Infant 2 Month Immunization Appointment

Updated on March 25, 2008
M.G. asks from Pearland, TX
72 answers

Friday morning I will be taking my infant for his 2 month check-up. At that time he is to receive about 4 immunizations. So far we have had no major problems with our infant. I am; however, concerened with the possible risks to these immunizations such as brain damage, autism, etc. Does anyone have any words of encouragement for me as I take my baby in to receive these vaccines? Is it the norm to get several immunizations at once? Has anyone infant experienced any negative reactions to these immunizations?

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So What Happened?

Well Ladies, Baby and I are back from our appointment.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the responses. Because of you I felt confident this morning that I was well aware of the consequences of getting as well as not getting the immunizations.

Last night I prayed about our visit, my choices, and my baby’s health. Once at the office, the pediatrician (who has been a ped. longer than I have been alive) spoke to me about her experiences before and after immunizations. Although I felt confident in my decision after I spoke to the pediatrician, I prayed again. So, considering all of you mamas, my pediatrician, my family history, my healthy baby boy, my husband (who believes I am overly paranoid when it comes to our new baby), and my gut, I decided to go along with the plan and have my baby vaccinated. He received two shots in each thigh and at this time is doing very well. He has shown no sign of fever, and if anything is just a little tired from this morning's events. In fact, he smiled when my father came over this afternoon for a visit.

I will keep you all posted if anything less than desirable should occur in the near future.

The response to my situation and concerns were overwhelming. I can only hope that the information provided helps others feel at ease with their decisions regarding vaccinations. Thanks again for your help and support, and please keep my family and me in your prayers.

Thanks,
M.

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M.T.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi M.
It is a tough choice. All I have to say is if I could go back in time knowing what I know now about Autism now ,and having to live with it , I would have opted not to have my child immunized.
I don't care what the drug companies say about vaccines being safe.

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L.L.

answers from Houston on

I immunized all 3 of my children, although I didn't know I had the option of "not" immunizing. There have been no problems that I am aware of. Although, I just watched a video from a lady who has gone to great lengths to inform the public of it's side effects. If you go to mercola.com and type in immunizations in the search field, it will probably come up. It was very interesting and informative. It was about 40 minutes long but worth the time to watch it.

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A.O.

answers from Sherman on

There is a reason that previously common childhood diseases have been irraticated...immunizations!!! I have 2 young children and they have had all thier immunizations, on time, with no side effects. Do the research, very few children have adverse effects to immunizations, other then the normal fussiness and fever. I think the most children with autism, had previous symptoms before being immunized, but some parents would like to blame something of someone for thier child's diagnosis. I don't mean to be harsh, but kids are sick enough after starting school without having to worry about being around classmates that have not been immunized.

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K.B.

answers from Houston on

Hi M.-

As the parent of a 6 year old son with autism and now a new 4 month old son I understand your fear. My husband and I are not convinced that vaccines caused our son's autism but of course no one knows what did cause it. Throughout our last pregnancy we researched and went back and forth about vaccines. In the end, we did have our new son receive his 2 month shots and he is scheduled to receive his 4 month shots next week. Believe me, it was hard for me to take him for his shots however we decided it was better to take action to prevent these known diseases rather than risk his health on the unproven theory that vaccines might cause a problem later. If years from now science proves vaccines are the culprit we will feel guilty, but I believe we would feel much worse if we were to lose him to a preventable disease because we were scared.

As with everything, search your heart and make the decision that is best for you and your family. Good Luck!

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C.T.

answers from San Antonio on

Hello M.,
I am a wellness consultant here is San Antonio with a certification in detoxification. I am currently taking an online course, Vaccination Dangers, given by a woman who was an RN, and has now become a Homeopath. I stopped having my children vaccinated after I did a lot of research, but I cannot tell you what to do for your child. Although your child may not have immediate reactions, there is a lot of evidence that vaccines are linked to many conditions and diseases.
I can give you several websites to go to for you to do your own research.
www.vacinfo.org
www.ouralexander.org
www.vaccinationnews.org
www.autismspeaks.org
www.vaclib.org
www.nmaseminars.com (Dr. Tenpenny's Site)
All I ask of parents is to investigate before they vaccinate.
If you need any further information or would like to discuss this further, you may e-mail me at ____@____.com.

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C.L.

answers from Austin on

M.- Unfortunately it is the norm for 4 vaccinations at once- I think it's best to do one at a time- they are already combined together anyway ie: MMR. I waited with my daughter until she was 5 to start immunizations - at that point there were a lot she didn't even need. My older son we did do it the "normal" way, but I have been doing a lot of reading since- I would suggest reading up on it- from both sides, pro and con. You are the parent, and Texas is now very liberal towards the parents (all you need to do is fill out a form from the dept of health stating which vaccinces you are opting out.) I have not vaccinated my kids with Chicken Pox- I believe it was made mandatory because it's a huge money maker for the manufacturer. There are no long term studies on it either. Either way, don't just go along with everthing that is "recommended"- you need to be your own advocate as well as your children's. Good Luck, and hope some of this helps!

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N.B.

answers from Houston on

I know you've already had the appt. I just wanted to add (for other appts) what I do. I got both my sons vaccinated. I was terrified. But I made sure (especially w/in 2 wks of shots) that my children were as pure as possible. By that I mean NO bad food, drinks, etc. I have chlorine filters on our shower heads (that's how I run my boys' baths). We eat a mainly organic diet. They are lactose intolerant & for the most part vegetarian so there isn't too much of a risk for their bodies being overloaded w/ chemicals and hormones,etc. Point being..I wanted to make sure their little bodies were running at their MOST efficient before getting shots. Then I knew if autism occurred, I did everything possible for their health. Just wanted to add that! I figure if everything else was running smoothly, my babies could HOPEFULLY process the shots w/ no problem.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

Hi M.,

I don't vaccinate myself but, there are doctors who would be willing to work on an alternate vaccination schedule with you, allowing you to choose which ones and when. Breaking the shots up into as few as possible is always a great idea.

Here's a post that might interest you. It contains a list of doctors who accept the separating of vaccines as well as non-vaccinating.
http://www.mamasource.com/request/7443779388182626305

The choice to vaccinate is a personal decision and yours to make. Whichever way you decide, do not allow anyone to bully you into making a decision.

Best of wishes! :)
M.

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K.H.

answers from Austin on

I am hesitantly pro-immunization...
my dd has been on an adjusted schedule since birth.
ds has yet to receive any shots.
dd and a friend's son both had mild-bad reactions to various combo-shots. Since there were multiple vaccines in the shot, we weren't able to identify the culprits
my recommendation would be to get a single vaccine each visit...perhaps a single in each thigh if you really want to get them.
You'll get all kinds of advice here with the whole range of answers. In the end, just do what your heart tells you to do. Do the best you can with what you know at the time - that's all you can do

HTH
K., mama to
Catherine, 4y
Samuel, 14m

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C.B.

answers from Houston on

First, let me say, congratulations on your little one!

Second, welcome to one of the most difficult parts of parenthood. The only thing I've found that rivals this is deciding which school system you are going to school your child in! But I believe this is one of the MOST controversial of subjects.

As for me and ours.... (Sorry, this is really long)

When I grew up (60's) there were only 3 shots that I remember. Tetanus, Small pox (and I still have the scar from that one), and the MMR. (The "Polio was given in a liquid form that tasted like bubble gum).

I ran a slight fever when I had my tetanus shots (back then you got them every time you stepped on something..) and had a welt under my skin that would last for weeks.

When I got my MMR, the local school did not ask permission, but just gave it to all kids who went to school (it is against the law for schools to do that now, this was 1970 - 1971).

We got the shot in our gymnasium during the morning. I remember after lunch, I wasn't feeling well, and laid my head down on my desk. I got in trouble because I wouldn't participate in class that afternoon. I was feeling REALLY sick.

By the time I got home that afternoon, I really wanted to go out to play, ride my bike, and all the other stuff that little girls like to do, but I was just so achy and itchy. I asked my mom to please scratch my back (we were in the front yard on the front porch, my mom was talking to a neighbor who was a nurse). My mom saw my rash! To my ultimate horror, mom stripped me down to my underwear right there! I was covered from head to toe in RUBELLA! I was "quarantined" right then for two weeks.

As an adult, every time my rubella titers were taken, they showed that I had a fresh infection of the disease. Most of those titers were taken at the beginning of pregnancies, and so I was pressured to abort my children. I never did. By the time the 5th pregnancy happened, I knew to just let the care provider know ahead of time that the titer would be off and I wasn't going to abort. But each time the care provider would indicate their concern because my titer is so high.

As a side note, my siblings and I did not have all of our immunizations for polio (back in our day it was given as an oral, on the tongue, live vaccine). My mom had grown up with Polio being a VERY deadly infection, yet she did not see fit to make us more ill by insisting we get the vaccine. With that in mind, in 1973, my brothers were walking along a canal in Idaho, when the youngest fell in. My older brother and his friend jumped in to save my younger sibling. 2 weeks later our friend (who was completely immunized) contracted polio. My brothers did not. But it was assumed that the friend got it during his swim in the canal. (Does that even make sense? two unvaccinated children do not get sick, but the one vaccinated does?)

Anyway, as an adult, I did not want to get my children immunized. I also had a pediatrician who told me that immunizations were not proven to be effective, and had been linked to other problems. He also told me to go home, research each of the diseases and determine the risk of my children to get or catch the diseases. He also determined that since I was NOT fully immunized for polio, he would NOT immunize any of my children for polio.

So, I went happily on my way. That decision hadn't been forced on me when my oldest was at that age. I did do the research that the pediatrician told me to do.

I found that most of the diseases, if they are single infections, are NOT deadly. In fact, most of the diseases were once considered "normal childhood infections" and provided natural immunities to other "worse" infections. If you contracted these diseases naturally you are guaranteed lifetime immunity from the disease recurring. (However, Chicken pox can lay dormant for years and then reappear as a very painful and debilitating disease of Shingles)

The real danger is when you get a "secondary" infection with any of the diseases that our culture vaccinates for.

Another attitude that was already written about on this list that irks me to no end is this saying: "but kids are sick enough after starting school without having to worry about being around classmates that have not been immunized."

EXCUSE ME!?! IF you believe in vaccinations, and believe the vaccinations ARE effective, my unvaccinated child IS NO THREAT TO YOURS. In fact, quite the opposite. Your vaccinated child is carrying the anti-bodies (and therefor the little buggers that can cause the disease) and is the one exposing my UNVACCINATED child to the disease. The above "fear/statement" supports the belief that vaccinated children are less healthy than non-vaccinated children.

I believe that a vaccinated child was EXACTLY the cause of four of my children's break outs of chicken pox, in fact. You see, My children did go to public school, and during a time of year that it was normally considered too early for chicken pox, two of my children came home from school WITH chicken pox. The older kids (4 of them) had already had chicken pox from an infection prior to the vaccine (1989). But the two that came home from school were friends with kids who had been very dutiful and gotten the vaccine just 12 days prior to my kids coming home sick (2000). The next time we had chicken pox(2004), I was working in the church nursery. One of the moms told me her son had just had his chicken pox vaccine, and was just sort of out of sorts.... Because of the way things were going, I had my then 3 month old in nursery with me. I tried to keep the "freshly vaccinated" child away from me and my baby, but being the ONLY adult in the nursery that day, and no one willing to take the baby.....

16 days later I was in the pediatrician's office because my little guy was having such a bad case of eczema that I couldn't handle it. My pediatrician was concerned. His eczema was being exacerbated by CHICKEN POX! At that time in our lives, I was homeschooling, and the ONLY place my kids were exposed to others WAS AT CHURCH! The ONLY place he could have been exposed was when the vaccinated child was in my arms and crying around the nursery.

So don't tell me unvaccinated children are a risk to those who are vaccinated. It just isn't so, unless you are giving your child an "owie" that you know doesn't work.

Ok. Now back to immunize or not. And what are the "problematic" symptoms that may appear?

I had "delayed" immunizing my children. But when my husband got a job in AZ, I still was relatively uneducated about immunizations or my 'parental rights' so when I was told I HAD to have my children immunized before they could go to school, I fell, hook, line and sinker.

The first immunizations (my kids were all healthy as horses - at that time all four. No colds, runny noses, fevers...nothing) were done in my pediatrician's office. This pediatrician was super critical of my "delay". I raised concerns when the paperwork I signed released the doctor, the CDC, and the drug company from any liability should my children have any "adverse reactions". WTHeck? If immunizations were so safe, why did I have to sign away my life, promising not to sue those who insist the drug is safe? But, because it was against the law not to put my kids in school (I didn't know about homeschooling yet), and I couldn't get them in school without the immunizations, I allowed them to get their shots.

All of the kids were running fevers by the time we got home. That is one of the side effects (up to 101). They were all cranky, of course, they weren't feeling well. NONE of them would eat dinner that night, and it took several days before they wanted to play. Even then, they complained that their legs and arms (where they had gotten the shots) were sore. I felt their sore spots, and there were large lumps under the skin. I called the doctor's office. They told me that too was normal and to just rub it out.

I repeated that 4 times. I felt SO GUILTY afterwards with each one. I refused to let them be immunized on any occasion that anyone had even the slightest runny nose or loose bowels. But, with that, my oldest, who used to be top of her class in everything, ended up with some pretty severe learning disabilities. I DO blame it on her immunizations. But I can't prove it.

But what educated me most about my "rights" and immunizations was when I took my 2 month old in. He had had a really rough start at birth, but everything seemed to be O.K. UNTIL...

His 2 month check, I knew to give the tylenol before the shots (Though my ped. got REALLY upset when he found out I was doing that - said it made the immunizations totally ineffective. I don't buy that), and I had done so. My baby boy cried very hard. The welt that I knew so well was already staring to form and the nurse told me to just rub it out again.

By the time we got home, even with Tylenol, and only 10 minutes away from the doctor's office, my baby boy was running a fever of 102. His crying wasn't the typical fussiness, but the high-pitched screaming that they warn you about in their literature. I called the doctor back. He reminded me that I had signed that stupid informed consent sheet, and then said this was a "normal" reaction!

I started to REALLY research then. THIS WAS NOT, and IS NOT a normal reaction. The lump under the skin is a dangerous reaction..though considered normal. The lethargia my children all suffered after their shots is NOT NORMAL. The ADHD my children have HAS been linked to different immunizations. Autism has a strong link to the old immunizations (the ones my children would have gotten had I not delayed their immunizations). I found out that I did NOT have to immunize. I also found out that IF the school systems are uneducated, and refuse to allow me to "exempt out" my child, homeschooling in most states IS legal (and here in TX is a very VALID and viable option).

But what ticked me off most, when I went back to the pediatrician a week later, he had NO RECORD of my children's reactions! When I confronted him on it, he remembered my phone call, but told me he didn't document it because it was all just normal reactions!!!! THE CDC has forms for him to fill out. ANY AND ALL reactions ARE TO BE REPORTED. To this day, none of my children's records from that doctor contain any information about them having any type of reaction to the shots they were given.

Sorry this is so long, but the decision to vaccinate or not is actually a very personal one. I have chosen NOT to vaccinate my 3 youngest children. My first 4 are fully vaccinated to the age of 14. Of the next two, one was vaccinated at 2 months, and one had an HIB vaccine at birth. I was ticked because I wasn't asked, the hospital just gave it to him.

There are SEVERAL websites about vaccines. I recommend reading through the CDC's (Center for Disease Control) web site, then look at the WHO's (World Health Organization) website, then look up side effects of vaccines. It will take you days, if not weeks to go through the sites.

Good luck.

C.

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D.R.

answers from Austin on

Hi, M.,
My kids are now 12 and 21, but I remember being fearful about the immunizations, also.
My dad was a physician and recommended that I have them immunized, but I was still worried. I had a long talk with our pediatrician to ease my fears. I went ahead and had them receive all of their immunizations on schedule. Talk with your pediatrician and tell him/her all your concerns. I also work as a social worker with children and I know this is a huge concern right now because of a recent case where a family got a settlement from a pharmaceutical company.
It is the norm to get several at two month intervals-DTP, MMR, and Polio if my memory serves me correctly.
Call the Dr.'s office today and have someone there talk with you about your concerns.
Ultimately, every parent has to make their own decision.
Both my babies had a slight fever after the shots (and I cried!), but they were fine.
Good luck!
By the way, Congratulations on your new baby! welcome to the wonderful, scary, exhilarating, amazing world of motherhood!
D.

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S.T.

answers from Houston on

I would like to start out by saying that I have many friends whose children had severe (sometimes near fatal) reactions to vaccinations, especially the DTaP and MMR. Yet, in no case did the DR report the occurances. So, we have no idea how many children are actually harmed by the vaccinations.

My oldest daughter was born two months prematurely and I refused to allow them to give her shots as though she was a term baby. She was delayed two months all vaccines.

My second daughter was six weeks early and I delayed until she was six months. After her one year shots my outgoing, talking baby stopped talking (not even mama and dada) and would sit in her crib for 20 hours out of the day. I started intense therapy with her but whenever she's received boosters she regresses again.
My third child also regressed after her one year vaccinations. Both are atistic.

My fourth child (now 12 months) got extremely ill, even that high pitch cry they warn you about, after her four month shots. She stayed sick for two months. Then she got well and they gave her the 6 month vaccines. Again, she got very ill, high pitch cry, ect. I took her to four different doctors over the next two months and every single one of them told me the crying,fevers, rashes ect she experienced were NORMAL. They said it's NORMAL for a baby to be sick every single day all winter long, so two months is not unusual. She is a breast fed baby, not in day care or church nursery, and her sisters were not sick. That was NOT normal. Her reactions were never reported to the CDC and at the end of the two months she finally got well and has been healthy for the last four months, the worst of the cold and flu season. If it was NORMAL then she'd have been sick the last four months, surely. They were wrong, no question. So no, she did not get her 9 month shots, she is not getting her 12 month shots either. I will wait at least until she is 2 before catching up on them, possibly longer.

S.

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F.G.

answers from San Antonio on

i chose not to immunize my son after my cousins son was immunized and ended up with autism i dont care what they say about the shots...my cousins son had 10 times the mercury levels a child was supposed to have...and he wasnt autistic before the shots
my son is 8 months old...and breastfed and healthy as a horse....

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J.M.

answers from San Antonio on

M., please read this book before you go, "What Doctors May not tell you about Childhood Vaccinations," written by Stephanie Cave an actual medical doctor who has treated victims of adverse reactions. You have the right to refuse whatever vaccine you want. You may get some opposition, but listen to your gut and stand firm if that's how you feel.

Another great resource to use is www.nvic.org. They are a wonderful organization that is really on top of legislative vaccine information and vaccine reactions.

The main concern with giving a 2 month old so many vaccines is the amount of preservatives in the vaccines that may or may not tax his/her system. NVIC does not recommend giving more than one or two at a time I believe, but look into it beforehand. Also, Cave's book has a modified schedule that she believes is safer for children than the one required by APA, so that may be something that may be of interest to you.
Best of luck with your decision, and I hope all goes well.

J., author of HEART OF THE JAGUAR
"A Shadow to Call Her Own" Amazon shorts
"A Bridge to Freedom" and "Grandma's Recipe" CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE LATINO SOUL
www.heartofthejaguar.com

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D.N.

answers from Victoria on

Hi M.,

We no longer participate in mass vaccinations. My third baby (now 16) developed Autism after a vaccination. The rest of my children do not have vaccinations since after one developes a severe reaction other siblings are at greater risk. We chose not to accept that risk as all doctors, nurses, CEOs of drug companies, etc are exempt by law from any harmful effects of vaccines. (The law is there for a reason, and it's not because vaccines are so safe and effective)

A little research will show you that there are far more children suffering from the adverse effects of vaccinations than those that actually had the diseases. Many of the diseases that are vaccinated for are childhood diseases that once the child gets them and gets over them they are immune for life. Not so when the disease enters the body in an unnatural way, ei injected straight into the body. This way it bypasses the body's natural response to disease or foreign substances. Just because there is supposed to be no more mercury/thimerosol in vaccines does not mean it has all been removed or all those lots have been used up. Ask for the package insert of the suggested vaccines and see what kind of a war breaks out!

But with all this in mind there is another very important reason we decided to no longer participate in this large experiment and that is because we are pro-life! We choose not to purchase products made using an aborted baby!

Here is a partial list of vaccines that were made using an aborted baby.

Havrix
Hepatitis A
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
1-800-633-8900 ext. 5231
produced using formalin, aluminum hydroxide, phenoxyethanol(antifreeze), polysorbate 20, residual MRC5 proteins (from medium) medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
_____________________________________________________________________
Biavax
Rubella and Mumps Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co, Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolized gelatin
medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
_____________________________________________________________________
MMR
Measles Mumps Rubella Live Virus Vaccine
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using sorbitol, neomycin, hydrolyzed gelatin
mediums: M&M - chick embryo
Rubella - human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
_____________________________________________________________________
Imovax
Rabies Vaccine Absorbed
Connaught Laboratories
1-800-822-2463
produced using human albumin, neomycin sulfate, phenol red indicator medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
_____________________________________________________________________
Varivax
Varicella Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using sucrose, phosphate, glutamate, processed gelatin medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

I also have many more articles if you would like them, but please research yourself, only you and your family will be dealing with the consequenses of adverse reactions of vaccines; everyone else is protected by the law!

I also have a long list of medical journals dealing with the negative effects of vaccines if you would like the same research the doctor's are reading...they know the truth, many don't vaccinate their own children!

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L.L.

answers from New Orleans on

I encourage you to get your child immunized. There is no proven facts about negative effects of immunizations that are prevalent. I have 6 children and have never had a problem. I would also suggest speaking to your ped-the professional who will give you great comfort and advice.

Immunizations were created to help avoid sickness. Thank God we have this medical advancement. Trust God, pray about it and take advantage of the blessing. The third world countries pray that they had all of what we do. God bless you.

ps- a little tip-give tylenol or ibuprofen just moments before shots and use a heating pad for comfort.

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F.F.

answers from San Antonio on

My son has had all of his immunizations on the regular schedule, but it scares me too. I think with my next one I'll follow the modified schedule in "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears. It gets your baby all of his vaccines, but on a schedule that doesn't over load him at any one time. If you want peace of mind, you might want to check it out.

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S.C.

answers from Austin on

Hi there!
i had my first at 29, and WISH I HAD BEEN WISE ENOUGH to ask!!! good for you! i had my 7th at 43, we are so blessed. i have definitely learned a lot along the way -

if i may recommend this site to you, a great resource for making informed decisions. bottom line is that you can educate yourself and do what's best for YOUR family, regardless of what friends and family think, then find a doctor that supports your choice!

http://www.vaclib.org/links/jockslinks.htm#press

God's best to your family!

CB

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A.N.

answers from Austin on

Hope this gets to you in time -----

The BEST information is from Dr. Sears - go to askdrsears.com and hopefully you can get info on immunizations - there are actually some you do not even need - a couple, anymore, and some that are too risky these days. What I can tell you is re DtaP, which is very important to consider getting - demand that it is the single dosage - not from the larger bottle - this ensures there is no mercury in the dosage, or at least minimal.

Also no one in this country is legally obligated to get their children immunized - you can attend school without being immunized, regardless of what they say.

Very good to give babies - vit A, C and cod Liver oil to help them absorb immunizations and also build immune system. Check with local health food store for liquid vits that are purest for babies when doing this - also for amounts re age/weight.

That's all I can say quickly to you - Good luck!

If anyone would like the write up from Dr. Sears on immunizations and all about them - email me @ ____@____.com also just put a book out on this subject that is excellent.

Alli

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M.F.

answers from Houston on

M.,

I too had to ask my self this question about my daughter and really had to do my research. I have experienced first hand loss from diseases that are now preventable, (my grandfather was paralyzed from community acquired polio) and on the other end of the spectrum my sister (whom I am very close with) and many of her friends and family members have not immunized their children.

Did you know that the United States has some of the worst immunization rates of any developed country? Less than 30% of the pediatric population (and dropping every year because of fear loaded stories like these) in some parts of the US are currently immunized. You know what that is...scary!!! We currently do not see diseases that we immunize against because of what the medical community terms as "herd immunity." Basically this means if you immunize the right fraction of a population it will keep disease epidemics from occurring. I am afraid that for generations being born right now (like my small daughter) this concept of herd immunity will be lost and they will once again face epidemics of diseases we once considered eradicated. Our immune systems are able to fight diseases faster if they have seen them before (have memory to them) sort of like you can add quickly 2+2 because you have seen it before. But, see if you can add 567894321 + 77346792345 as quickly. You can't. Though you can calculate both answers the one that comes quicker saves time and resources. Now apply this analogy to disease.

If I have a way to save my child (growing up in a largely un-immunized part of the world) from disease or the complications associated with disease I am going to. Very few children have adverse effects to immunizations, other then the normal fussiness and fever. My mother in law works with autistic children for a living and has great success with many simply through diet changes and therapy. She is very pro-immunizations and always is quick to point out that thimerosal, the mercury preservative used at one time in vaccines has had mandated removal from all vaccines; so it is no longer even an issue. In addition, the first journal article to link autism to vaccinations was written by a doctor who was receiving funds from an organization (which is conflict of interest and illegal) to say the "association" existed. There have been many studies done since then and none of them have been able to "substantiate" his paid claims. The truth is in the numbers. If vaccines were so dangerous then their ill effects would be more apparent in countries with higher vaccination rates (90%) then the U.S. which is just not the case.

Very very tough question... good luck answering it for yourself and best of luck with your little man!!!

~M.

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K.N.

answers from Austin on

Child vaccines is a very controversial topic. And the fear of 'what-if' can be really overwhelming and can cloud your judgement. Don't go websurfing for info on it--it will only heighten your paranoia. Talk to your pediatrician about any worries. When I had that discussion with my daughter's pedi, she asked about certain autoimmune diseases in our family history (like, thyroidism, diabetes, etc.) because the presence of that in the gene pool might increase the risk of autism developing. You should also keep in mind that Texas has a very large immigrant population and there are many more incidents of mumps, measles, hepetitis, TB, etc. in Mexico and South America... So yes, we Texans definitely have an increased risk for our children to be exposed to one of those diseases and denying vaccines altogether is not a good idea.

Oh, and give infant tylonal beforehand and every 4 hours for 12-24 hours after the shot. My daughter was fine after her first shots--until the first dose of tylonal wore off and then woke up *screaming* for 20 minutes until the next dose took effect.

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

I totally understand how you feel! I was really uneasy about vaccinations yet I didn't want my son to end up exposed to strange diseases if I didn't vaccinate. First I spoke to my pediatrician to make sure there was no mercury in any vaccine he would be giving my son. The doctor I go to orders his vaccines from a company that uses no preservatives. If you live in the houston area I can give you his information if you like. Next and most importantly I prayed about it. I felt peace about getting the shots. Now every time I take my little man to get shots I pray for him. The Bible gives a promise that if we are the Lord's even if we eat or come in contact with anything dangerous it won't harm us. So I always pray that promise over my son and I pray that the vaccine will do only what it is designed to do to help my son and that he will suffer no ill effects. And he has never even had a temperature after a vaccine. He is now eight months and doing great. So I say do what feels right to you and trust the Lord to take awesome care of your son and help you to make the best decision for him :)

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D.E.

answers from Houston on

All infant immunizations are done without the offending preservative linked to autism today. I think it is a mercury ( thimerisol) derivative. Call your pediatrician and ask to speak with the nurse. My ped. said they no longer use that in infant immunization shots any longer.

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L.C.

answers from Killeen on

I felt the same way. The research I found basically said that this is false. They say if immunizations caused autism then it would have had a bigger impact about 10-15 years ago when all the shots started. I am not worried it is the reason now. I feel it is something we can't explain.
Of course, i am not a doctor but I feel as a mom it is our responsiblity (as you said too) to give our children the best care possible and with the shots, that is the best we can do.
Praying for you...give him tylenol before you go...he will be fine...or she...sorry!

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C.W.

answers from Austin on

As far as I know from everything I have read, there are no true links to immunizations and autism. Many parents of autistic children claim that their kid developed the symptoms or lost certain skills around or right after they had their shots. But I think this has more to do with the age of the child 1 yr to 18 months, as this is when you can first start to see signs. The risk of serious side effects are really rare and I personally wanted my son to be immune to the serious diseases out their that could harm him. I know its a scary thing. Do your research and make the decision that's right for your family. Hope this helps.

A little about me: 29 y/o mom to a wonderful 20 month old boy, 7 weeks preggo with number two. Married for almost 5 years to my best friend. Work part-time as a physical therapist.

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B.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi M.,
I want you to know there is finally a couple who has proven that vaccines caused their son to get autism. They are taking it to court. I have a lot of friends who have never given their children vaccines and I never have as well. My son is 1 year now and he has only had 2 colds and both only lasted two days. He is very healthy and strong and he will never get a shot as long as he is alive. My doctor did not give the vaccines to his daughter but most doctors will tell you they are fine. They are lieing to you. Two couples in my sunday school class had children that got so sick they were hospitalized for 4 days.

B.
www.MoreForMyBaby.com

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C.H.

answers from Austin on

I also have a two month old and just had this series of shots last week. I recommend looking up online about the shots your baby will get. I did with my first child. Neither of my kiddos have ever reacted poorly to vaccines. Although they sure do yell at the time of the injection... I feel that not getting the shot is much more dangerous for my child than the slim chance of possible side effects from the shot. Also re: autism, what I've read is that the link with vaccines is with a preservative that is sometimes used. Just call your dr and make sure they don't use vaccines with that preservative (I don't remember the name...).

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T.M.

answers from Austin on

There's a great book, Dr. Sear's Vaccination Book and it's a quick read, posing the pros and cons of each vaccine and suggesting an alternative schedule if you want all the vaccines, but maybe not all at once. It seems like some of the vaccines are pretty safe, but when you combine them all in one day, that's when possible side effects can occur. So, consider going in for one shot, then going back next month for the next one, etc. The book will help you determine the schedule. Good luck!

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E.H.

answers from Houston on

Hi - just read your note. Check out www.generationrescue.org for a safer vaccination schedule and lots of other info on vaccinations and autism. Both my boys had all their vaccinations on the regular schedule, but had I to do over again, I would spread them out and rule out live vaccines. You'll find some physicians won't do this though, so it may be tougher than it should be if you decide to take a different path. Good luck.

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J.R.

answers from Austin on

you will do great, they say a little sugar water on a noonie helps with the pain but we gave out Nicholas a bit of Tylenol just before he got his shot to combat any sight soreness after the immunizations. The shots have come a long way and if the doctor is at al concerned or if they have ready something in they doctor recall thingies, they hold off on doing them. At least that was the case with our doctor. They were awesome about really filling us in. And really the only way you can get out of shots is for I think religious practices and once it is time for school or daycare you have to have proof of it. The immunizations are alot easier spread out and your baby will get through it just fine. Nicholas is almost 2 years now and has been great through all his shots and the doctor has ensured us he has no signs of Autism or BD. So, know you signs and trust your doctor.
hope that helps
J.

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J.J.

answers from Corpus Christi on

As with anything, there is always a small (in this case, very small) chance of serious side-effects. But frankly, you have a much greater chance of getting in to a car accident with your child in the car than of your child having a severe reaction to immunizations. Are you going to stop driving your car?

More importantly, because people are choosing to not vaccinate their children, diseases that had been nearly eradicated are making a comeback. As a result, your child is at a greater risk of suffering complications from those illnesses than from the immunizations that will protect him. As for autism, it is essential to remember that NOT ONE STUDY has ever found a link between immunizations and autism. NOT ONE. And the immunization ingredient that was being blames is a preservative called therimsol, which has been removed from all immunizations except some flu vaccines.

Neither of my children have ever had a problem with their immunizations. My daughter had her 2 month immunizations 2 months ago, and I believe she received 6 total. There were no complications at all, not even the common slight fever. It's never easy to see your child in pain--I hate when they get shots--but every time my child has cried for the duration of the shot and that was it. As soon as it was over, they were fine. You can help by giving him some infant Tylenol beforehand to help a bit with the pain (though nothing is going to take that away completely!) and the soreness and possible fever later, and by just staying calm and reassuring, even when you want to cry too. There's no harm in combined vaccinations, and it reduces the number of times your child has to experience the pain of an injection.

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A.K.

answers from Austin on

hi M.,
i don't like this part of parenting. after much research and deliberating and praying, my husband and i decided to forego immunizations for both of our children. i can give you tons of research supporting what we decided to do. but ultimately you have to be convinced. if your child has had problems of any sort i would delay the immunizations. you can also space them out if you're not wanting to give so many shots at once. if you're breastfeeding your baby is getting tons of immunities in your milk! check out www.mercola.com for more info on vaccines. "the vaccine guide" by randall neustader (not sure if i spelled last name right) is what we read and it does a good job of presenting pros and cons of vaccinating as well as what he would do. helped me tons!
good luck and i'll be praying for you and your sweet family. if i can be of any help please please let me know!
autum n

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N.R.

answers from Killeen on

Everything has risks and if you always dwell on those risks you will not have a life. Millions of children get the same shots and as many everyday and are thriving individuals. my sone had 5 at once at his 2 month and although he didn't enjoy it he was fine other than his legs being a little tender the next day. if you are concerned about his comfort I usually give my son a half dose of tylanol about a half hour before his shots and the swelling and discomfort don't seem to be as bad. Trust my though every new mom has these fears and I assure you the Doctor would not do the shots together if he/she felt it was putting your infant in danger. Take a deep breth, relax, and put your trust in his care profider.

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R.K.

answers from Austin on

I'm probably too late for this, but for next time, since you will get shots then too, I always give my daughter tylenol right before we go. It seems to help with the soreness so they don't have to wait until when you get home to take some and start hurting.

My daughter seems to always get a fever the day following her immunizations as well. She just seems extra drowsy and has a low fever, so I would always plan on staying home with her that day and she took tylenol and was fine the next day.

Don't worry about the vaccines. Your baby will be fine and it is the best thing for them. Usually they cry when they get them, but stop as soon as you pick them up. You'll be fine.

I'm just worried about next month when I take my son in for his 2 month check-up and shots and my daughter is getting her 18 month check-up and shots the same day right afterwards! That is going to be really tough! I'm asking my husband to take off work that day! Good luck and hope things worked out for you today.

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R.H.

answers from San Antonio on

I am also a 28 yr old first time mom. My son just went for his 2 month old shots last week....I had the same questions that you did. He received 5 immunizations with 3 injections. My son is seeing a hemotologist specialist because of a white blood cell count and ask him the same questions about the autism...his response was that there was some validity to the concern but that all of the studys that have been done, the kids that were diagnosed with Autism after the shots had signs of autism before, that there have been no studys that the immunization itself causes the autism...He also said that the pros outway the cons with the shots....if they are not immunized it would be far worse for them to catch the actual disease....Hope this helps!

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K.N.

answers from El Paso on

Motherhood is a scary thing and sometimes ignorance is bliss. Medical research is great but sometimes it gives us more to worry about than if we didn't know in the first place. It is common for a coctail of immunizations to be given at one time. I have heard that you can request that they be given one at a time but I don't know how that works. I do know that the diseases that we immunize against are deadly and create severe health risks. I also know that neurological disorders are typically inherited, not given by drugs. It is a highly studied matter regarding the effect of immunizations on the brain, but none of the studies are conclusive. Something is creating an increase but who knows what exactly. Radiation and electrical currents from the things in our homes may cause an increase in cancer, depression, and other diseases. Plastic bottles may cause learning disabilities. It is amazing what we have survived that our parents never knew to be afraid of. If your child is developing normally now, then shots will not make a difference. Trust God, play with your child, limit electronic entertainment, love him, and enjoy everything he will teach you as you raise him and teach him. God Bless

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G.D.

answers from Austin on

Yes, it is normal for 2 month old to get that many shots at one time. My baby was rally fussy for 2 days after the shots. He cried more and his legs seemed to be sore. Your doctor should give you hand out about the vaccines, if not ask before what each one is for. Oh, my baby had a low grade fever also, that night. You are encouraged to give them Tylenol for discomfort.

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M.S.

answers from Houston on

I know you already took your baby in for his shots, but I just wanted to add that I felt exactly the same way you did. I did not bring my son to get his first round of shots until he was 4 months and spaced them out a lot longer than the normal schudule. I just feel that they give so many immunizations the the first year. My son is now almost ten months and I just recently heard Jenny McArthy on t.v. (her son has autism) talk about getting an alternative vaccine schedule online from an autism advocacy group. Basically they are not against vaccines just in the amounts and current schedule that is reccomended for american babies. Although I really I am not trying to scare you, I know I've put a lot of thought into this myself, we can't ignore the high rates of autism. I was just interested when I heard about that schedule and thought I would share.

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S.F.

answers from Houston on

I have a 2 1/2 month old baby boy. I took him just a few weeks ago for his 2 month checkup and he received 2 shots in his legs and one orally. He had no problems with the vaccines...just a little crying when they poked him. I don't think they would do shots in multiples if they thought it would hurt the children. The only suggestion I would give is to take some children's Tylenol with you. They had me give him a little before the shots. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Good luck with the appointment. I hope everything goes well.

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J.B.

answers from Austin on

Hey M. I understand your worries. One thing you can do is delayed vaccinations 2 at 2 mos and 2 at 3 mos. But that being said I have 2 boys that I have had no negative effects after the shots.

I did cry after my first baby got them though :( That was the worst part about it for me.

Good Luck!
J.

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K.S.

answers from College Station on

I have a 7 month old and am a first time mom as well. (27 years old) I was worried about the immunizations as well but she has done fine with all her shots so far and it is normal that they do several together to minimize the amount of actual shots. She did fine every time :) My thinking is I would rather protect her from harmful sickness and keep her from getting anything than taking a chance and not getting her immunized. Good luck :)

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M.R.

answers from Austin on

I believe its the MMR shot that was the scary one. My ped said I could wait on it and take it by itself at a later date.

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G.M.

answers from Houston on

Hi M.,

as someone who has elected to vaccinate my son selectively and on a delayed schedule, I can say that the dicisions you have to make are very difficult and exasperating. I did extensive reading on this (there are several good books out there) before deciding. The bottom line is that you must consider each vaccine separately and your childs health and circumstances. At the very least, separating the vaccines out so they aren't given all at the same time seems safer than giving them all at once.

I sympathize.

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K.O.

answers from Austin on

Please research this on your own! The doctors make their money by you coming in regularly for these vaccinations so of course they aren't going to tell you not to. There is soooo much information out there, look up Dr Mercola's site for starters. I have chosen so far not to vaccinate either of my little girls and they are so healthy. I have tons if info if you're interested.

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J.R.

answers from Houston on

Good Morning,
I read your question and even though I don't have any children of my own right now, I do have a 3 y/o nephew. He had all 4 shots done at one time and it didn't effect him in anyway, he just slept after for quite a while. When you take your baby, the nurses know how much to give him/her by a number of different things. So where my nephew was 20 ins. long and a skinny baby, your baby may be short and chubby (but cute, lol). So don't worry to much just when your baby goes to sleep, go to sleep with them. Be careful around the areas where the shots are given, they will be tender for a few days.
Have a great day and don't worry-J.

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P.H.

answers from Houston on

Hi there. I have already taken my Wonderful 3 1/2 mo. old for her 2 month vaccines. She did get a shot in each thigh and then one vaccine orally. She was not very happy about them, but the shots hurt me to watch much more than they hurt her.

She did cry but it was not difficult to calm her down once she was finished. Actually, the liquid one she was given by mouth is the one she disliked the most.

She had no adverse reactions at all. We did give her some Infant Tylenol drops just to ward off possible fever, but over all she was fine.

The only fussiness she had afterward was she didn't want her thighs to be touched that day, where the injection site was. I had to be careful to stay away from that area whenever I picked her up, but over all it was nothing near as bad as I was expecting. Hope this helps. Good luck today!

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K.C.

answers from Houston on

As a mother of seven, with my youngest being four year old twins, I have always given them their immunizations as requested by the doctor. My children have never had any negative reactions from the vaccines. Lots of pain, but no allergy reactions. It's so very important to protect you baby with the vaccines, I realize it's very controversal to some. I am a teacher and an outbreak can cause massive deaths if these childhood diseases get out of control to your child and your community. Weigh your options with much wisdom and prayer. I have been blessed to have experienced no problems. Don't worry, pray and get it done, it's the best for your child and your community.

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K.J.

answers from Houston on

Dear M.; I am 43 and have been healing myself with homopathics for over 20 years. So, that is my first choice of medicine. Over the years I had heard many controversies about vacines for babies. I did some research on immunization when I got pregnant and the infomation keep leading too NO! As my childs (4 1/2mo. now) advocate, it has been a very scary decision. Most parents do not know they have a choice not to vaccinate. I requested and recieved my afidavit from the state, so in the event I would put my son in school, it will bepass the rules/law of vaccinations. This afidavit needs to be renewed every two years. Sorry this is a little late, and if you would like the web-sites I visited please let me know.
God Bless, Ka`ren J.

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L.L.

answers from Houston on

Hi, M.,

I completely understand about your questions regarding reactions to the vaccines -- I worked in the vaccine field and, although there is still no direct evidence (yet?) about the link between vaccines and autism, etc, vaccines do cause a huge increase in immune system activity (that's how they are intended to work) so here's what I did: Since I wasn't willing to forgo vaccines but, in light of all of the anecdotal stories and friends who swear that their children were negatively affected, I asked my pediatrician to only administer 1 vaccination per visit. I had to make extra follow-up visits and be sure not to lapse in returning for the follow-up vaccinations. I also had to pay extra co-pays but the peace of mind was worth it. My child was not innundated with a bolus of different vaccinations and is fully protected - it juts took a bit of extra planning.

I hope this helps!

-L.

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K.W.

answers from San Antonio on

These immunizations are important in protecting you child. Even though they may stay at home, you do take them out in public where they are exposed to a ton of germs. I have 2 children ages 8 and 18 months, both are current on all immunizations and both are healthy. Give him some tylenol or motrin before the appointment to help with any discomfort. You'll be surprised how quickly they bounce back. I think the hardest part, as a mom is the actual act of getting the shots, but you have to tell yourself it is there best interest and that you are doing the right thing...I think I cried more than they did. Good Luck!

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L.R.

answers from Portland on

If you're very concerned, you might ask your pedi if he would consider staggering them out a bit. We haven't given our daughter any vaccines, but when she's two we think we would like to give her the polio vaccine, since it's one of the worst diseases and always has devastating effects; but we don't even want her to have the other ones. I know a girl that went deaf after her 6mo vaccines, and I've heard other things (such as the link to autism) that has led to my decision--and my husband, thankfully, was also in agreement (we were actually trying to figure out how to tell the other our concerns, until one day it just came out and we were both very relieved!).

Talk to your husband, do your research, and then don't feel guilty about it. I know a family where the husband is a neonatal surgeon and they haven't vaccinated any of their 4 kids (oldest in high school).

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L.W.

answers from Dallas on

Read Jenny McCarthy's book... Louder than Words A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. It is funny, heartbreaking, and admirable. Ms. McCarthy's son was normal/healthy and then it was like overnight ... Anyway, read the book NOW. Not to put you in a panic or scare mode but with autism on the rise, i would video tape my child periodically prior to the vaccinations for perhaps future evidence. I am 50 years old and cannot recall autism in my childhood/early adult years. I have talked to my elders as well and they say the same thing. Blessings.

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E.H.

answers from McAllen on

Our little boy had absolutely NO negative reactions to any of the injections he had to have. A couple of things to do, give him a dose of infant tylenol about 30 minutes prior to his appointment. This will help to ward off some of the pain that goes along with injections. Also, be sure to have something for him to suck on, a pacifier or a bottle, or be prepared to nurse him for a few minutes immediately following the injections. This will help to comfort him and calm him down much more quickly. Also, they have a 4-in-1 injection available. Some insurance companies will not cover it, but it is definitely worth asking your doc about.

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

All the things you are concerned about could happen to your child however the chances of your child contacting the same sickness that the immunizations protect against are even higher, and for thoses who do not do immunzations you not only put your child in harm but other child and adults too. In this country there are people who come here and do not have their "shots" thankfully because the mojority of Americans do have their immunizations there are little break outs. Think back to a time when full villiages have been wipped off the earth for something like small poxs. I have a nephew in Bangladesh who did not get pollo vaccine it is not pretty. So did it for your sake, your childs sake, and the sake of others.

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A.P.

answers from Austin on

I personally did not like the way it affected my baby. THey get 4-6 immunizations at a time according to the CDC schedule, which after alot of research was really uncomfortable for me. I am a nurse and think immunizations are very important. But a young baby, especially if you are breastfeeding, does not need all those shots at once unless they're going to daycare right away. My husband and I chose to use an alternative vaccine schedule after having her 2 month shots, and based ours pretty closely to the Dr. Sears Alternative Vaccine Schedule. (It's in his book "The Vaccine Book"). They only get 2 at a time at the most, and only one aluminum-containing vaccine at a time. I rest a little easier knowing that we spreading them out and slowing the process down.

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C.T.

answers from Houston on

My 10 week old just had all of those immunizations. It is normal. The hardest part was watching them give her the shots. They warned me that she might get a little fever from the shots and if so, give her infant Tylenol. To prevent any affects, I went and gave her a dosage of the Tylenol through out the day. Everything was fine. She did have a little bump on her leg from the shots.

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K.F.

answers from Austin on

My highly recommend you to take a moment look at their website:

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

Obviously, you want to pick a brand that contains no thimerosal and mercury. Flu shot gets me too worry but this Thimerosal Table gives me relief. My daughters recieved "Fluzone No Preservative" which has no thimerosal and mercury. You have to be firm on yourself with your son's pediatrician about the immunization issues because I had brief argue with my daughter's pediatrician nurse. Just follow your guts and follow thimerosal table. Sometimes nurses can assume wrong.

Hope this information finds you helpful. Good luck with your infant's check-up tomorrow.

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P.K.

answers from Houston on

there is an article in the houston chronicle today about selecting to not vaccinate... i did not want to vaccinate, but i did it anyway... there are risks, and it is good that you are considering them. but the article today was talking about some diseases (measles, in particular) that were pretty much gone, but recently in san diego there have been may outbreaks, from kids who were not vaccinated, and some that were too young to vaccinate. you can die from measles... i don't know, i would do the shots, it is painful to watch, but it is ok. some doctors (good ones, at least) will work with you on scheduling so that you don't pound your kids with all of the stuff at once. insurance may not work with you as well, you may have to do your co-pay for each visit. good luck.

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J.P.

answers from Houston on

This has really been a hot topic lately. It's good that you're trying to get all the best advice beforehand. All my kids are grown and had vaccines. My niece, however, never allowed her kids to be vaccinated and they're all fine. Here is a reputable site that has more information.

http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=vaccines

I wouldn't begin to give you advice, but hope that you prayerfully consider all your options ahead of time.

JoyceP
www.prepareandsucceed.com

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N.A.

answers from Austin on

Go with your instincts, and remember you can always choose to slow down the schedule. If you have a doctor that is pushing you (guilting you) to do something before you feel it is safe, listen to your heart and find another doctor. There are plenty out there who respect parents decisions around vaccines (there was a stream of messages on mamasource that you can look up). I recommend a book that is very balanced on the subject and can give you good information to make decisions with (Vaccines by Dr. Sears).

(Our personal choice: since our daughters are cared for at home & we do not travel abroad, we have chosen to wait on all vaccines until they start school, then we will chose which ones we think are necessary and stagger them).

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A.H.

answers from Austin on

Hi M.,

It really is whatever you are comfortable with. In rare cases there are reactions. My daughter had a mild reaction but it really scared us. We chose not to get her any more immunizations until she was atleast 1 yr old. Now she's 14mos and I'm still in no rush.

There have been a lot of reports about the links between the vaccinations and different illnesses or conditions. I don't know the validity. I do know that when I was little, I had maybe a dozen vaccinations in my entire childhood. Now they expect them to have more than a dozen in their first year.

Take your concerns and ask your doctor. There's some that I feel are not as necessary. If you practice good personal care and are attentive to his surroundings and exposure, they may not be in your best interest to get now.

I am not in the medical profession. Just very involved in learning as much as I can about alternative and less-is-more medical intervention.

Hope this helps. You can contact me if you want to talk any more.

-A.
Mother of Marlee 14mos & Taylor 30mos

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C.P.

answers from Houston on

The shot that I think you are talking about is the MMR shot that they get around 1 year or later. I have a 10 month old, and the ones that she has had so far we haven't had any serious problems with. One time she ran a low grade fever the next day. Good luck!

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T.F.

answers from Austin on

Please do your research before making that move. I have a five year old daughter whom has never been vaccinated. To this date, she has never been sick and is in very good health. I know alot of people that have children in high school and/or college who are completely healthy and fine and have never had any vaccinations. I deal w/clients daily who have had children vaccinated as well and some are fine and some have problems which they might possibly link directly to vaccinations. You DO NOT have to have vaccinations to go to school. They give a lot more shots to children than they did when we were children...and alot of kids are having long term problems because of them. I don't mean to scare you but I think you should research each and every vaccination you give your child and then decide if it is the right one for you (your baby). Good luck.

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H.J.

answers from Houston on

Getting more than one immunization at a time is normal. My 4 y.o. had 5 at his last well-child!

So far nothing has been proven about the supposed links between modern immunizations and autisim or brain damage. The OLD immunizations that had thimersol as a preservative were suspect, but they're not supposed to use that preservative any longer.

It's more important to have the shots and prevent or lessen the effects of such terrible diseases as mumps and polio (along with the others) than to not have the shots b/c of an unproven (thus unfounded) risk.

We routinely gave our kids tylenol about 30 minutes before their shots to help lessen their discomfort during shots. Both of my kids often ran fevers between a day and a week after shots. My son even had chicken pox from the varicellia vaccine the first time he got it, but it was an atypical reaction. So "bad" things do happen, but not often.

Just take a deep breath and consider the benefits vs the risks and stay calm for your kiddo. The more upset you are, the more upset he will be.

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C.P.

answers from Austin on

Vaccines are such a controversial topic so stick with your gut. They scared the heck out of me so we only did the necessary ones (for example, we did not do chicken pox vaccine since it's not usually a life threatening disease.

Get a copy of Dr. Sears book, "Vaccines". It's brand new and about 10 bucks on amazon. He is definitely pro vaccine, but he will tell you which ones are more important.

I would definitely follow some of the advice here. Only do one vaccine at a time. Maybe start with Dtap and go back a few weeks and do HIB. Also take a look at what season it is and what diseases are more prevalent.

We actually did 2 vaccines at a time. I wish I had only done one at a time. (And we are waiting till at least 5 to do MMR if at all.) It's a pain to go back and forth to the doctor, but it's better than shocking your child's immune system with so much all at once.

Goodluck!

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C.C.

answers from Houston on

As a mother of an autistic child I would reccomend that you request vaccines with no thimerisol, not even trace amounts. Anyone that will tel you that not one study has linked autism to vaccines obviously hasn't done their homework. Thimerisol was supposed to have been taken out of vaccines in 2003. Well, those kids are barely of school age now, and that is sadly the time, when it it discovered that they may be on the autism spectrum, because we as parents do not want to think there could be anything wrong with our kids. However when you take your child in to get vaccinated and then shortly after they get a 106 degree fever, then you are in the emergency room, and the doctors there can get the fever down, you have to wonder why? That happened to us. Our daughter was not the same since. She is now turning eight and we have had to struggle to find alternatives and therapies to help her and Thank God, the Gluten Free casein free diet has helped. The center for disease control just released a statement saying "that they are not sure" if the thimerisol found in vaccines causes autism, as opposed to them usually saying that it doesn't. It is very serious because 1 in every 150 children is diagnosed with Autism. The flu vaccine recently has been shown that it isn't even effective. So why even take it. Why would anyone put Mercury in vaccines anyway? As a preservative, when that same so called preservative is damaging. If everyone knows that the mercury from a regular outdoor thermometer could hurt you if ingested, why put in in vaccines and give it to the ones that are most vulnerable, our children? There are many websites that are helpful, but speak to your doctor. Don't be shy to ask about thimerisol. You are your child's own advocate, because noone else will speak for you. I hope this helps. God Bless.

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J.D.

answers from Austin on

Just so you know, boys are more likely to have neurological problems than girls. Even more so are white boy with fair eyes and hair hair. My son fits the above description and had problems after his 4 month immunization problems. He stoped sleeping well, he didn't eat as well, he was cranky all the time, he stopped rolling over (which he had started at 7 weeks old), he stopped baring weight, he stopped looking at me, and as time progressed he had odd body contortions to express any type of emotion, which also became very rare. I lost my son. We didn't give him any more immunizations. After he turned a year old and was still falling behind in developmental growth especially in grasping the concept of communication and emotions, along with physical slowness we went to a baby neurological specialist in Austin. He said my son was definitely affected by his vaccinations and that the best thing we did was to not give him any more vaccinations for now. After we reverse the damage (seeing almost full recovery - so now he's just playing catch up)they did to his nervous system and he is strong again maybe some time in the future we can start having some immunizations again. If you do want to continue giving your baby boy immunization shots I would recommend you go ask some questions to the pharmacists at People's Pharmacy. They are very informative. Things they suggested to me if and when I ever immunize again where: get the dead/killed version of the vaccine (much weaker in potency), only get one at a time, and have him taking extra vitamin C for 10 days before getting the vaccine. Also, never let a pediatrician/doctor make you feel wrong for a medical decision you make for your child. It is YOUR child, not theirs. A mother always can feel in her gut what is the right thing to do for her kids. I hope this has been helpful. Good luck and God Bless.

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M.F.

answers from El Paso on

Even though the medical community says there is no link between immunizations and autism, I feel your concern - some moms I know have only had their child given 1 or 2 shots per visit and then returned in 2 month for others - just a thought.

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E.R.

answers from Austin on

My husband and I have worked with people with autism for many years. I worked with the younger children age 3-9. This comes up frequently. If you read the actual study that came out about this, what it says is that children who show signs of Austism Spectrum, start to show sign around the 18th month. This is the same time that the MMR vacine is given. There is no causual evidence whatsoever to say that the vacine causes Austism. The reason for the relationship is because most children are not able to really communicate (speak clearly) unstil 18 mos or so. This is the first time Austism is able to be firmily diagnosed since it is a communication disorder. The risks to not having your child are, in my opinion, far greater. Whooping cough is still very much alive and very deadly to infants. In my experience with parents of children with Autism, they know long before the diagnoses is given that something is "not right" with thier infant. If you have questions about it, ask your doctor. He or She should be able to quote that study to you if you ask about it. Or if you need to know for yourself, you should be able to find a copy at one of our local colleges.

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K.V.

answers from Austin on

Pray for protection! Chances are your child wil be fine. It would be better if they did not combine so many immunizations together. Asking if you can space out the shots is an option if you are concerned. Your pediatrician will probably look at you like you're a weirdo, but remember this is your child and your right to protect them as you see fit. Who cares that you don't follow the same schedule as everyone else? Research the vaccines.
My son had a febrile siezure after the pneumococcal vaccine. I don't allow that vaccine to be given to any of my children. But, more often than is admitted, the reactions to vaccinations don't usually show for months to years down the road and it is very difficult to determine that it was the vaccinations that were the culprit.

You are not alone, I was/am so fearful everytime the children get their shots and I do make them space them out. It means extra trips to the doctor's office, but I think the children handle them better with less fever and discomfort.

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K.H.

answers from Austin on

If you choose to do all of the shots, you can also talk to your dr about spacing them out. I try not to do more than 2 shots a visit. Otherwise, if they have a reaction, which one is it from? It's also trying. If your dr resists, resist back. YOU are the parent here and the choice is yours, not theirs. Do what YOU feel is comfortable and best based on all your info.

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M.M.

answers from San Antonio on

M.

You have a right to request vaccination which are preserved differently. I don't remember the name. Read the book Louder than Words by Jenny McCarthy. Educate yourself about autism and the signs. Find a doctor who will not push you to give that many at one time.

I trusted and did not question. I am a mother of a child with autism.

Take care

M. P.

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