Vaccinations - Columbus, OH

I thoroughly researched this topic when I had my first babies and concluded that the benefit of eliminating the chance of the illnesses far outweighed the risk of the vaccines themselves. There are a lot of scary websites out there warning of the dangers of vaccines, but the science just doesn't back up the anecdotal evidence sited on those websites. After you do your research, I suggest that you go to your doctor with any concerns you still have, he or she may be able to explain further.

1 mom found this helpful

HI L.,
Prior to having my daughter, I worked at a school for children with Autism. The director of that school kept us very informed with up to date information daily regarding Autism research. Presently, there has been no known cause for Autism and there is no link to Autism and vaccinations. I was pregnant while working there, so I was surrounded by children who had Autism every day. Not once did I consider not vaccinating my child. Not vaccinating means putting your child and other children at risk for diseases that we CAN prevent. Not vaccinating because of speculative reasearch on a disorder that we have no known cause for made no sense to me. I hope that you will reconsider. I would hate for your child to contract something that was preventable because of fear of the unknown. If it is for religious reasons, then I can respect that. One more fact about vaccines. The preservative that was in question regarding Autism, Thimerisol, was removed from all vaccines several years ago. The only vaccine that has it is the flu vaccine, but you can ask for it to be administered "preservative free". You most likely won't have to worry about that vaccination this year becuase your child has to be 6 mos of age to get it. My daughter is 21 mos old now, is perfectly healthy, developmentally on track, and had ALL of her vaccines. I hope this was helpful and I do hope you reconsider.

1 mom found this helpful

As many of your responses have already stated they are two sides to the vaccination theory and while we as parents will ultimately do what we feel is best I just wanted to share my story with you. We decided not to vaccinate our son with certain available vaccinations. I was mortified when my son ended up getting the Rota Virus at 6 mos old. He was miserable, throwing up constantly, diareha and ultimately dehydration and a stay in the hospital. After having my son go through that I felt like the worse mom ever and since then have decided that vaccinations are the way to go. We (or a least me) did not go to medical school and even though I educated myself on the subject of vaccination could never fully comprehend the vast information regarding whether to vaccinate or not. We have to trust our doctors. I hope my story will help with your decision.

1 mom found this helpful

I know there has been great arguments for and against vax's. It is quite the personal issue! I for one never vaxed either child (an 8yr and 4yr old). There is a long history of neurological diseases on both sides of our tree and felt we couldn't risk it. I did years of research and still second guess myself at times,however, my children have NEVER needed medicine for any type of sickness, they do normal kid things and get colds but heal quickly and feel great. And if it was true that vaccines work why would anyone worry that MY kid would make theirs ill? That contradicts their belief in the vaccines completely. So much so a family physician wrote medical exemptions for my children saying "they are meant for the masses and non-vaxed kids don't pose any risk to vaxed ones." I believe years ago the vaccines were meant for good but the level of chemicals are children face daily is scary! I won't purposely inject them. And furthermore, there are stats that support vaccine-induced illnesses and permanent diseases. Right or wrong, I choose to put my trust in the power that made our bodies can heal us and I won't need meds except for emergency purposes. Good luck on a very difficult decision!

1 mom found this helpful

First of all, let me apologize...I feel very strongly on this subject. I agree that he is your child, and to vaccinate or not is your decision. If you don't want to vaccinate, fine, but keep your kid away from MINE!! Do you realize that by NOT vaccinating your child, you are not only leaving them unprotected, you are also risking MY childs health by possibly exposing THEM to sicknesses you didn't feel should be prevented. Vaccinations were invented for a reason-to keep people from DYING, I for one would much rather have a sore arm for a few days than die of some practically dead (due to the vaccines, of course) disease.
sorry again, but I DO feel it extremely unfair that my children could possibly suffer the ill effects of someone else not vaccinating THEIR children when they themselves HAVE been vaccinated.

1 mom found this helpful

www.thevaccinebook.com

The book by Dr. Sears is very balance and even offers an alternative schedule if you are interested in vaccinating but want to minimize any risks.

1 mom found this helpful

Both of my kids have had all of their required vaccinations and have been fine (I have a 1 year old and a 3 3/4 year old). The reason we don't have major infectious disease outbreaks in this country any longer is because of vaccines. It is NOT FAIR for people who don't want to vaccinate their children to take advantage of those of us who do vaccinate our children (of course I don't want my children getting shots, but it's better that than Polio or something). I bet mothers in Africa and other 3rd world countries would give anything to have access to some of our vaccines, and over here people act like doctors are trying to kill their children. It's insane. People here have become complacent and are blithely using herd immunity as an excuse for why their children don't need the vaccines. If it's pain you're worried about, give your kid some Tylenol and keep in mind he'll forget about it in about 15 seconds. If you have some other reason to be concerned, talk to your pediatrician. Mercury isn't even in the common vaccines anymore. If you choose not to vaccinate your kid, that's your right, but you won't be able to send him to daycare or preschool.

1 mom found this helpful

I actually just did a small research paper on this last semester and I have two children ages 5&2. From what I found you are better off getting the vaccinations for your child. I know a lot of moms worry about side effects, but remember that even if 1 child has a side effect, that it is usually published. My children had no problems.
If autism is something you are worried about, it has not been proven. Actually the research I did found that they believe autism may be a slight genetic disorder and that it may actaully be formed while the child is still developing in the womb.
For research you can look at the CDC ____@____.com and there are many links to help you make your decision.
I hope this helps and best of luck. I know this can be a tough choice.
E.

1 mom found this helpful

You should really visit a hospital and see a child who is suffering from Whooping Cough and ask yourself if you'd like to see your son go through that. Different vaccines have different risks/benefits and you should evaluate them individually. Overall, vaccines prevent your child from some horrible - even deadly - illnesses.

1 mom found this helpful

I am a pediatrician and I have a 17 month old son. He has been vaccinated on schedule with all of the recommended vaccinations. Ask your pediatricians if their own children have been vaccinated and the answer will always be yes. If vaccines were not safe, they would not be recommending it.
The most respected, current, and accurate information about vaccinations can be found at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website. It is the number one rated childrens hospital in the country and does the most research on vaccinations.
www.vaccine.chop.edu

1 mom found this helpful

I think spacing out your vaccinations could be a good idea. My younger son always ended up with a fever after having so many at a time when he was so little. You should definatly have them done. I am not sorry I had my kids vaccinated. A little fever and discomfort is nothing compared to whooping cough, polio or measles. These are still very real concerns. Whooping cough is making a comeback in schools, so there is a real chance your baby could be exposed. Help keep your baby and mine safe and healthy. Vaccinate.

1 mom found this helpful

This is something that I had questions about, too, and my Chiropractor actually gave me a huge packet of papers to read that he got from the internet. I don't know whether vaccines have been proven to lead to Autism, but I don't want to take that risk, so I have never vaccinated my daughter except for the first round. She was horribly sick for a week after that, which is why I asked the Chiropractor in the first place. I do remember that in one of those papers, Dr. Jonas Salk, who invented the polio vaccine was quoted saying something about it was his opinion that all of the recent cases of polio were a direct result of being innoculated, because of course that means that the disease is being injected into your child, in a weakened form. Please research this more before you make your decision. You can always vaccinate later, but you cant un-vaccinate.

1 mom found this helpful

Well, I have 2 daughters (4 and 1) and they have both been given all vaccinations and are fine. I never did any research on the vaccines...because honestly, I don't think they are dangerous. Neither does the Am. Assoc. of Pediatricians. There has been a lot of press about the link between vaccines and autism, but that link has never been duplicated in any study. And, without vaccines, kids cannot attend day cares, preschool, etc. The safety in preventing these diseases (even things like chicken pox and Rotovirus) far outweigh any potential dangers, in my opinion.

Ask you pediatrician for his/her thoughts and discuss your uncertainty with them.

1 mom found this helpful

there are many reputable sources of info regarding vaxes, but it is daunting to sift through everything. "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations" by Stephanie Cave and Deborah Mitchell gives a well thought out response. Dr. Cave is a pediatrician, and she has a very different vax schedule if you do decide to vax.

We do not vax our children, and contrary to popular belief, that's not against the law and it wouldn't keep them from entering school if they were of school age. I don't know how many times I've heard that line, and it just shows me how uneducated most people are when it comes to vaccinations.

While there are many reasons we decided against vaxing, the most convincing reasons came from the vaccine manufacturers themselves. You can go to http://www.gsk.com/products/index.htm to research the vaccines made by GlaxoSmithKline, and you can access the product inserts for other manufacturers online also. If you have the time and energy to read through them, it's frightening.

I don't mind to discuss this further, but my little ones need me. I'll just leave you with this ~ according to the manufacturers themselves, not one, not even one of the vaccines they want injected into my children has ever been tested for carcinogenity. That scares me and baffles me, and I will not let my babies be their guinea pigs.

ETA: After reading some of the other responses, I had to say that there is verifiable, well documented proof that most of the diseases the vaccines "got rid of" were on the decline before the vaxes were even introduced.

Also, if your child is vaccinated, and the vaccines work as suggested, then he shouldn't be at risk by being around my unvaccinated child. My unvaccinated child, an elderly person, or someone with a compromised immune system would be in more danger being around your vaxed child b/c he could expose them to the disease via shedding. Currently the MMR, the chicken pox vax, hep A, Rotateq, and Flumist all contain live viruses.

And contrary to popular belief, most of the diseases are not horrible diseases. Chicken pox is relatively mild in childhood and typically gives life-time immunity, but if a child receives the vaccine, he does not get the life-time immunity, even with boosters, and is more likely to contract it later in life when it actually is a much more serious disease.

This could be a long thread, as many people are very passionate about this subject. Research, research, research. The more you do, the more comfortable you'll be with whichever route you choose. Don't follow a doctor or nurses advice blindly in such an important decision. If you choose to delay vaxing until you are comfortable with a decision, there's no harm done. If you're pushed into vaxing before you do the research, you can't take back what was done to your little one.

And how you reacted to your vaxes is a good thing to keep in mind when deciding if the benefits outweigh the risks. But remember that we were vaxed with very few vaxes compared to the long list of vaxes recommended for children these days. They're adding more yearly it seems. There are around 25 vaxes recommended before a child turns two!

1 mom found this helpful

L.,
I'm a nurse in a hospital and we(my co-workers)are afraid for children who DON'T get vaccinated. There are too many risks facing children who are'nt vaccinated! The benefits outweigh the risks. What has your pediatrician said?? Don't let them tell you "it's up to you",you ask them to tell you truthfully. Please consider this seriously,look up information on diptheria, polio, measles, mumps,etc.
Keep me posted!
R.

1 mom found this helpful

We live in such a global world now and our kids are exposed to so much more than we were as kids. I believe vaccinations are worth the risk. I met a woman whose son became autistic after vaccinations and she did not blame the vaccines. She thought it was a combination of factors - including his genetics - and there are tests now you can have done prior to see if your child is at risk. You can also spread them out and not give the combinations all at once. You can always try them to see how your child's system reacts and stop if he has problems. I have three kids and only one of them had a fever for a day after conventional vaccines.

1 mom found this helpful

OK so it looks like we got a lot of pro vaccine people in the house! Vaccines are not required by law in any state, even if you send your kid to public school. Which, I would never do! So, vaccines have mercury (even though they say it has been removed) among other heavey metals. It is the heavy metal content that leads to autism - more prevelent in boys. Also, the vacinnes are kept in fermaldehyd. And then you have to look at the way they are developed. In some cases, grown in mice bellies (very painful). Sometimes, grown in monkies who then get thier organs grownd up and injected into our babies. Sometimes its grown in chicken eggs. If you know anything about factory farms, you should be alarmed. It has also been proven, altho not promoted, that AIDS comes from the polio vacinee. There is a documentary that is impossible to get called "AIDS and the polio vacinee" that goes into the subject in great detail. Gees, just look at the rise in the ratio of autism and the ratio of vacs given over the past 20 yrs. Please, check out alex jones. His web site is infowars.com he has a daily radio broadcast you can listen to over the web. He often talks about the subject and has many experts who can debunk the hype.

1 mom found this helpful

L.,

Please reconsider. Why would you possibly want to leave your son vulnerable to horrible diseases like mumps, measles, chicken pox, rubella, polio, and a host of others? Contrary to urban myth, vaccinations do not cause autism. Personally, I will do whatever is in my power to protect my children from any harm or disease that I can.

Best wishes,
K.

1 mom found this helpful

I think vaccinations are highly important to your child's safefty and well being. You need to think about the benefits vs. the risks related to vaccinations. I would never not get my child vaccinated however I know others feel differently and that's okay. You need to do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

1 mom found this helpful

L. - I am about to have my first child in April. I've read several books on vaccinations. I am so glad I did. I just had a cousin go into ICU a few hours after his shots and it made me more aware of why I need to trust my motherly instincts and become as educated as possible on both sides of the issue. I've also had 2 cousins die of SIDS within 3 weeks of their 2 month shots. Now, I cannot say that the vaccinations caused the SIDS BUT research does show a correlation - of course, a pediatrician would NEVER admit to such a thing. It becomes a liability issue in a very litigious society. However, the people who have had vaccinations should not be worried - aren't you protected by your vaccinations? Why argue against those that haven't had vaccinations, or are choosing to delay vaccinations?

The bottom line - doctors do not know everything. Each and every person is designed very differently and will react differently to conventional medicine. Being personally educated is the best option and then, make a personal choice based on your own motherly instincts.

1 mom found this helpful

I hope you realize if he does not have a vaccination, he may contract one of those diseases and die.

1 mom found this helpful

I know there are some vaccines that are required to go to school unless of course you are planning on homeschooling. It is going to have to be what you personally feel is best, but just remember vaccines have ended children from dying from things such as polio and measles. Parents soon forget becuse ilnneses such as these are no longer around, but that is due to the vaccinations.

1 mom found this helpful

L.,

My son was fully vaxed until age 2, and had a serious reaction. My daughter received her first round of shots at two months before I did the research. After looking at all sides of the issues I decided against further vaccines. I am glad you are looking into it to make an informed decision. I'm not sure how much research you've done, but here are a few resources I found helpful.

Books:
Vaccines - Are They Really Safe & Effective by Neil Z Miller, What Your Child's Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccines by Dr. Stephanie Cave, The Vaccine Guide - Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults by Dr Randall Neustaedter, What Every Parent Should Know About Childhood Immunization by Jamie Murphy, Vaccinations - A Thoughtful Parent's Guide by Aviva Jill Romm, Vaccines - The Risks, The Benefits, The Choices by Dr Sherri Tenpenny.

Dr Tenpenny also has a very informative dvd available called Vaccines - What CDC Documents and Science Reveal.

Websites:
http://www.nvic.org/
http://thinktwice.com/
http://www.whale.to/vaccines.html
http://vaccineinfo.net/
http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm

I also suggest checking out your state health department's statistics on communicable diseases. That way you can compare the risks of your child even coming into contact with these "diseases" versus the risk of a reaction from the vaccine. I hope this helps.

B.

1 mom found this helpful

My son is now almost 4 and I got all of his vaccinations when they were due and he is fine. Healthy as ever. I don't think that they would have all of the vaccinations that are out there if it wasn't believed that they were beneficial medically. I do know that if you plan to put your son into daycare/preschool at any point...you have to have a record that he is up to date with all recommended vaccinations. Best of luck.

1 mom found this helpful

I have 3 children, the 2 oldest are vaccinated the youngest is not. I plan on waiting unil he's older for sure so that his immune system is better at handling it. The reason I did not start his vaccines is because I found out that the chicken pock shot is 75% MSG, and I've read some other things. There are some good books out there, a lot of my info. I got from "Mothering Magazine" I love it! You really have to decide for your self. Your child can still go to school even with out shoots. You will have to sign a waiver saying it's against your Religion or for medical reasons.

1 mom found this helpful