Measles Only Vaccine

Updated on May 03, 2012
A.G. asks from Arlington, TX
11 answers

Hi Mommy's
I am very desperate regarding the MMR vaccine. My son is 18 months old and I was actually planning to wait with the MMR vaccine until he was at least two years old. The reason why we are confronted with this is we will be travelling to Europe end of this month and our pedi said that we should get the MMR vaccine for my son because of the travel. I insisted on having the measles vaccine by itself and she gave me a measles only prescription. My problem now is that I could not find one pharmacy that could provide me with one unit of this measles only vaccine. Had anyone any experience regarding this. I am also freaking out that this vaccine may cause autism or other rare but serious side effects. I cannot stop thinking what if something bad happens to him. On the other side what if he gets measles. I am just so desperate. What am I supposed to do? Thanks for your input.

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So What Happened?

Thank mommas for all your responses. What we did. We decided to take the MMR vaccine because we could not find the individual measles vaccine. Unfortunately, my son had a bad reaction which means high fever 105 for 3-4 days, after that he had some balance issues for couple day. We were in the merge to cancel our trip to Europe. Anyways our pediatrician told us not to give him any MMR vaccine anymore. Thanks to god he is fine now. I am glad there was nothing major but I am also glad we had the vaccine as I know he is protected against MMR

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

You could try a compounding pharmacy. They usually compound things themselves and can usually fill prescriptions that other pharmacies can't fill. I hope this helps!

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B..

answers from Dallas on

I don't vaccinate my son. Guess what, I do NOT believe Vaccines cause Autism. Your doctor actually CAN order the measles vaccine by itself, but can't order just one. Unless there are many people in his practice requesting it, then it just can't be done. Call this pharmacy ###-###-####. It's a pharmacy that does their own compounding, has traditional prescriptions, and also does non-tradition. They could either have it, or know who to call. They used to be called Flower Mound Herbal Pharmacy, but I believe the name has been changed to something shorter. Flower Mound is just a sort drive away.

Can we address the "drastic rise in measles?" Last year, in the US the CDC reporter there were 222 cases of measles. No deaths. There were 9 cases of it causing pneumonia resulting in hospitalization. (This is taken form CDC. Search their page.) 222 cases out of over 3 million people. Did measles "rise" from he year before? Sure! But, so did our population. 222 cases out of over 300 million...in NOT drastic. (In actuality, it is MUCH more common to have a serious side affect from the vaccine, then get measles...in the US.) Out of those cases, 21 were caused by one person. If I remember right (PLEASE don't quote me on this!! I will find the information and post the link once it's found.) the vaccine didn't work in 34% of those cases...of the people who were vaccinated. So, here in the US...it's incredibly rare to get the measles. Did you know what an "outbreak" is according to the CDC? It's were 3 or more people have a certain illness. So, that's all these measles outbreaks you're hearing about. 222 cases out of over 311 million people, and people are freaking out, because of outbreaks. It's just stupid. Here is the problem. Most of the measles cases, happen because of travelers coming BACK into our country, and spreading in their family. There is a much higher rate of measles in Europe. The CDC says there were around 26,000 cases of measles in Europe last year...resulting in 9 deaths. There were 123,537 cases in Africa. (I point that out, because there is A LOT of travel between Europe in Africa.) There were more deaths in Africa, because well it's Africa...they don't have health infrastructure in the poorest parts. Anyway...what I'm getting A....is it's important to vaccinate when traveling to other countries. That's how most people get the disease. You don't want to be in a foreign country and have to be in their unfamiliar hospital systems with measles. You also don't want to spread it into your family. If I were going to travel that is the ONLY time I would insist on vaccinating my son. (That and if there was an actual outbreak of thousands of people getting measles.)

5 moms found this helpful

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Vaccines DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM. There is NO evidence to support that. Please vaccinate your son. Millions upon millions of children around the world have been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine with no side effects (or maybe very minor ones such as a slight temperature the next day, or the injection site being a little red for a day or two). The bottom line is that vaccinations save lives. I know that we all have a tendency to try and be "PC" about everything and say, "Oh, do your research, only you know what's right for your child," and for many issues, that's true. But when it comes to life-saving vaccines, the right thing is to vaccinate your child, ESPECIALLY if you are traveling internationally. I wish you the best of luck - please, stop worrying about this and just get him the MMR vaccine. There is a ton of research out there supporting that this vaccine is as safe as any medical procedure can be. Your son will be fine.

5 moms found this helpful
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K.W.

answers from Seattle on

I'm sorry you are desperate. There is no need. There is zero evidence or indication that MMR has anything to do with autism. Less than zero actually. There is anti-correlation between the MMR vaccine and the rates of autism. Dr. Wakefield is a quack and conducted not just bad science, but fraudulent science. And he's no longer a doctor (he was stripped of his medical license).

Given your trip and your pediatrician's advice, it sounds like there is a risk of getting measles. The potential adverse consequences of getting measles on your trip are much much more likely than the exceedingly rare complications associated with some vaccines. And the complications have nothing to do with autism. If it were me, I'd get him whatever vaccine was available, be it measles or MMR.

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T.A.

answers from Seattle on

The case against Dr. Wakefield was basically a witch hunt. You are right to question everything you put in your child's body. Read about measles and its treatment A. www.thedoctorwithin.com and decide for yourself if you still want your child to be vaccinated against it. I have heard of people having to buy the whole lot rather than one individual dose. Check with a local naturopathic doctor for more info and less pressure regarding vaccinations in general. Only you know what's best for your family! A recent FDA document lists autism and SIDS as side effects from the dtap vaccine, so it's not true that vaccines don't cause autism. The government has published it, in the fine print of course!

The risks of these diseases is very low actually. And not from herd immunity. Read "the sanctity of human blood" from the author whose website is www.thedoctorwithin.com, you'll see. The other thing the other side has is money, enough to advertise, which they spend more money on than research. I don't know a single person who has fully read about vaccine safety, side effects, and ingredients, and didn't A. least start an alternative schedule.

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

I would take my chance with measles. It is very rarely deadly, and most kids don't even need to be hospitalized. It's just an uncomfortable thing like chicken pox. Most kids are actually healthier after contracting measles! Measles means "visit from a goddess" in another language. Honestly, I worry less about autism and more about all the other deadly toxins in the vaccine like formaldehyde and aluminum, as well as mercury (or thimerisol). It is very unlikely he will contract measles naturally. He may actually get it from the vaccine as it is live. He will be fine as long as he is healthy with a strong immune system (: We have chosen not to vaccinate A. all.

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L.C.

answers from Dallas on

They do not make the individuals anymore. I understand your concern especially since my son was completely normal until a set of vaccines sent him into Autism. In my opinion I would not worry about the measles. If your son gets the measles (which he probably won't) he will be immune to it and there are many natural remedies to get him through it. I would rather the measles than autism any day! The reports you are hearing about measle outbreaks is exaggerated. We give my child vit. D3 and keep his immune system strong. If you need any more info you can email me.
____@____.com
L.

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

I thought I read that the manufacturer (Merck.?) stopped making the stand-alone measles vaccine. I'm not surprised that you've had a tough time finding it.

If I wanted to do the vaccine then I might call the manufacturers (starting with Merck) and see if there are any single-vaccine sources for this one. Here's a link to their page: http://www.merckvaccines.com/Products/Pages/ProductHome.aspx

It might also help to contact a compounding pharmacy (special type of pharmacy).

Personally it angers me that you can't split these up anymore. How are you supposed to know what your child reacts to with a multi-valent vaccine?

This is just my "mom" opinion - I'm not a healthcare professional of any type.

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B..

answers from Green Bay on

I know there is a lot of conflicting info regarding vaccines and side effects and it is very worrisome. What we did was find a pediatrician that we trusted and followed his advice. We followed the vaccination schedule that he recommended and our kids have turned out fine and healthy. That being said, if you decide not to vaccinate before your trip, then maybe there are some extra precautions you will need to take, such as having your son wear one of those masks that cover his nose and mouth on your flight. It seems to me that being on an airplane might be one of the riskiest times when he (or really anyone!) could catch a cold or something more serious.

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If your child is autistic, it began in the womb and he already has it.
There's nothing you could give him now that would alter it.
Brain scans on newborns are showing that autistic kids brains develop differently right from the start.
You can vaccinate him and worry, or not vaccinate him and worry, or you can cancel your trip (and you'd probably still worry because you can be exposed to those diseases over here as well as in Europe),
If you were going to vaccinate him anyway in 6 months, just do it now, relax and enjoy your trip.

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M.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

If I were you, I would be more confused with so many answers. There are so many people in the world who have valid arguments on either side of this question. I try not to make a decision when I am confused. Find a reliable resourse, if you have time.

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