Immunizations....

My second baby hasn't even been to the dr let alone gotten any shots. I think if he's healthy, why make him sick? Shots aren't completely effective and the chance that he will even come in contact with most of these diseases is slim. If he happens to get sick, the chances of it be life-threatening are almost non-existant. There are lots of websites about it. One of my favorites is Mothering.com. I'm with you, people need to stop giving me grief about it and how I choose to raise MY child!

Hi S.,

I want to share a little of my story....I will try to make it short…although I’m not good at that. I will say I have both points of view, so maybe it will just make for more confusion…I just know when I’ve read others stories, it’s helped me.

Anyway…my brother is 31 years old & profoundly mentally disabled with a severe seizure disorder (Lennox Gastaut Syndrome - very rare) it was caused by one of his immunizations when he was an infant. Because of LG’s progression, today he is mentally about 9 months old. A "bad lot" they would call what happened to him. So....I used to be completely & totally against immunizations - saying when I have children, I will "never immunize my children". I did have all mine (I'm almost 6 years older than him), & I didn’t have any reactions. So, when I was a young adult I did a lot of research, I was determined that someone was going to explain to me how we could be forcing people to risk their child's life - I wanted answers....well, I got them through lots & lots of research; & it actually changed my point of view.

First...please know that I am the first to think it is every single parent’s right to be informed, to have options & to be able to choose what they will or won't do for their child.

Second...I decided - with great apprehension that I would immunize my children & here is why: I feel that the risk of an adverse reaction is much smaller than the risks of not having immunizations - especially knowing what these diseases used to do...my grandmother was affected by polio as a child & my mother - mumps.

My next reason is because immunizations are regulated & adverse reaction reporting is mandatory to prevent "bad lot" problems today - it is so much less of a risk than it has ever been & every single year it improves tremendously – it’s far, far from perfect, but what is?

I know this seems strange coming from a person whose sibling was "adversely" affected (that never seemed to really describe the magnitude of what happened to him)...but I honestly do see the benefits & to me, they do outweigh the risk. It’s not easy for me….I pray before my children are immunized & I’m almost holding my breath...but, even my mother agrees with me & that helps coming from a parent of a child adversely affected. So I do immunize.

My final reason & what made me decide to immunize, is a question I would ask to anyone thinking about whether to immunize or not, “do you or will you give your children medications at all (i.e. - Tylenol, benadryl, amoxicillin, albuterol for asthma/allergies, etc.)?” If so, I would suggest to you to do exactly what I did…check the side effects that can happen - they are typically listed as "rare"....but they do list things such as breathing problems (along with many others) & that can be a big deal - any child could be that 1 in a million that has that reaction...breathing problems/shortness of breath, all of those potential "side effects" are life threatening if you are unable to get treatment in time. These are very, very small risks...but they are risks just as the immunizations are. Many side effects are not even listed on the drugs.com website – you have to go to the government’s site to read them, because they are so rare…but they do happen…

So...my intended short response has turned long (my husband always says I'm long winded)...but my point is - please consider for yourself which risk is greater & if you are against it – do not let anyone sway you or be judgmental towards you – remind them that it is your child after all….for me, I thought I was going to be against immunizations, but I put in God's hands my children & I use the medicines that I know He created & do immunize & give medications to my children.

I don't know if that helps at all....but I thought my story/point of view might help. To all the Mom’s out there….please...please remember - we all have opinions/experiences that make up our feelings & points of view; & I hope I haven't upset anyone...it is my intention to just share & I hope you do the same.

Good luck to you!
M.

If I had to do it over again I would NEVER have immunized my two boys! They certainly will not be touching my baby until she is atleast 2 years old if EVER! The immunizations triggered a very rare auto immune disorder in my youngest. He went from walking to being unable to sit on his own. With really extensive treatment he is back walking again. It was the scariest time in my life and still makes me very angry that we are expected to immunize our kids with drugs that are not 100% safe!! My son got diagnosed with OMS www.omsusa.org if any one wants to check it out!

I choose to immunize my children so I don't have any resource info to give you.

You just need to tell people to mind their own business. You shouldn't have to defend your decision to people. You don't need to give them resources either.

If I were you, I wouldn't tell people that you've decided not to immunize your second child. That's your decision, you don't have to justify that to anyone.

There is a book called How To Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. It was actually written by a pediatrician Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD. I found it to be invaluable when defending my stance in putting off vaccinating my daughter. I will vaccinate her when I believe she is old enough. As other posters have mentioned, vaccinations are a good thing and have done a lot to decrease the infant mortality rate. BUT when they are indiscriminately used on children too young to tell us what they are feeling they can become dangerous. Face it, you don't know enough about your 2 month old child's immune system or allergies to start injecting them with bacteria and viruses - no matter how dead they are. Keep in mind if you choose to never vaccinate your child you will not be able to get them into most schools or day cares. I am not against vaccinating completely, but I refused to subject my child to them at a too vulnerable age.

Hi Stacy-

I also choose not to vaccinate my daughter. She did get the first round at two months, but had such a reaction to them that I began research and did not vaccinate any more.

I knew that some of the ingredients in many of the vaccines included mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde. Mercury and aluminum have been linked to many diseases, and formaldehyde is a cheap preservative. I didn't want any of these products injected into my daughter. My chiropractor also brought up the fact that the human body has an immune system, and the skin is one of the major parts of it. When we inject the virus/vaccine, we are completely compromising the bodies ability to protect itself from those things and the chemicals in the vaccine.

The thing that sealed my decision, is when I found out that many vaccines contain cells from aborted fetuses. I do not want another human's cells injected into my child's body. That was it for me. There are a lot of websites available if you use a search engine. I found this one helpful: http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html

As for schools, there is no federal law requiring vaccination. In fact, law would say that if we were FORCED to be injected with something, it would be considered assault with a deadly weapon. It is against the grain, but a schools have to take your child, and you will have to provide them with a letter stating either your religious beliefs don't agree with vaccinations, or stating that you do not hold them responsible for your child's health. They will send your child home if there is an outbreak of any contagious diseases.

Hope this helps. I know it is a controversial subject, but stick with your beliefs. There are many moms that agree with you!

(I also take my daughter to a chiropractor every two months to make sure her spine is aligned and her nerves are able to work the way they are supposed to. Just a thought:)

Hi S.,

I just wanted to say we all do what we think is best for our children. That being said I do immunize my children but at the same time I do not go get them the flu shot every year. Why is that you ask because I found that when I did they got sick. I myself used to get the flu shot and I would get sick. I have 4 children and out of the 4 1 has had chicken pox and 1 has had Rotavirus and an ear infection.
I use over the counter medications but I also use things like yogurt for sore throats rather than rushing my child to the peds office for them to give me a $30 perscription and I give them a $25 co-pay, so if i'm wrong for doing that well so be it. 3 of my kids never got the rotavirus vaccine and only my youngest has.
I treat my childrens fevers and colds on an as needed basis and I try things like running the vaporizer for a stuffy nose, giving a luke warm bath for a fever, and give them yogurt when they have a sore throat, a toothache, a viral infection. And when they do get sick I use over the medications sparingly.
I don't know if this helps you any but I would do as much research as you could and base your opinion on that. I've never really been concerned about it myself each one of my 4 children has reacted or not reacted to getting shots just as with each one of my children they get sick in different ways. My 15 y/o hardly ever gets sick and has been once this year but it was a mild cold, my 6 y/o when he gets sick no matter what he has or gets he just runs a really high fever for 24 to 48 hours, when my third child gets sick she just gets really tired and goes to sleep and she may run a low grade fever, my 4th she seems to be handly the immunizations well but she feels a little poopy for a couple days and it doesn't help with the weather and cutting teeth. I think no matter if you get your kids immunized or not they will get sick no matter what you do.
I also am a home child care provider and I watch kids all time, my daycare kids get sicker more than my own kids do. I think it's a personal choice and you should do what you think is best.
I personally think ADD, ADHD, Autism, Bipolar, and anything else you can come up with is over diagnosed in kids and people want an excuse, an easy way out, well life is never easy nor is raising kids and deciding what is best for them when no matter how much research you do it may be right or wrong.
Mom of 4 and home child care provider too 4 more.

Well where did YOU get your information to make the decision? If it was good enough to convince you, then you should use it as your resource when people ask. Surely you did your research before you came to this decision, I can't imagine you just decided on a whim.

I researched before my first child was due and I decided that the benefits far outweighed the risks. I read several articles and talked to a lot of doctors and even a scientist who has seen things like Small Pox up close - not a pretty sight!

J.

My daughter got her immunizations up to 12 months when she had an mild allergic reaction to the chicken pox vaccine. Like I said, it was mild; but it was enough for me to step back and ask questions. The fact that it was such an unnecessary vaccine in the first place, chicken pox! of all things! My instincts told me something was wrong and I started doing research and found out the risks. Since then, one of the babies in our family has developed diabetes... he was already at risk. Had his mother been more informed, she might have known what the doctor told her after the fact; that the vaccination he received attacks the pancreas and can trigger diabetes, especially in children that are predisposed. We are being told that vaccinations do not cause these diseases... diabetes, autism, attention deficit, etc. But I think what they should be saying is that if your child is not predisposed to develop any diseases than more than likely, they won't. It's almost like eugenics, it's as if your child develops a disease, has a serious reaction, or dies as a result of the vaccinations; then they were weak and needed to be eliminated from the gene pool... and that your concerns and instincts as a parent do not matter because the dogma that is science says that it is safe. I have been attacked on this issue as well, and I damn well don't need anything but my instincts and common sense to have the right to protect my child from something I think might harm her.
My daughter was a large baby, leaving her predisposed to diabetes (which runs in our family, as well) and has a randomly hyperallergic immune system. Just last week, she developed a hive that grew from 1 inch in diameter to 6 inches in the course of an hour. I have been accused of not believing in modern medicine for my stance on not getting vaccinations. Which is not true. I take my daughter to the doctor when she is sick. I also, having grown up in a scientific/medical household know that doctors, nurses, and scientists are people just like you and I, capable of error; and that new discoveries come along all the time that blow convention out of the water.
As far as the risks of outbreak, that's a chance I take. As far as her being a danger to other children; I keep her home if she's sick. She's in public school and almost every state has an exemption form you can file when you enroll your child in school. Here in Oklahoma, you can claim medical, religious, or philosophical exemption. The philosophical exemption is easiest to file, since you don't have to have a doctor or pastor sign it. You just have to make a statement as to why you choose exemption. They will inform you that if there is an outbreak of any of the diseases vaccinated against, your child will be excluded from attending school until the outbreak passes. It's a fair trade for my peace of mind. Here's a web page with resources like exemption forms and news about vaccinations:
http://www.vaclib.org/

Hello Stacy!

Bless your heart, I can relate with you so much! I just wanted to let you know that I am also a mom who has chosen not to vaccinate. My firstborn, age 4, has had all of his shots but a few - then we decided not to get any more after my husband & I became more informed. My daughter, 6 months old (born Dec.), has NEVER been vaccinated & hopefully never will be.

I would love to talk to you some more & share my research, advice & opinions about this VERY TOUCHY subject but I'll have to write back to you later when I have a little more time to get into everything. I just wanted to send you this quick encouraging post to let you know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your beliefs. Hold true to your convictions & what you think is best for your kids and don't let ANYONE intimidate you -- I know this is hard especially when you don't know what to tell them when they confront you -- I commend you for wanting to gather your "ammo" so you'll be prepared when friends & family try to pass judgement --- and remember, it's just that they are not educated. Once you provide them with the "why" of your decision, they may be a little more understanding. They may still not agree with your decision but at least they'll understand why you've chosen this path for your family. :)

*** Also, since you've posted this request on here, you may receive negative replies from other moms who don't agree with your decision - just prepare yourself. However, you may not - may be everyone will keep an open mind. On a POSITIVE note, you'll probably receive replies from other moms just like us who can provide you with support and tell you their story too.

I wish you all the best for you & your family
Have a blessed & wonderful day ---
M. :)

P.S. - In Missouri, you can claim RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION from vaccinations

First off, the poster below is WRONG, mercury is not used in any childhood shots and hasn't been since 1999. Come on people if you're going to give advice, lets at least give information that isn't 8 years old. It is still used in the Flu shot, but you can request a version of it without it.

I have vaccinated both of my children, I would not have done it if mercury was still present. Vaccinations has made this country one of the safest to live in. Thousands of children are dying every day around this world from illnesses that no longer or rarely exist here in the US today.

Here's my biggest concern for you in particular. You stated that you work full time with a Airline, if you are in a customer contact position, you are coming into contact with so many things from all around the world, just because of the nature of your job. I would consider all the risk, physical and external.

FYI Autism is on the rise because we know how to diagnosis better than ever before. 30-40 years ago no one knew what to call it, that's why you see the rise in the number of cases, because it has been recognised and labeled as such.

Good Luck to you, and please don't base anything you do on my comments, do more research, and pray......oh yeah then listen to what God tells you. LOL

FYI, the web site listed below with the shots and ingredients, is apparently very old information, check out
http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/thimerosal.htm
The CDC states there is NO mercury whatsoever today in any childhood shots, except some Flu shots.

I know a lot of moms that got their sources from WebMD.

Just so you know, it's better to do them now than right before they go to school.

In my experience most daycares and school programs won't take them without the shots and although you may have a situation where you won't need Those types of help, situations can change. Besides they'll need a copy of it and a few more when they start college, now.

I would try to find scientific websites supporting your choice; however, I don't think they'll be easy to find. I feel terrible for the poster whose children contracted a very rare disease. No child should suffer like that. However, it is a very rare disease, and while it's possible to have adverse side effects or even worse, as with that poster, overall, the benefits far outweigh the risks. You'll be able to find several websites I'm sure who use holistic approaches and arguments when it comes to immunizations, but if you really want to back up your argument, try to find actual scientific websites. If it ends in ".com," it's not a scientific website, it's a commercial website. I can tell you that I work in a school and we absolutely do not enroll children without being immunized. Even if you claim a religious exemption, those un-immunized childred put every other child in the school at risk, and at least in my district, our policy is that you MUST have your child immunized to enroll, no exceptions. I'm sure other school districts have other policies, but we don't even allow them to go to class until we have a copy of their immunization records. Of course you have other options in that regard as well, such as home schooling or perhaps a private school which may be more lenient toward immunization requirements. In my area, every day care I know of also requires children to be immunized before they will take them. You might be able to find a home-based day care or babysitter that will accept your children without being immunized. Good luck, and my best advice to you would be to thoroughly research both sides of the issue, pros and cons for each argument, with an open mind before making your decision final.

well i have unintentionally gettoen behind on children's shots. My oldest is 4 and only behind by 1 or 2 but my 2 year old (3 in Aug.) hasn't had shots since he was abou 14 months old and he was behind then. I've not had any sickness or any problems with either one of them. They are around other kids in play groups, church and can count maybe 2 or 3 times they even have colds. Also my 2 year old seems to be on a larger growth scale, he's always been in the 80th percentile on his growth chart whereas my 4 year old is average about 50 and a little short for his age (or so they say).