Immunizations - Akron,OH

We were able to pick and we choose which shots she gets based on necessity and the likely hood of her contracting the specific illnesses. Some shots to need to be started early because several need to be given to build the immunity properly. Some shots can be avoided until she is older and more likely to come in contact with those illnesses. Like a flu shot, the flu could be deadly for a baby, but my daughter was never in daycare and still isn't that exposed to other children, so that's one we skip. Our doctor is really good and he explaines each and ever shot recomended at each if her check ups and he let's us choose. She a happy healthy 2.5 year old now.

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Just wanted to let you know that your child does NOT need to be vaccinated to go to public school. They tell you that - but it is simply not true and I speak from experience. Thank God the government can not MAKE us vaccinate our children.
Best of luck with your decision. . . it is a tough one and you will get different information in your research. . . a lot of it comes down to who paid for the studies.
T.

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Lots of people say there is a connection between vaccines and autism. Any scientist will tell you that the evidence just isn't there. Autism becomes evident at about the same age that children are receiving their vaccinations, so people jumped to the conclusion that it must be the vaccines. Scientifically, that is the ONLY correlation. There are many other variables--allergens, food additives, pesticides, pollutants, to mention a few--that have NOT been studied. Because of the rumors, vaccines HAVE been evaluated, and all studies have been negative. They have shown that vaccines do not cause autism.

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I am a mother of four, and I have had all of them immunized an schedule. My mom is a doctor, and hubby is a RN. There is no way I would have not gotten those shots! First of all, if I refuse immunizations and them my child gets a disease they could have been immunized against, wouldn't it be hypocritical of me to THEN request the assistance of the medical community? SEcondly, the drugs used to fight most diseases are much worse than the immunizations, not to mention that many of the diseases are deadly. Yeah, polio has pretty much been eradicated, but every person who was ever given the vaccine is currently shedding live polio cells, our water supply is full of them, and that is how the illness gets around, stop immunizing and see an outbreak! I personally felt I would be doing a disservice to my children by NOT immunizing them.

All parents are entitled to do what they feel is in the best interest of their child/children, and while I don't understand or agree with not having your kids immunized, I tend to think that others will do what they feel is best and I will do what I feel is best, and on this matter, it is usually best to agree to disagree or else someone is bound to be upset/offended. I think you should do your own research, make your own decisions, and be proud that you are doing what you think/feel is best for your child.

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I agree with Cyn S. Do the research and make the decision that allows you to sleep better at night. Most of all do not surrender your gut instinct and rights as a parent or individual to a medical professional or system that is failable. You do have a choice and your child can go to school either way. It's a hard decision and I wish you peace during the process. You are welcome to contact me personally if you want more personal experience information.

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I think children need to be immunized. Without them we would be bringing back alot of diseases that have since been gone. Although there maybe a slight risk (maybe) with immunizations, the benefits far outway the risks. Besides, I don't think they can start school without them! And it is with good reason, I think.

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I know this is a growing concern, and know people who would swear that their children's issues were caused by vaccinations, but I've never been totally sure.

Both my daughters have had all their vaccinations, and have suffered no ill-consequences (aside from the usual soreness around the injection site or crabbiness from having gotten a shot) from the shots. Both my husband and I have felt that it is better to have the immunization then endure the consequences of getting whatever the immunization was to try to keep them from getting...that the possible consequences for actually getting something like polio might end up being worse than not having gotten the shot in the first place.

I will tell you that sometimes getting the shots at the pediatrician's office can be rather expensive, and the county health departments can administer the shots for considerably less than the pediatrician's office will usually charge.

For what it's worth, and good luck with your decision.

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I'm on the fence. I'm doing them but only one shot at a time. I think they've sufficiently proven that there's isn't a mercury-autism link (now they are working on pitocin and induced labors causing autism!)
I would get Dr. Sears's book on them. "The Vaccine Book" has pros, cons, ingredients, etc...all the stuff doctors don't bother to take the time to tell you.
There are a lot of scare tactics out there - "this is what your child can look like the day before they die from meningitis..." vs. "if you vaccinate your child can suffer long-term effects" so it's a lot of info to weed through.

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My 3 month old niece passed away shortly after getting 8 different vaccinations all at once. I also have a friend who had 2 children both having negative reactions to the Hep B and the MMR shots.

Because of all of the terrible things we have witnessed through friends and family, we chose to have our children's vaccinations given one at a time. Yes, it meant more visits to the doctor's office (once a month for about a year...) but it was worth it.

Once my boys reached the year mark, I would allow for two at one time - but not if the vaccinations were mixed. For example, when they got their MMR's - that is ALL I would allow them to give at that time. Never anything else along with it. My children are healthy and developing nicely.

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Dear J.,

There is more than a little bit of information that all the shots don't have the desired effect and can have some big down sides. Do some net searches and look for the newsletters on www.3000health.com. If you have specific questions try Tracey Merkle at ###-###-####.

God Bless,

S.

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Hi, J.,

I agree with everyone who said you need to research it to make your own informed decision. It's such a personal thing.

I do feel strongly about it --- for my children. But for those who immunize, I don't give it a second thought - it's their decision. Not my business.

I started out immunizing my oldest, but then he had a severe reaction (went to the ER) with the MMR, and soon after we saw a personality and behavioral change. So I quit with any vaccines I don't think are necessary. Neither has had the chicken pox vaccine. I know children die from the disease, but it is rare, and I believe that we are actually weakening our children's immune systems from all these vaccines.

My second child has had many less vaccines than my first child did. I do not regret the decision. Although she is exposed daily to many different children and germs and viruses, she is rarely ill. My oldest tends to get sick more often than his sister, but still not very much.

When it came time to give the second MMR, I refused it, and my pediatrician was fine with that. I told him I wanted to split them up, and so far my son has had the mumps vaccine. He will get rubella and measles in subsequent visits. I will split my daughter's MMR, also. Oh, and I also have them on a much delayed schedule - I think most vaccines are given way too soon. So that's another way to go - get the vaccines, but do it on a delayed schedule.

I wish you the best in making your decision, and please remember that whatever you decide, it will be the right decision for you and your family.

Blessings, J.

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J....Have you already given your children immunizations? There is a lot to read out there about it. My grandson has Autism. It is a terrible disease. The measles wouldn't be that big a deal. Haven't we all had the measles? I would suggest studying up on the subject of Autism.

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We have only done the flu shots, the mist because we think it is most likely he would catch that and the nasal mist version does not have any thimerosol in it.

We read Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book, a fairly unbiased book. We will probably get the chickenpox vaccine soon. I think that the vaccine schedule by the CDC is too aggressive. If and when we have to get vaccines, at least my son's system will be a lot stronger.

If you do the research, you will see that they have no idea how these multiple vaccines interact, and the number suggested are significantly higher than what we got as kids.
Also, some of th combos don't make sense to me in this day and age. For example, we would have gotten the whooping cough vaccine if it weren't bundled with diptheria and tetanus. I think my son could have been in danger of getting pertusis (wc), but we aren't going to visit any third world countries where diptheria is prevalent, and I didn't think it was likely he'd be stepping on any rusty nails before the age of 2. If he got a wound nasty enough to require a tetanus shot, we would have been in the emergency room anyway, and he would get it then. Just an example of one shot.

I also don't trust that the pharmaceutical companies are acting in my best interest, so I think this like any product consumption requires the "buyer beware" philosophy.

Good luck!

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You've gotten a lot of great responses and I feel the same; it's a very personal choice. The only thing I feel strongly about is that there is not enough unbiased, methodologically sound, scientific research to prove either way at this point. Be careful about who is publishing the studies because, once you dig deep enough, you will find many "researchers" have a financial tie to the vaccination companies. I question why so many new vaccines and why so many at one time at such a young age? It just doesn't seem natural to do that to a developing neurological system. However, I also do see some importance to vaccinations. Personally, I have chosen to vaccinate my son but on a delayed schedule and I am not stacking. I will not have him get any shots closer than two weeks together and I was even a little uneasy about that. I'm also not having my son get any shots that I don't feel are necessary. Just another opinion; good luck with your decision. Just keep in mind that no matter how things turn out you made the best decision you could with the information you had.

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Hi J.,

This is a very tough subject for me. I have been researching this subject for about one year now and I am totally freaked out and unsure what to do. My 4 year old is totally vaccinated and healthy (knock on wood) - I never even thougt about this when he was born. However, my premature twins came along (one born at 1pd 9oz) and once again didn't think about it and had them vaccinated. I started reading things when they were 12 months old and stopped vacinnating them - especially the 1 pounder...he has some preemie issues and I thought he was the perfect candidate for not giving him the vaccines.

At my twins' 2 year well check the doctor insisted on them getting their shots, but my thought is why can't I wait until they are a little bit older? I don't have them in daycare and we don't go to too many places in the winter months. I left not pursuing the shots and I actually might look into a new doctor that supports delaying shots. My chiropractor gave me a video to watch and many parents believe it was the shots that caused autism.

I am interested in what other have to say also. I am at a stand still and don't know what to do - especially the MMR. Good luck!

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I am a mother of 4 with my oldest being 16. They have all had all of their immunizations and have had no problems. I feel the media is just trying to stir things up like they do. I don't take much stock in what they say about the immunizations causing autism or other things. Immunizations were given to us a children and many generations before us. I just don't believe what they say.

D. M.

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I would have to say, I would bet the farm, and about all that I possess that my oldest son is autistic because of his MMR immunization. He was a normal, healthy boy by all the areas that the doctor checks and by watching him grow. He was babbling on time, talking on time, perhaps even a tad early. He was late in getting his MMR immunization, and within 6 weeks of getting the one that is suppose to be given around 1 he no longer spoke, he wiggled fingers in front of his eyes, he rocked, and eventually was diagnosed with PDD-NOS which is on the autism spectrum. We have done several therapies since and he is doing pretty well. He was given the immunization is the 1990's. Rumor has it that they have changed the shots. But rumor had it that there was NO link either. That must be why Eli Lilly tacked a rider on the Homeland security act just before it was voted on after 911 that holds they are never financially responsible for the effects that immunization could ever have. Hum... Amazing they happen to have a senitor right there..

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You can get the book by Dr. Sears on immunizations which gives tons of information. I wish I had read the book b4 I had my son. I would have handled his immunizations differently (as in spacing out the imm.) Personally, I don't think that kids can get autism for immunizations. There might be a link that imm. can trigger autism but it could be that the kids that get autism are already pre-disposed to it or carry a gene. I think research w/autism is only in its infancy in conjunction w/imm. From what I learned, autism is genetic and cannot be caused by imm. But this is my personal opinion.

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J.,

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Nancy and Jennifer - get your children immunized. It protects not only your children but others as well. We are fortunate that these terrible diseases are no longer taking the lives of our children and others with what we now realize are compromised immune systems.

There is no verifiable scientific information to support the idea that immunization causes the disorders mentioned - that's why you're seeing all the new media coverage. But we're learning all the time what these "convenient" chemicals, preservatives and sweeteners, are doing to our little ones and to us as we grow up.

Follow your pediatrician's schedule. Now I have to get my youngest in for the second round of her Hepatitis vaccine!

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I say get the shots! The more kids that dont get them, the more kids put your children and mine at risk for diseases. There is no actual proof of a link between the autism and shots. Drs wouldnt have highly recommended them for children for years if they didnt see the benifit in them. For me, the risk of diseases is far greater then the risk of autism.

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Hi J. K,

This is a little bit of a "can of worms" but I'll answer your question.

I have very, very seletively immunized and certainly not on the agressive schedule that the CDC recommends at this time. I will not give the MMR and he has had a minimal number of "shots."

We made the right decision. I absolutely believe it in my gut. I will not take the risk and put him in a situation where there is any possible danger. There is no danger from possibly getting "Chicken Pox" but there is a danger that something about the preservative, or administration of immunizations contributes to health issues in certain children. We made the right decision not to take the chance. My boy is home with me, not in daycare, and was nursed, fed organic foods, etc. He is now 3 1/2 and bright, happy, talkative, funny, and socially interactive.

They said BPA in plastics was safe, too. Then, they retracted their statements and halted production and sales of BPA products for babies.

By the way, my son is very healthy and rarely, if ever sick. No ear infections, no nothing.

Good luck in your research!

All the best,

GW

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J., I didn't ahve a chance to read all of your responses but, just wanted to tell you 1 thing. I am registering my son for kindergarten in Ohio and I am almost 100% sure that immunizations are mandatorty before placing a child in a public school. I hope this helps.
A.

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I was born at home in 1960 my grandmother delivered me . We were taken to the hospital later that day to be sure we were healthy. My parents never had me vacinated for anything. I am now 49 years old I had the chicken pox , I had the mumps, I had the german Measels as well all of which they now have immunizations for.In grade school they never pushed the issue of getting our shots, it's not like we were dogs and going to develope rabies. Jr. high came along and my parents refused to have me immunized on religious grounds.But my sickly sister 3 years younger than myself had all the shots. She continued to be ill so far her whole life, she is now 46 years old.We have a even younger half sister who up until she entered school was a very healthy child but then my step mother got all the shots and immunizations the schools asked for. After recieving these shots she became ill a lot and still does she is now 26 years old and a mother of two who have had all the shots and her children are always ill. So in saying this I think these immunizations are nothing more than poisons to our systems.I know many will disagree and that is okay every one has a opinion.But personally I would not have a child immunized.I have seen too many that they only made ill. The only immunization I have ever knowingly received was a tetnus shot after being bit by a stray dog that we had no idea if it could have had rabies.I was in my 30's then and the Dr. at the ER gave it to me before I could object.They had numbed my arm to stitch me up and just gave me the shot then asked me sign the papers. I was furious.
You have to make the right decision for your children but I believe they are no more than poisons.

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My osteopath doesn't like immunizations but she said if I have to get them space them out and do not get more than one at a time. I did this with my youngest son. If you are near Richfield, Dr Cheryl Leuthauser from Integrative Wellness is a great doctor who specializes in natural remedies and is great with kids.

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Hi J.,
I have to agree with the moms on here that you should space the shots out. You don't need to be a genius or even do research to realize that being injected with 6 different viruses at once isn't a great idea. First, think about how these vaccines work. You're basically injecting your child with a very small amount of a virus, so that they can build immunities to it. That's WAY too much for a little body to endure.

You also have to think about which ones are most important. When was the last time you knew of a kid that had polio, mumps or rubella? My son had the chicken pox at 9 months old which he contracted from an older cousin. Even though he hadn't been vaccinated (they don't recommend it until 1 year) he was still fine. His case was bad enough that he will never get the chicken pox again, but he barely had a fever the entire course of the disease. I consider him lucky because when I was growing up, my brother wasn't so lucky and had to be hospitalized. I was also breastfeeding at the time, which I think a lot of people don't think of as an immune booster.

There's also a lot of "my child doesn't do a, b, c, and d, so they're not suseptible to many diseases". Maybe that's true now, but what about when they have to go to school? Do they think they're the only parents in the school whose children aren't vaccinated? They're forgetting about immigrants whose religion is strongly against vaccination and come to this country possibly carrying diseases that you're choosing not to have your child vaccinated against. Because like other mom's have posted before, vaccination is NOT a requirement to enter a public school. They only request the info to see who is vaccinated and who isn't.

Personally, I don't get my son vaccinated for the flu. I think it's pointless. It only covers certain strains of the virus and may not cover the one that "goes around" that year. And I don't know how many times I've heard of people getting the flu after they've gotten the shot. You really need to think about this logically and statistically. I think spacing it out is your best option, but just make sure you do your research and ask a TON of questions when you go to the doctor. One more thing... If vaccines are the reason for autism, why doesn't everyone have it?

Good luck!

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Check out the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to get information as to why it is so important to get your child immunized.

Right now there is no hard evidence linking vaccinations to autism. Please don't listen to Jenny McCarthy either. Seriously...she's terribly anti-vaccination but admits she's a Botox addict (i.e. she inject Botulism into her face).

Ultimately it is your family and your decision. Personally, we chose to be safe rather than sorry and have my son get measles or some other disease that could cause serious harm.

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Ok, I didn't read any of the other responses so I may offend someone, but I feel very strongly on this issue.

If you dig into a topic and research it enough, you are always going to find someone who has an adverse reaction to anything. There has been no solid proof of any neurological disorders (that is why the class action lawsuit was dropped in the case of autism).

On the ohter side, there is concrete proof that much harm can come to your child (and the general popluation) if they are not vaccinated. Many people say "well those diseases aren't around anymore anyway, so why do they need the vaccinations?" Well the answer to that is that those diseases aren't around OUR AREA because of the vaccines. If more and more people choose to not vaccinate their kids, the diseases WILL make a comeback and with a vengence. There is a reason your kids are not allowed in public school without being up to date on the vaccines.

I feel it is very irresponsible and selfish to not vaccinate your kids against potentially deadly diseases. Inform yourself about them if you need to, but then make the best choice for you kids and keep them (and all of the kids around them) healthy and protected.

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