Vaccines! - Hersey,MI

Oh boy, this sure is a controversial topic! In my opinion, there is no credible evidence linking vaccinations against any serious effects (other than those rare ones listed on the CDC's handout for each specific vaccine.) Of course, as a parent it is your right to determine what enters your child's body, but I believe the anti-vaccine movement has become a public health problem in that those of us who are doing our part to vaccinate our children and help eradicate life threatening and debilitating diseases are being thwarted by those who refuse vaccines and whose children come into contact with ours.

Diseases that were once eradicated in the US are now seeing a resurgence, because a significant segment of the population is no longer vaccinating their children out of fear of vaccines (or even as immigrants from non-eradicated nations.)

My ped discusses each vaccine with me, and lets me know which ones he REALLY thinks are unnecessary. My husband is a physician, and he strongly advocates for vaccination. Whenever our ped mentions the scheduled vaccination, my ultimate deciding factor (after doing our own research) is whether or not his own kids received the particular vaccine. He also lets me know when he believes that seasonal flu shots are really necessary.

I don't believe that anti-vaccine parents should necessarily seek out like-minded physicians, as I believe in having a diversity of opinion and always having a physician who is not just telling you what you'd like to hear, but giving you their best professional opinion.

HI S.,

I have two daughters and my oldest was vaccinated to the age of three and my youngest has never had any vaccines. I not only studied vaccines but also all sorts of synthetic chemicals that are on the market today. When I was a kid, we got 3 vaccines prior to kindergarten and they were preserved by refrigeration. Now the vaccines have multiple preservatives and there is evidence (I've seen it firsthand) that vaccines cause many issues. I believe my children are healthier because they have not been exposed to numerous toxins that coincide with all vaccines. My best friend's 24 year old son-in-law who WAS military went through a battery of vaccines and is now functioning as a 10 year old. The condition he has, ADEM, is linked to the MMR. Even the medical community will verify that.

To answer your question I told the doctor that this was our child and our decision. If he had any information that he wanted me to read, I would be willing to but it was not his job to convince me of anything. Our doctor respected our wishes. The firmer you stand your ground the easier it is to do things your way.

Hope I helped!

M.

There's an increased incidence of autism in children of parents who were elderly when they had kids. There's an increased incidence of autism when certain drugs, such as thalidomide, are taken during the first trimester of pregnancy. Exposure to rubella virus (German Measles) during the first trimester can also affect that developmental window when autism can develop. They think there is a genetic component to autism, like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease.
Vaccines do not cause autism.
Thimerasol (a preservative) does not cause autism.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/parents.htm#myths

By not immunizing, people are increasing the odds that women will be exposed to rubella during their first trimester and that will increase the chances for that unborn child to have autism. The persistence of this vaccines-causing-autism myth would be laughable if the ignorance were not so dangerous to other people's children.

I'm not going to try to sway your opinion on this one. I am not well researched enough to back up everything I believe, or I don't remember where I got my info and don't really care to go searching right now. But I will say that I hope you got more information and research on this that just what your friend told you. Why do you trust what your friend says over what your doctors say? Is she an expert? I'm not saying doctors are right all the time at all, but at least they have the schooling and background to back up their opinions. I can't tell you how many things I have heard and read that are supposedly "facts" that just aren't true if you look into them deeper. I hope that if your doctor wants to know why you are choosing not to vaccinate and putting your child at risk of preventable infectious diseases (as well as other people), that you have a better answer for them than "because my friend told me about this stuff...". Just do the research for yourself, from credible sources. There is a lot of crazy nonsense floating around out there. I'm not saying there is no risk involved in vaccines, and there is lots of data out there to back up your decision, but do your own research. Including getting your doctor's opinions.

I agree that you should do some hard research. While the autism concern is legitimate, there simply has been no independent research to show one way or another (although for me, the risk is higher than the benefit of the vaccine so we did not and will not be giving the mmr.)

Another aspect of vaccines that is concerning is the fact that most vaccines use aborted fetal cells from a line of cells that came from a forced abortion. (The baby was killed because the mother had mild retardation and the court system agreed the baby should be killed rather than the mom allowed to complete the pregnancy.) That is simply not something I want any part of.

And mercury isn't the only toxin in vaccines...there is a laundry list of things that are all known toxins that cause all sorts of problems.

There are also NO long term studies on the efficacy and safety of our vaccines. None. That scares the stew out of me. We do long term studies on everything else (chemo, pain relievers, etc) but none on vaccines??!!

Did you know the N1H1 vaccine was never even put through normal testing in the US before it was being given to patients? The manufacturer simply used the test results they got from the regular flu vaccine as their supportive research. That's like insisting you pass the 5th grade in math because you took a 3rd grade math test two years ago and did ok. It makes no sense and is an entirely different vaccine.

Do your research. If you decide not to get your children vaccinated, as a parent you have that right. People who complain and worry, I usually tell them that since a vaccine only protects the person who gets the vaccine, that their kids should be fine if they decided to get the shot regardless of what I have decided is best for my child.

In my opinion the best book on this subject is the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. It really breaks each vaccine down and gives good information. I selectively vaccinate my kids. I have an 8th grader, a 5 year old and I am pregnant with #3. As far as discussing my decision with doctors or nurses, I don't. I tell them I have done my research and the topic is not up for discussion. I am paying them for a service and I will not be harassed.

Lisa

I am doing an extended vax schedule and skipping some like H1N1. We are also doing MMR later. I discuss each one with our pediatrician and weigh which ones need to be at what time, which can be split, etc.

I recommend that you do your own research, not only on this sight, but on the Internet, paying close attention to medical information as well as personal opinions. Once you know why you're not having vaccinations you'll know what to tell others. If you're convinced that you decision is the right one, you won't need to convince anyone else. A brief statement is all that you'll need.

My daughter's sister decided to not give vaccinations but ended up doing so because of the school districts requirement. I don't remember now why she wasn't able to just say she chose not to give them. So, I suggest that you find out the school district requirements and learn how to deal with them, while you're doing your research.

Hi S.! Your choice to not vaccinate is protected by law and doctors and nurses cannot attempt to sway your decision. They are required to tell you the risks but they cannot force you or manipulate your decision.
I had a nurse harass me about not vaccinating my son and she nearly lost her job. People are entitled to their opinion, but they may NOT try to convince you to do what they, personally, want.

People on this board need to realize that autism is not the main reason to not vaccinate. There are a multitude of reasons that people choose to delay or opt out of vaccines. I really wish people would educate themselves so they don't propogate myths that state how your kids are threat to society if they are unvaccinated.

Remember, you can always decide to vaccinate in any manner you choose. It's not an all or nothing decision.
Good luck to you!

This can be such a hard subject, but here is my thinking. My daughter has autism and I do not believe that vaccines have caused hers. It is and can be scary to hear all that is said on the internet and everything. You have to do what you feel is best, but vaccines protect children from some many things that, at one time, could be fatal or make one really sick. I often wonder if vaccinces were to cause autism, how is it that boys have it 4X as much as girls? I was still mortified to have my son vaccinated, but I did it and he is "typical" My brother is a development specialist working for OHSU and he has studied this subject in full and fully supports vaccinating. I really support anyone's choice. We are all mothers and always want to do the best for our children. You can also look up everything about the vaccines themselves on the website, but not sure what it is off-hand. I am thinking it is cdrc website. Good luck to you. It is hard to choose.. I know!!!

I pick and choose vaccines.. our dr tells me what the recommended shots are at each age and I tell him what we will get.. he doesnt try to talk me into anything.

The only vaccines tath I dont want is. the chicken pox,, and the hepatitis A.. I really didnt want the hepatitis B either but it was in a combo shot .so they got that one.

My duaghter got the MMR at 2.. I think my son will get it at 3 or 4 years old..

Research research research.... I work with people who have disabilities, one of the most heart breaking jobs I have had was working with someone who was disabled because their mom came in contact with Rubella when she was pregnant. This person was born deaf and slowly through their life lost their sight. I felt that it was unfortunate that something like this could have been prevented with a vaccine. Yes some are not ideal however, I reccommend you look at what will happen if your child contracts Measels Mumps or Rubella what their life will be like. The other thing to keep in mind is with less and less people getting vaccinated there are going to be more people carrying these illnesses, the rates of MMR are most likely going to start creeping up in coming years. Something else to think of, as children you can control who they hang out with etc, when your child becomes a teenager are they going to understand the risk of sharing drinks etc with people?

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They are your children, and you as their Mom I am sure will make the decision that you feel is the best for them. Just please please please do the research to make sure you know all the risks involved with both sides.

My daughters doctor does not advocate vaccines. She does offer a "green vaccine" for those patients who choose to vaccinate. There IS credible evidence linking serious conditions resulting from some of the shots. Each child is different, some are more prone than others. It is such a personal decision. No ONE thing is good for EVERY child. Read books, research online, listen to your GUT. It is a very tough decision. Good luck

Hi S..

If you guys are going to stick to your decision you will need to start bracing yourself from the negative people!

We ourselves (after MONTHS AND MONTHS of reserch) have decided to avoid ALL vaccines. Including the flu shot. Our original doctor was so awful about our decision. He completely laid into me and told me our daughter was going to die and I was playing russian roulette with her life. He had NO right to treat me like that and if I wouldn't have been in SHOCK, I would have told him off and walked out......

So we switched clinics and are extremely happy with our doc now. He tells us that he highly recomends vaccines and gives us his opinions BUT he RESPECTS OUR DECISION!

I have been lucky to have doctors who asked but didn't question when I say no. I let them know my kids are at home and low risk. My kids get adjusted regularly by the chiropractor, were nursed for two year each, and completely unvaccinated. I'm not sure which if any of these three helps, but they sure get sick less often and for shorter periods than other kids I know! I've gotten to know several families who also question it, to my surprise there were four of us (out of the six or so in one spot)in line for kindergarten registration last month! Good for you questioning, researching, and deciding what is best for your family. My favorite book on the subject is The Sanctity of Human Blood. The doctor's website is www.thedoctorwithin.com I believe.

You're right, this is a controversial topic. I look at it like a lot of medical procedures and medications. Does the benefit outweigh the risk of side effects. I think any risk of a reaction is well worth the benefit - I have a friend whose 13 yr old son contracted meningitis - she declined the vaccine at his physical when he was 11. He was in ICU and completely lost his hearing.

Many vaccines now are Thimerosol-free now or ask your doc for only ones that are. It is of course your choice whether or not to vaccinate. The school district will probably have a bigger problem with it than anyone. You will want to check on laws in your area and if there are any objection clauses.

We chose to give our youngest (now 2) only one vaccine at a time because he had a horrendous reaction to having 4 shots and an oral. It turned our pleasant, easy to laugh baby into a monster for 2 weeks. That and I had a chat with my husband's aunt and we discussed why she thinks 2 of her 3 boys have autism. She blames it on getting so many shots at once (the first son was born when they were living in the south and didn't have insurance or money, so he didn't get his shots according to the CDC schedule, but the next 2 did and they both have autism, pretty bad too). This conversation and
a recent study indicating that autism may have a genetic link from the father's side had me sufficiently terrified.

Anyway, we promised the dr that we would be in every 3 months to get the next shot until he was up to date. They didn't believe us for an entire year and every time we went in they tried to talk us out of it, basically making us feel like the worst parents who ever walked the earth. Every visit, they would give us more research and pamphlets about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. It was very frustrating, because it felt like they weren't listening to us. At one point I asked the dr if they wouldn't stop harrassing us because we were messing up his stipend from the insurance company for having a certain percentage of kids vaccinated accroding to the CDC schedule. They said it was because there are so many parents who say they will bring their kids in, but don't. We even got a letter from the state health department saying we were breaking the law and we had until such and such date to complete the missing shots. I find that laughable since we live in Michigan and it is my right to not vaccinate my child at all according to the law. I do wonder how many parents fell for that scare tactic though.

If you don't like how your dr reacts to your decision, you could always try finding a holistic practitioner. They are pretty laid back about the vaccine issue. We stuck with ours because most of the problems came from this one specific dr, so we finally got smart and just started going only to the other one in the practice.

Yes controversial, and opinions vary SO much.

My daughter is 15 now. I did sign for her to get all her vaccines because at the time, there was not uproar on vaccines like there is now.

My info does not pertain to you but does to my opinion and why I did what I did. Everyone has to do what is right for them.......

When daughter was about 2, the chicken pox vaccine came out. As a new mom and wanting to do the "right" thing per our Dr. we got it. She had no effects from it but when she w as 10, I sent her to school with a little rash thinking if was from our beach vacation....only to be told I exposed the school to chicken pox. The school nurse treated me like I was an idiot........I told her...."she had the vaccine....the Dr. said she would not contract the pox". Very shortly after this is when the FDA came out with reports that a booster for the pox was necessary.

My dilemma now (and I have put it off) is Guardisil (HPV). I am still not convinced that the vaccine is necessary because we do all regular Dr. visits and preventative care. IF she were on some government aid program and did not have access to regular GREAT Dr's I would give it more consideration.

I have read several articles on the vaccine and we have chosen NOT to do it. Our pedi is unhappy with us. For this vaccine....my daughter is 15....it is HER body...and I strongly feel she has a say. She has also read all the data provided and elected to not do it. This is not to say she will never choose to get it....we are keeping an open mind...but I don't want my daughter to be one of the guinea pigs.

Another one we avoid is H1N1........too new and not enough data on it yet.

Best wishes to you. Every family has to make the decision right for them. Don't let anyone guilt you into doing something for your children that you may or may not feel right about.