in the car, I took her up to her crib, put her down, got into bed myself thinking I'd have my first long nap since she was born...nope. 10 minutes later she was up and in great spirits, wanting to play.

I definitely had concerns about vaccinating since I know a lot of people who aren't doing it or who delayed it. Robert Kennedy Jr's revelation about possible coverups of nasty side-effects from thimerosal really spooked me, because he's no quack.

So I read up on it all and came to the conclusion that now that the thimerosal was gone (actually, double-check that your doc has gotten rid of any old stock that has it), I felt that vaxing was safe. I read up on the study that scares a lot of people regarding autism and the MMR at one year, but it was only something like 12 babies in the study and at least a couple of them had autism signs before the MMR. It didn't look like a sound study to me.

That being said, I do understand why some people are spooked off of the whole thing. I respect the decision my friends have made, but I've chosen to vaccinate and my daughter has been just fine. I personally consider it the best way to go, but I don't hold it against anyone who does otherwise if they've come to their conclusion based on education and reading as opposed to giving in to spooky stories.

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Contrary to popular belief, immunizations are unnecessary. They do cause unnecessary risk, been linked to cancer and other serious diseases. I have not had my two boys get any shots. Nursing gives them a TON of antibotics already and I prefer letting their bodies fight germs naturally, like God created them to. I know a kid who as a baby had major seizures from shots and he hadn't had any shots before that. I am kind of wierd already--I have my babies at home!

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Whenever my kids have gone in for shots, the doctors or nurses have given me a paper that lists possible side effects, and how long they can last. My kids have never had a reaction, but all kids are different.

I was disappointed, and even a little angry this spring to learn that a family in my babysitting co-op had not vaccinated their kids. All of them got whooping cough, and exposed my kids to it (fortunately my kids didn't get it, because they are vaccinated, but vaccines aren't 100%).

People who choose not to protect their kids need to disclose that so that the rest of us have the option of not exposing our kids to them. Their "rights" end where mine begin.

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My trick is to give ibuprofen before the appointment; give a bath at night and have them kick, kick, kick those legs to help the soreness.

It's a little disappointing to see so many people against vaccinations. I realize it's a personal choice, but should my children not develop adequate immunity from the vaccination and they're exposed to someone with a particular disease, MY children are at risk based on the choices of another. I have a problem with that.

Further, look at the risk of a complications from the vaccine and compare that to the morbidity and mortality associated with aquiring the disease, especially influenza, in young children. All of my children have been protected and will continue to receive boosters....

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Whether you are for or against vaccinations, I would highly recommend reading the book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave. I got mine off of Amazon.

It is not written solely to tell you not to get your kids vaccinated. It has a lot of good information about what to do to help protect your child if/when they are vaccinated.

I think one of the scariest things about vaccines that I didn't know was the amount of thimerosal, a form of mercury, that is in the shots. By the age of six months, fully vaccinated children receive 187.5 mcg of mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency's "safe level" is 0.1 mcg per kilogram of body weight per day. Before six months, mercury cannot be cleared from the body, because the production of bile, which removes toxins, is not developed until four to six months of age. So, the mercury travels to the brain, clings to brain tissue, and damages the nervous system. I find it very hard to believe that the rise in autism is not related to the vaccinations our children are receiving, especially since the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism are virtually identical.

Giving only one vaccine per doctor visit is much safer. Waiting to do this until just before the child enters school is safer still, as the child's body has had a chance to grow and mature, and is more able to deal with the mercury and other toxins that are injected into it.

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There is an extra shot that babies get at four mo. that isn't given at 2 mo. I can't remember what it is but both of my boys reacted more. Both the same, more tired and a fever for about a day and half. There are some children that shouldn't have immunizations but for the most part they are safe and effective even with the side effects. If you want a good research project take a look at how many more children are living longer and healthier. I live in salt lake and we have recently had in influx of whooping cough. I was directly exposed to it and was scared senseless that I exposed my kids. The first thing I did was make sure they were immunized. I don't know what I would have done if things had been different. To know that I could have done something that I didn't as a mom. Remember that there are scary things everywhere and everyone has a different comfort zone. You are the best judge of what's best for you and your kids. Take the horror stories into account but don't base your decision on them.

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My son had a low grade fever and slept a lot after his 4 month immunizations.

My sons just seemed more tired than usual and the shot sight was tender. Actually the whole thigh was tender. They never had any bad reactions. I've heard it can happen but getting the immunations are more important than worrying about the side effects. Our city had a whooping cough outbreak because parents were afraid to get them immunized. That was worse. It spread though one neighborhood and several kids were very sick. I gave my boys some motrin before I went into the doc's and they didn't seem to hurt as much, afterward. Watching them get the shots is worse for us, than it is for them, I think.

My sons occasionally got fevers after shots but that's it. Tylenol and a bath helped immensely. My cousins son had a violent allergic reaction(non-stop seizures for a day and a half) to his one year shots (he had an extra shot that he missed earlier too and his doc said he got too many shots at once). He has made a full recovery but it scared me. I asked my ped about it and he said we could divide up the one year shots between one year and 18 months. He will get all of the new shots at a year and the continuations of other immunizations at 18 months so that he stays covered. My first son had no problems with all of his immunizations and my second hasn't even gotten a fever after his but still I want to split them up to be safer. I would never not immunize my kids. My grandfather was crippled by polio. We are soooo blessed to have nearly rid ourselves of childhood illnesses that used to be so dangerous and debilitating. There are risks with immunizations but they are slim.

Oh boy! I know it's hard to go through an immunization (my kids have all of theirs except flu - do your research people it's loaded with mercury and a mercury derivative).

Your little guy may end up with a swollen, painful looking welt on his leg - this is normal, but may make him fussy about how you hold him. Crank up the heat in the house and let him just have a onsey so nothing is rubbing the area. I find a little sentsitive skin lotion (with no additives or perfumes) helps alleviate the puffiness in the area.

He may also run a slight temp - also normal so only go to the doc if it persists and be careful about medicating it - fevers are an indicator that something needs to be killed in the system and the heat does that. However if he gets too fussy then a little tylenol.

Be careful about running right to medicine. I had midwives with my first and I am friend's with a pharmacist. Try natural relievers like massage (you can find baby massage books just about anywhere), baths, and lotions before medication. Our bodies are designed to fight off sickness.

Last note is that if your little guy didn't get sick the first round he probably won't this time either. However next time, for the pain in the area, give a half-dose of tylenol about a half-hour before.

Everyone had great stuff to say. The only advice I would add is a reminder that you don't have to do all the shots nor do you have to do them when they "recommend" them. We waited until our daughter was 4 months to actually start shots...there's just no reason to do them earlier than that (they want infants to start as early as possible so they are more likely to get the whole series within the well-baby time-frame). We didn't do Varicella (both Chicken Pox and the vaccine are linked to shingles later in life) and we will NEVER give a flu shot (some are adding the mercury back in). We are also not doing the MMR due to some recent research that just came out about possible long-term side effects. PLEASE do some research for yourself. You can't take anyone else's word for it. Do what's right for your family in your situation. Remember, YOU are in charge of your child's healthcare, not your pediatrician (they can be pushy, which is not always a bad thing!). Take charge, and good luck! If your mind isn't at ease, don't let anyone pressure you into anything! You can always do the shots later.

Both of my sons got Autism. So that is the most frightening thing ever! Just please please please make sure your son is not sick at ALL when you take hime to get his shots. Especially the ones right around a year old - 15 months. If his immune system is compromised in anyway, that can affect how he will react to the vaccine! Just be careful, it's up to you to protect your son. Good luck!

My son actually got the chicken pox from the vaccine!! He didnt get a bad case of them but he had enough to be really itchy for a few days. Niether of my daughters have really had any side effects other than being crabby for a few days.

you know, that's funny that i saw this posting- my 4 month old daughter just had her second round of imm. last week and i ended up staying home one day this weekend from work because she was responding differently to them than she did the first time around. at her 2 mo. set, her first dose, she was completely fine, no problem whatsoever. but this last time she was just...much more irratable. her window of being awake and lively and smiley (how she normally is) went from a few hours to forty minutes or less for a day or two. irritable is the best way to describe it. she never developed a fever or anything but she was definitely reacting.
like i said, it was only for a day or two and they say that that's pretty normal so i just rode it out.
best of luck!

My daughter is 3 1/2 months now. After her immunizations at 2 1/2 months, she had a fever and was really irritable and fussy. She normally isn't this way. She also freaked out every time we changed her diapers or accidently toucher her thighs, they were probably sore after all her shots. I'm dreader her 4 month immunizations because of this. Hopefully, it's better since she's had them once. I hope everything goes well for you.

J., first off I will start by telling you that my kids have had all thier shots and had no problems. But my husband has never had any kind of shot in his life and is totally healthy too. But one of my good friends has a child who is 8 now but when he got his 18 month shots they actually kick up a reaction that caused him to develope autism. It was something he was predosposed too but it was the imunizations that kick started it. it is not that common but is still a risk that is there..

I actaully work with a wellness company who teaches about what is in our houses everyday that makes us much sicker, and offer alternative products that are cheaper the your grocerystaor brands.

http://wisemommy.fourpointwellness.com

My son is 6 months old and just had his 6 month shots. He usually is fussy and sometimes runs a low fever. I suggest giving you little on Motrin if he gets a fever or seems to be in pain/fussy. After a day or 2 my son is back to normal and playing like a mad man!!

I usually give a dose of Tylenol after my boys shots. We have had no ill effects, and I am not willing to risk my boys life by not getting them vaccinated for preventable diseases, or risk them exposing other children to these serious illnesses. I know everyone has there own opinion, but I hope to God non of those un-vaccinated children are in school with my young sons before they are old enough to have been fully vaccinated.

p.s.
Nursing only gives immunities for a short time.

J., My 5 yo would usually get a fever with his immunizations. Not a high fever but more of an elevated temp. Sometimes they can develop a rash around the area, but if the rash spreads all over the body or the fever goes over like 102 (that is a rectal temp) and stays there for more than a day and nothing helps (like tylenol or motrin) then you need to be worried. I would usually give my son a dose of tylenol about 15 to 30 minutes before he was due to get the shots just so I knew he was covered for pain meds and that way I knew if his temp did go up he was covered there too. Anyway I hope this helps you. Also remember you know your child if you feel something is not right don't let it go if someone tells you its nothing, keep pushing the issue. I know thats the only way I got my son treatment quite often. Especially at the base. Good Luck! J.

with my son, he had no problems with his 2 mo shots, but with his 4 mo shots on his left leg where they gave him 2 shots there was a huge hard lump there for a few weeks, its still there a little bit, but its just tiny, all i had to do was put a warm washcloth on it.

J.,

Thank you for posting this question, because the replies have given me a lot of information as well.

My daughter did not show any reaction to the vaccinations until 6 months. That was the age the pediatrician told me her immune system would be mature enough to produce a reaction. Sure enough, she came down with her first fever after her 6 month shots.

You should know that the MMR (Mumps, Measles and Rubella) vaccination is considered the worst or the most dangerous. My daughter had the strongest reaction to this one - a high fever for 5 (!) days and a full body rash.

She came through just fine, but it got me reading about vaccinations and I would definitely have done things differently if I had taken the time to research it. I'm not saying I wouldn't have vaccinated her, but I would have started at 4 months and spaced them out over FIVE years, not two years.

I am not 100% against or 100% for vaccinations. My grandfather remembers childhood friends dying of polio.

I do think vaccinations are given too soon and at unsafe amounts - some kids get 3 to 5 vaccinations at one time.

One last bit of information: My nephew's highschool had a measles outbreak last year and the five kids who came down with measles had not been vaccinated (my nephew being one of them). Two were hospitalized. Measles can cause sterility in boys/men who have gone through puberty, so there's some worry about that.

However, as a pp noted, children who are vaccinated with the MMR can still come down with one of the illnesses!!

It's maddening really. We want to do what's right for our children and, when it comes to vaccinations, there's risks if we vaccinate and risks if we don't.

Best of luck with your little one. There's great information here in answer to your post.

Well J.,

I don't know if this will put your mind at ease at all, but my daughter just got her one year shots and ended up having a seizure. It's perfectly normal. It doesn't mean she's epileptic, just had a fever too hot, too fast. Ibuprofen worked the best for getting it down from 105 to normal 98.
Good luck!

M.

Vaccines do NOT equal immunization... they are full of nasty chemicals and cause a lot of problems, especially those who come in the three part series. Keep in mind that none of them have ever had a long term study tested on them individually, let alone when mixed together. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have from the anti- side :)

Dear J.,

My 4 yr old son has had flu shots every year of his life with no side effects. We do give him a dose of tylenol (doc's advice). He has never had the flu. I already have a appt. for my son and 8 month baby girl made. We all get flu shots every year and have not had the flu since.

Go over the side effects that might happen with doc.

E.

Hi J.,

Vaccinations can be a wonderful thing. But they're NOT risk-free and although it's a small chance, you are still taking one each time you vaccinate. (Most of the smaller symptoms I'm aware of are fever, redness, swelling in the vaccination area and restlessness) Vaccinations are a HUGE money making industry for not only the companies that make them but also the physicians. Because of this we've been taught that vaccinating is a must and that we're bad parents for considering not doing it.
But it's simple not true. I have spoken to nurses who told me that half of the kids coming into the hospital with the chicken pox, measels etc. had been immunized for them. I personally know of 3 children who were hurt badly by them (autism over night being one)Some people argue that by not immunizing you are endangering other immunized children. This statement is ridiculous because if the vaccines worked, then an un-vaccinated child would pose no risk to a vaccinated child. They will also tell you that it's the law and you have no choice, but that is also not the case. I simply fill out a form at son's preschool stating that for religious and personal reasons I have chosen not to vaccinate. By law they cannot keep your child out of school.
Anyway, that being said, it's a very personal decision and should not be made without research. And no matter what is decided in the end, the parent should be respected for their decision.
Here is a website I recommend. But I wouldn't recommend going there unless you are serious about researching both sides and making a decision accordingly. http://thinktwice.com/

Best of Wishes to you and your family!
M.

my son would always feel sort of icky after shots, tyr to keep a warm cloth on the leg where they gave the shot. sometimes they get a little bit of a fever afterward. Just plan on a day of sort of icky I always did. I think it wears them out they cry and scream and it hurts.

Personally, I declined the whooping cough 3 part shots on both children. I had a friend whos baby got severe grand mal seisuzes from it and is still very retarded . Bad shot. I prayed over my kids before the doctors and only let them get 1 shot at time. This meant more visits but they rarely got fussy and I would nurse them right after their shots. No bad affects here. Prayer gave me peace and I do believe helped us.

Hi J.
When my son was 4 months he got a shot that made his left thigh swell up about double the size it was supposed to be. I called the doctor and they didn't seem to concerned about it. It went away by the next day and since then he has been fine. I have had 2 other children since then and the haven't had a problem. I hope that helped :)

Lots of good information. I'm firmly on the vaccinating side.

One thing to keep in mind is that at 2 months they don't have much of an immune system so of course there's generally no reaction to the shot. At 4 months they have more and now can build the antibodies that will protect them from whatever disease they're being vaccinated against. So, there's more of a physical reaction. This is part of why they repeat shots as well during this time period. You want to get the shot as early as possible for the body to build the right antibodies, but if the immune system isn't ready yet the vaccination isn't that helpful. But if you wait too long then you increase the baby's risk of catching the disease.

Also, a pediatric nurse friend of mine (actually has her doctorate in pediatric nursing and teaches it) highly recommended tylenol 30 minutes before the vaccination.