Question for Moms Who Choose Not to Vaccinate - Need Updated Information Source

Hey S.,

I have chosen not to vaccinate as well so I know where you are coming from. I read a post on vaccines on this site a while back and these are some of the resources I cut and paste to look up on my own. Hope some of these help.

flylady.com- clutter clearer website

thinktwice.com

cogforlife.org

The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears

Dr. Sears' new book, "The Vaccine Book,"

www.nvic.org

www.mercola.com

"What Your Doctor May Not Tell you about Children's Vaccinations" by Dr. Stephanie Cave

www.mothering.com

www.909shot.com

Look up Sherry Tenpenny online

http://www.askdrsears.com/.

It is my understanding that she is only at real risk if she cut her self on metal, especially rusty stuff like old nails ect..

I am tempted to say more on the issue, but will just say I hope your child is home schooled so you are not putting other children at risk.

Hi,
Just looked up Helen's info on the vaccination presentation in Portland, OR. The info is listed below. Looks interesting.

Sounds like a lot of folks are against vaccination, but for those looking for alternative vaccination info here's a link to more info, including some papers writen by a MD out of Seattle. http://www.gorgebirthnetwork.com/newbaby/immunizations.asp

Vaccinations: Pros, Cons, & Alternatives
Join Dr. Krupa and Dr. Jennings to learn more about the pros, cons, and alternatives of vaccinations.

Location: Urban Wellness Group, 4900 SE Division.

Time: 1-3pm

Cost: $20

Please call ###-###-#### or Email Us for more information.

Hi S.,

Megan gave you some great resources and here are a few more to add on.

I am a non-vaccination person as well. I have two kids, age 14 and 18.

My first was given vaccines, unfortunately, he also was born c-sec in hospital. I did not do all the shots and keep them current because when I had my second I made completely different choices.

My second was a VBAC at home no vaccines, no Dr's. She did not go to a Dr. until she was probably 10, and I just took her to establish a relationship with a Dr. in case we needed something from a medical professional.

I found another interesting site: The Vaccine Liberation group: http://www.vaclib.org/

Another excellent resource is Dr. Rima Laibow of
www.healthfreedomusa.org

She is awesome and she is doing a lot around health freedom and exemptions from compulsory vaccinations. I'm sure you will find other information on her site that will be intriging and useful for you.

I support your choice wholeheartedly.

My daughter who was not vaccinated has had overall much better health then her brother who was vaccinated. We were homeschoolers and at the time we were exposed to pretussis. my daughter who was not vaccinated did very well, my son who was vaccinated had a horrible time, his illness went on for several months, seriously it took him forever to get well. He is generally ill every winter with upper respiratory issues, but my daughter rarely if ever, gets sick.....she is like a bull.

We did just travel to Mexico this past December and I got my daughter a tetanus shot before we left but she was 13, not an infant. I was a bit worried about what could happen in Mexico so I just did not want to take the risk. I gave her just the Tetanus, nothing else with it. That is the only (traditional) vaccine I have given her.

I did give her some homeopathic vaccines when she was very young through a Nauturopath here in Eugene. He does not do them anymore as far as I know. I'm not sure if any NDs are doing this here or not.

All the best to you in your efforts to be in charge of your own health care choices.

Regards,
E. E.
http://elyorganics.com

Hi S.
I agree with your stand on vaccines, I chose to do only minimal vaccines for my son (now 13 and very healthy) as well as my animals. As an RN, I feel well edjucated enough to make that decision comfortably. I don't have the sources you are looking for, but I will say that Tetanus is the ONE vaccine I still give. As far as I know, it is probably one of the safest vaccines out there. And if they do contract tetanus - well its pretty ugly. Good luck with your research!
P.

Good for you for questioning "the man"! We haven't done any vaccinations for our little girls either but will do tetanus only at some point. I like www.askdrsears.com and www.909shot.com they both give good, valid information on the diseases' prevalence, causes, etc. I just read the dr. Sears one the other day again!

S., there is a book called "Vaccinations A Thoughtful Parents Guide" that I found helpful and was recommended by my Naturopath. It's copyright 2001.

Regarding tetanus, my Naturopath was helping me develop an alternative vaccination schedule, and we chose to leave some out and delay and/or break up others. Tetanus was one we chose to give before our son gets too active because, as I understand it, there is a relatively high risk on getting it and the disease can be severe, vs. the relatively low risk of the vaccine itself. It's also one our Naturopath chose to give her sons because they are very active, curious boys.

I hope you find the information you are looking for. I know it's tough!

Oh, and my siblings and I (4 total) were never vaccinated for anything as kids and we have all grown into healthy adults!

Take good care,
T.

I too am like minded on this issue. I don't have really have any resources to offer you. I might suggest you talk to a Natropathic physician. Ours says that the DTaP is just fine. We chose not to do any vaccines until our son turned 2. We did choose to do the DTaP once he turned 2. You cannot get just the tetanus vaccine by itself. You can get the DT, which has the diphtheria vaccine along with it. I went ahead and got the DTaP because my natropath said it was a good vaccine, and did not have the problem that the previous DTP had. A natroupath is a great person to talk with about vaccines, especially tetanus. Most people I know who do not do the traditional route on vaccines do at some point do the tetanus vaccine.

Dear S.,

Good for you for making the choice that feels right for you and your family. The link below is for a book that my husband and I read to help make our NON shot decision. Perhaps it will help you confirm yours. :O)

I agreee, this is a sensitive subject and not an easy one to make. My brother had one child who got shots and the next who didn't. It's that hard.

I'm glad you protected yourself by stating to those against you - please refrain from reply. I often feel attacked for my decision b/c it is not the "norm". It can be a lonely place, but rest assured - if you have researched it and can feel good about YOUR decision - that is all that matters!

WAY TO STAY STRONG! :o)

http://www.amazon.com/Sanctity-Human-Blood-Vaccination-Im...

My first daughter is fully vaccinated, well I refused her second mmr becuase a lab test proved her immunity so the school administrators stayed off my back. But my second daughter is unvaccinated.

Try the National Vaccine Information Center for information.

www.nvic.org

All the best,
C.

Tetanus is found in the soil so your daughter most likely won't need a tetanus shot. Luckily tetanus is not a communicable disease so if it happens again in the future you won't be putting others in danger. I encourage you to check out this link. Real diseases are out there and outbreaks do occur. Your daughter could be the cause or a casualty...

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5708a3.htm

Dear S.,

I have chosen to vaccinate my child, but I am not at all writing to contest your choices. My husband is a pediatrician, and when I asked him your questions about risk, he responded that he thought the risk of tetanus in your daughter's current situation would be pretty low for two reasons:

1. The amount of tetanus in the soil varies by location. Some states, like California, tend to have quite a bit in the soil. His memory is that Oregon is not one of the states that has the highest levels (but it could be worth trying to double-check on that).

2. Glass doesn't tend to hold much bacteria because it is so smooth (until it gets broken, of course!).

Of course the risk isn't zero, and tetanus is a nasty thing, so there are no guarantees. And next time your daughter gets a deeper cut, the circumstances and risk might be different. But I thought this information might be helpful to you as you weigh the decision this time around.

Best of luck and best wishes to you and your daughter,

J.

Bravo to you for being an informed parent instead of a sheep who follows the crowd!! Tetanus is an anaerobic bug (meaning it grows best without oxygen), and that is why the rusty nail theories. (puncture wounds close and don't heal from the inside out, and can trap tetanus inside) If the wound is a cut and is open, and was cleaned well, your risk of tetanus is pretty much nil. I'd also recommend "What your Doctor May Not Tell you about Children's Vaccinations" by Dr Stephanie Cave. It's the least biased, most informative book I've found. (can get on Amazon.com for $5) Knowing the signs and symptoms of tetanus would be good too, as if they show up, you can get her vaccinated at that point. (nvic.org is good too)

Hi S.,

I also have not vaccinated my daughters--one is 9, one is 14, and one is 18. The tetanus question has come up a couple of times. I did get my middle daughter a tetanus shot the time she stepped in a fire pit and punctured her foot with an old wire that was in there--very deeply. I have not gotten them tetanus shots for less traumatic (and less "rusty" ) puncture wounds. They are surviving. From the nurse I spoke with--a holistically minded woman--tetanus IS something that is naturally occuring in soil and can also be on everyday objects, etc, so any puncture wound is a possible infection. That said, very few cases actually occur and of those, very few get severe--and of THOSE, most can be treated with antibiotics but it can be difficult and expensive.

One site I've often looked at for information is mothering.com.

Fiora

The Vaccine Book BY DR. Sears./ I have read and re-read it many times. you can buy it at Barnes and NOble or probably Borders or ask you library to get it if they do not. It only came out a few months ago. it is filled with fact based information.

you can also go to the website at www.thevaccinebook.com

God Bless you on your decision not to vaccinate, i only wish i had made the same choices. I didn't really learn of the dangers until I had a son with a heart condition and we became very careful of what went into our sons body because of his condition we thought best that he have the vaccines in fear of him being sicker than he was until the recall on the HIB vaccine a few months back scared the daylights out of us,we have decided to never again subject our children to them again, but with a tetnus i think i would because you will never know if that glass was tainted in anyway until it's to late. it takes awhile for symptoms of 'tetnus' to surface and it could be damaging. to keep her safe from things like 'lock jaw' would be worth it and it's onlt once every 7 years i believe. that's my opinion and i praise you for your decision not to posion your daughter,

Like you and your family, my husband and I have also chosen not to vaccinate our daughter. We see a chiropractor once every other to do a check up and she still nurses and is a very healthy eater. The only thing of some concern to us now is her being in day care with other children - but that is for other discussion!!

We recently purchased Dr. Sear's Vaccination book and though he was very informative in his research as to what is involved in vaccinations and how illness come about, I must let you know that he is very pro-vaccine.

He does have a website: http://askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/

I hope this is of some help.

Dear S., I have always heard that you have more of a Tetanus risk if you're cut/punctured on something extremely dirty, such as glass, nail, etc. that's been outside or in a dirty basement. I was very leery of vaccinations too, when my children were little. I waited to start them until they were older. My third child had a serious reaction to the DPT vac. She has a diagnosed neurological (chromosome) disorder, but we didn't find out until after the shot. She handled the DT shot all-right (later on), but we never gave her the Pertussis shot again. I am not a parent who is completely against vaccinations, but I definitely believe that we give them to children way too young, and on too aggressive a regimen. It sounds like you have done all of your homework, and I can't think of another source to investigate for information on the Tetanus vac, but I certainly applaud your cautious thinking. Sometimes we are like sheep when it comes to following rules/protocol when it concerns our children. Our intentions are noble, but it is good to evaluate everything first before making a decision. God Bless You Mom! S. Teague

The book that you need to read in order to find out the latest information is by Dr. Robert W. Sears. It is called The Vaccine Book and was published in October 2007. It gives you truthful, complete information about every shot and disease out there and does not tell you what to do. It even has an alternate shot schedule for people who either don't want to vaccinate at all or for those who want to spread out the shots. The website: www.thevaccinebook.com also has a lot of good information from updates to doctors who support people's decisions not to vaccinate. Good luck to you!

I completely support your decision regarding vaccines! The times to be concerned about tetanus is if the item that cuts anyone is rusty or very contaminated and the cut is a bit deep. Discuss this with an ND or other health professional that agrees with your position on vaccines.

If your child got cut and needed stitches I am suprised that the dr didn't say anything about gettiing a tetanus shot. I had one child in 1979, another in 1981 and the last one in 1982. They all had their shots and nothing ever happened to them. Now I have grandchildren, the oldest is almost 8 and the youngest just turned 2 they have had all their shots and with no side effects. Maybe a little cranky the first night but that is it.
Will you daughter be able to attend school without her shots or are you going to homeschool? I know that Washington state has laws about children entering school they have to have their shots all updated.
I wish you luck in figuring out about her getting a tetanus shot.

I A. reading Dr. Bob Sears' The Vaccine Book, and it is excellent. Personally, we are following an "alternate" vaccine schedule, which is based on my research and comfortability. I recently got my son a DTaP, not so much for the tetanus (which is rare) but more for the Pertussis (whooping cough) which is common. I live in the Albany/Corvallis area, and in 2005 we had a nasty outbreak of whooping cough, so it literally hit close to home. I was a pain in the rear at my ped office and made them special order a Daptacel brand DTaP, which is the ONLY ONE WITHOUT MERCURY. That's right; not all of the mercury is gone from vaccines yet. Turns out it's still lingering in multipack flu shots and DTaP shots. I opted for the three in one because right now there is no separate Pertussis vaccine, so I was kind of stuck. The Daptacel also does not use cow extract, and it has a medium amount of aluminum. The caveat about getting just the T vaccine is that if later you opt to get your daughter vaccinated for the D and P for travel, school reasons, etc., she'll then be taking in 3 times the amount of vaccine additives and preservatives than she would if she'd had the three-in-one shot. (It's the same problem with the MMR, which I A. not going to address until my child needs to go to kindergarten.)

Get The Vaccine Book. It really contains some of the most fair and balanced information out there for parents to make their own informed decisions. I wish there were easier answers on vaccines. Sigh.

S.,
I don't have a source to quote, but I don't vaccinate my children (who are now 15 & 18) and researched it very heavily in the day. Realize that how you get tetnus hasn't changed. Tetnus grows in old fecal matter. Period. Not on a rusty nail, unless that nail was covered in tetnus-infested old fecal matter! So unless your child was playing in an old barn, I wouldn't worry about it. The chances go like this: If you child was playing near old fecal matter, and if the old fecal matter had tetnus growing in it, and if your child got cut, and if the fecal matter got into the wound, then your child might get tetnus. That's just too many what ifs for me. Relax. Keep the wound clean, feed her lots of fresh fruits and veggies to keep her body slightly alkaline, and her body will heal as it was designed to do.
good luck and good for you for being an informed parent who's not afraid to swim upstream a little!
peace,
L. P.

Try the Vaccine Book bt Dr. Robert Sears.

Hello S.,

We also have decided to not vaccinate our two boys when they are young, and MAY then selectively vacc when they are older. I do not have any new info either, since we made our decision long ago, though I am interested in Dr Sears book that many posters have mentioned. We have Autism in our family, and that has been the major driving force behind our choices. I just want to say that it's nice to see so many others like us, and I know you face opposition from people who do not bother to find out all the information and consider other people's experiences, and therefore are quick to judge you. I face it as well. But I am secure in my research and we are happy with our decision. So good for you. Also, another poster had said that she hoped your kids were home-schooled so as to not endanger other children...well, my response to that is as long as her kids, and the "others" she's referring to, are vaccinated, then why is she worried? I am also looking for just the Tet shot, without other vacc's and no mercury, so if you find it let me know too. I have condsidered taking my sons to a Naturapath Ped at Bastyr, which is local...In Jaunaita.

Best wishes,
A.

Hi S.,
There is a holistic primary care clinc on SE Division and 49th that is soon to do a seminar on this topic, exactly because parents are asking more question and want to be well informed in their decisions.

I don't think the date has been set, but I know it is in the making cos one of the docs there - Kelly Jennings - recently sent out a survey to her mom friends asking us to detail all of our questions about vaccines.

The clinic is a group of Naturopathic Docs so rest assured that you will be supported in your decision, plus all of them went to NCNM here in Portland which has on faculty one of the leading experts on immunology, Dr Heather Zwickey. She teaches a course on childhood vaccinations that is probably the most forward thinking whilst grounded in clincil research (she used to teach at Harvard) that you can get. So you will get the best info distilled into digestible format by practising Naturopaths.

You can go to urbanwellnesspdx.com and contact Dr Kelly Jennings for more info. I don't think that the seminar will cost that much cos part of the mission statement of the clinc is to provide affordable healthcare to all, but if it is outside your budget, and you really want to go, contact me cos I can probably swing things - ok so my husband owns the clinic, and we want everyone to have access to the info and help that is available. I am really encouraged that you are asking these questions! and I want to help you and others find good answers.
If other people are reading this post and are interested, I am sure I could arrange for a discount for mamassource mama's cos you are all part of my community.
email me at ____@____.com if you want to know more

Helen
UPDATE - the seminar is on May 10th, 1-3pm. Cost - $20
Pros, Cons and Alternatives to vaccinations
Go to www.urbanwellnesspdx.com
Click on the "events" link at the top of the page, go to the May calander and click on the link in the May 10th box.

Hi S.,
Of course, this is your choice. But if you are going to enroll your child in any kind of school, you are going to *have to* vaccinate your child. They won't let your child attend if you don't. Neither will any daycares, any sports programs, camps, etc.

Best wishes for coming to a good decision that will be good for your beautiful daughter. I hope that what you've researched really is true. I think that holistic medicine has its place, but when it comes to public health, that's a different story. And I don't think that is being like a sheep; I think it's looking at the big picture and being responsible. I know I wouldn't want measles, mumps, rubella or polio in my house.

Hi S., I am like minded and have three daughters who are not, nor will be, vaccinated. They are 7, 6 and 5 months. I wish I had some more updated information for you however I too made my decision years ago and haven't felt the need to find up to date information.

The purpose of this post is that I am now in the need of finding a new general practitioner as the one I had been using (only because he didn't give me grief about not vaccinating and I used him primarily for referrals to my middle daughter's specialists) did something REALLY stupid which is a good rant but I won't go into it in this email. At any rate, I was hoping that I might glean some names from other like minded mothers, of physicians they have used who respect or at least don't berate those of us who choose to not vaccinate.

I would highly recommend The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. It was published recently & is the most up-to-date on vaccinations I believe.

We too have chosen not to vaccinate and none of our children have any. Sorry to say my husband and I were not so fortunate and we have many health problems as as result!

My Naturpathic Doctor I saw when my son was tiny told me that when his child got a wound that most docs would have given a shot for he instead just watched the child for signs of infection. He kept him on a totally strict no junk diet and watched the wound and the child like a hawk for a couple of weeks. With one of his sons the infection did spread some, but he watched where the red streaks were and fought them aggressively with natural remedies and packs to draw out the infection.

I do not know what he boulstered the immune system with, but somethings that my family uses for it are garlic, vitamin a and c rich foods and a product called body balance. Estragulus (sp) is another immune booster as is oil of oregano which can be taken in a capsule.

When my son was small he stepped on some rustly scizzors, we followed the above advice and he was fine.

Of course your decision should not be based on mine, but hopefully this helps. I would consult a naturpathic doc who does not believe in vaccines.

S.,

I realize there are reasons you choose not to vaccinate your child. But let me tell you this: There is no treatment for tetanus. There is treatment for the symptoms but whether or not one survives is pure chance. I saw a calf with tetanus one time. It's not a pretty picture and received relief only when my father shot it.

The tetanus germ could be anywhere and could infect any cut. There is no predicting.

I am 50 years old and get my tetanus shot every 10 years still.

R.

One Univ of Washington surgeon wrote an in-depth article
where he recommended delaying vaccines until age 2, and then giving only 4 vaccines, each 6 months apart. One of them was actually tetanus. The doctor was Miller something....it came from the generationrescue.org site i believe, which is connected (i think) to the Jenny McCarthy story. Her son has/had autisim and she (sort of) cured him through many means, but obviously is now very active in the vaccinations debate. I am sure you can find Dr. Millers article if you google enough or something. He wrote aLOT on the subject.
I have a 10 month old and have chosen not to vaccinate (yet?) either, so i hope you don't find it offensive that i mentioned the tetanus shot. I am confused as heck about all this. And when you're confused, you should at the very least
START QUESTIONING, NOT JUST ACCEPTING, EH MOMS?!!!!!
Best of luck to you, L.

Tetanus is everywhere - not just on rusty nails. That myth started because tetanus is most common with deep puncture wounds that don't bleed. The best way to prevent tetanus is by cleaning the wound. If the wound bled and you cleaned it (or if the doctor cleaned it) then she should be just fine. Tetanus spores cannot reproduce if the wound bleeds because the blood cleans it out.

The majority of tetanus cases happen in elderly people since they tend to not bleed nearly as easily as children do.

Also, to whoever thinks your child might be endangering others by not having the tetanus vaccine - they apparently don't understand that tetanus (in particular) is a non-communicable disease and there's no way that your child is putting anyone else at risk. It's a fallacious assertion even with the communicable vaccine-"preventable"-diseases, but even more so with tetanus which cannot even be caught from another person. Gotta love the news media and their sensationalist headlines...

Best wishes, and your daughter should be fine. Just keep an eye out for anything like a fever, sweating, a headache, or stiffness in the joints if the wound didn't bleed. If she gets symptoms then you can always take her in to get the anti-toxin shot.

~B.

I'm sorry I've not kept up w/the latest information. I did my research, made up my mind and forgot about it for the time being.

That said and for what it's worth, I used to manage a Naturopathic clinic. We called Dr. Stephanie Cave (MD author of What Your Child's Doctor May Not Tell You About Vaccinations) or some similar title and got her supplier info. for single antigen, unpreserved vaccines.

Unless things have changed (I've been home 4 years w/my DD) the DTaP was available as a single dose w/o preservatives BUT the Td was not available as a single dose preservative free vaccine.

The supplier was American Specialty something...I think they were in Louisiana and this was pre-Katrina. Orders had to be overnighted which was costly but it was because they're were preservative free.

If you decide to do the tetanus I thought you'd like to have this information to work with. You can request your doctor order through this supplier (they'll probably balk at it) but you as an non licensed medical professional can't order direct. The doctor will probably make you do the leg work of tracking it down, phone numbers, etc. and pay in advance.

I hope I've given you enough to go in if you need it. If not send me a message and I'll call my old boss and try to get more specific details.

FTR: My DD is unvaxed too due to extreme chemical sensitivities and allergies. Our son was vaxxed prior to coming home from China but not since due to the risk to his sister and the unnessarriness of it. (is that a word?)

C.-WAHM to 4 y/o virtual twins
owner: BeHappierAtHome.com

I don't know where to look except maybe www.ivillage.com or wikipedia or medmd.com for your answers. I personally am on who vaccinated for everything and have had no problems. It's your decision obviously. That being said I think tetanus is usually only on metals (that's just what I've been told). I think that there are so few cases because most people are either already vaccinated for it or get one when needed.

Bottom line...if your DR says that he thinks this one (because of the injury) is important I would listen to him.

I don't have a good source for you other than googling and being very choosy about which posts you go with. You seem smart enough to filter the weird ones out. Let me tell you though that I too decided to do the supposed not as risky ones, like I agreed to polio, Heb B (which now is also implicated) and flu under three years old. (over three have metals)I refused DTap, MMR, and the rest. I now am sorry I did the ones that I did, as my son has auto-immune/gut issues and some central nervous system problems. I do believe had I gone the whole enchilada, he'd have autism. So, stick to your guns on this!! One thing you may want to look into is the recent lawsuits that are going through the courts now. The Cedillo case is about to be decided on and now many other class actions are being worked on. Those individuals who are leading the rest of us in making corporations accountable may have valid data for you. Also, the World Health Organization isn't influenced by US politics so they may have some good info too. Last, the adverse reaction reporting system may have some data. Let us know how your decide on this as this is one unanswered question we have if our son ever got a dirty cut. As for the picture frame glass, if it were my son, I would not get the shot. I would only worry if the source were more questionable.

My husband and I have also decided against giving our daughter shots. We researched this for months and a great resource is at www.marytocco.com. She has a free information video on youtube that is full of facts.

Dr. Sear's son...William Sears, THE VACCINE BOOK. Great source and it just came out this past year 07

A great new resource for this is The Vaccination Book by Dr. Robert Sears. It just came out this past October. Great info on each shot, what is in them etc..

Hope this helps!

S.,
Dr. Peter Lind is a chiropractor in Salem. He has been studying this information for years and has all of the updated information you would need. I would contact him. I to do not vaccinate my daughter who is now 13. remember for tetanus it has to be the right organism growing on the right rusty nail. to my knowledge there has been no reported cases of tetanus in Oregon for a very long time, but Dr. Lind would know that.

Hello S.,
If you haven't seen it already, there is a great dvd out that outlines each vaccine in detail and uses CDC and other government documents to show the reality of what each vaccine can do/not do. It's very dense and very informative. The tetnus section was particularly interesting. I highly reccomend it. It is given by Sherri Tenpenny, DO. Here is her website: www.nmaseminars.com. I think you will probably be ok without vaccinating if the glass your daughter cut herself on was not buried in the ground for a long period of time. There are also other treatments that you can try, unless you think she shows signs of developing tetnus. The dvd talks about how the disease progresses and what needs to be in place for the tetnus to actually survive. I wish you luck on your decision - it's not easy!
- K.

Hi S.,

It sounds like overall you know more about this than I do but...I selectively vaccinate and I was interested in getting the pertussis only and my former ped. (who is like minded) said that if I separated the Dtap then I would have to deal with the mercury issue. I guess the Dtap for kids is mercury free (nearly free anyway), but the assumption is that adults are getting the individual shots so they have mercury in them. My youngest is nine months and I asked about it also with my new ped. and got the same response. I went ahead and did dtap with both kids but have put off many of the others. There is a chance though that my ped was only talking about pertussis. Perhaps the tetanus alone is mercury free?

As for tetanus. What I know is that it lives in dirt. The whole rusty nail thing is a myth (at least the rust part of it) and the truth is you can get it walking bare foot in your own house if you had a wound to let it in. I remember reading though that a certain percentage of tetanus victims never were able to identify how tetanus got in. In other words, you don't have to step on a nail to get it. Yes, my understanding is that very few people get it but it isn't one of those things that your child is going to be protected from because others have had the shot. You know, the whole herd immunity thing.

That's what I know. Hope it helps. Vaccinations more than anything cause me a great deal of anxiety so I can relate! Good Luck.

Hi. The best way to review current medical research is through reading scientific journals. Scientific journals contain original research reports, and they often include reviews of current and past work on various subjects, as well as links to other reputable sources of information. Scientific journals are your best bet if you want to review current research. Books, websites, magazines, etc. are almost always sponsored publications (even when they claim to be unbiased) and as such they do not always fairly represent both sides of an argument. You can find good scientific journals by doing an article search at your local library (the librarian should be able to show you how to search for articles by keyword if you are not familiar). Most libraries, especially at universities, should be able to retrieve just about any journal article you would like either electronically or in print. Sorry to go on so long, but I have been doing biological research for many years (environmental, not medical) and I have found that there are many people that prefer to educate themselves and make their own decisions, but they often don't know where to go to get accurate and up to date information.

I notice that many moms have already recommended "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears, but I wanted to throw out my recommendation as well. It was just published fall of '07 so the info. is current. He goes into a lot of the details you were wondering about for each vaccine, such as the how common the illness is, side effects if you decide to vaccinate and ingredients in each vaccine.

I have two kids and one on the way. My older two, ages 2 and 3 1/2, have had most all their vaccines. Only recently have I begun to question the system and now regret having been so trusting of Drs. and not doing enough of my own research. Though I haven't seen any side effects in my kids so far, we've discontinued vaccinating and are still deciding on whether to selectively vaccinate. Good for you for asking questions first!

If I were you,, look on the internet,, Google it,, there is lots of info on the internet,, I'm surprised you didn't do it already,, you have a computer right,, go girl! check it out,,for your childs sake,, you should give the shots she needs to be on this earth,,, there are so many viruses and what not,, your choice,, D.

http://www.mercola.com/

love this site!

I have also chosen not to vaccinate, and have had a situation where a tetnus shot was suggested. After talking to a friend who I trust with my childrens life, I did not go with the shot. It is possible to get the shot if a person were to get the symptoms of tetnus. You don't have to get it immediately. Also, it is very unlikely to get tetnus from normal things in your house. I know that this isn't a lot of information, but I hope that it helps you and gives you a little peace of mind. Keep strong in your convictions. You are doing the right thing.

I get my updated information from askdrsears.com. There is also a lot of information in The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. I haven't immunized my daughter since her 6 month checkup, and she is now almost 15 months. The most recent thing I read was in Mothering Magazine (and it was an excerpt from Dr. Sears). It talked about the amount of aluminum in vaccines. No comprehensive studies have been done with the effects of aluminum in vaccines, but they have been done in regards to the amount of aluminum adults can process in their bodies.
Aluminum is a neurotoxin, and studies shows that adults can only assimilate up to 50 mcg a day before it starts affecting brain tissue. Most vaccines contain between 100-250 mcg. So, four shots in one day would be exposing your child to over 1000mcg. When adults can only safely assimilate 50mcg. So I use that when people start getting on my case about vaccines.
Good for you for doing what is best for your child. And feel safe knowing that if you are breastfeeding, she is getting all the antibodies she needs from you right now anyways. She gets antibodies from any sickness you've ever had. Plus, they don't even have the glands to produce their own immune system until they're about 18 months anyways.

I also have chosen not to vaccinate. However, I will get my son a tetanus vaccination. I will just make sure that it is a mercury-free shot. There is a clinic in Portland, Oregon that specializes in single-dose, mercury-free shots for children, so whoever said they weren't available was wrong. A friend of mine took her daughter to Egypt this winter to visit family over there and they chose to get her a tetanus vaccination at the clinic I mentioned above - sorry, I don't have the name. I have chosen to get my son a tetnus shot (on the advice of my naturopath - a former Dean of Academics at the Naturopathic College in Portland) because that is one disease that is extremely difficult to treat. I'm not rushing into it, but it is on the to-do list. He also got a cut that required stitches and the ER nurse wanted to give him a tetnus shot. I told her to check to make sure it was mercury free - it wasn't. So we skipped it. People - even nurses - will try to tell us that they don't make shots with mercury anymore, but what they don't tell us is that they are using up all of the old shots. ANd they don't discuss any of the other additives, either. Good luck!

Try The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. Very informative and you can make your own informed decision. I just have to say that I think you are wonderful for not vaccinating. Truly the best thing for your child's immune system to grow strong. And don't worry about people saying you are putting other children at risk if you choose not to vaccinate. Studies show that the "Herd Theory" doesn't work. The best way to help your child is to help create a strong immune system so she can fight off viruses and such. Good job and keep up the good work!

Hi,

I've also chosen not to vaccinate, shortly after my then 18 month old had a severe reaction to the DTaP. It's been awhile since my research too, but I wanted to give you some info.

My mother in law took a number of courses (she works in quality control for the Red Cross) and told me that tetnus is EVERYWHERE, but like you said, there aren't that many cases of it. (Maybe because of the vaccine, or maybe our body can fight it off usually.)

I've also looked in to just the tetnus vaccine out of fear for my daughter who is almost 4 now and is rough and tumble and scraping herself all the time. Our family doctor said that they don't have a tetnus only vaccine for anyone under 7, they only have the DTaP. When I refused to go that route again (that was the one she'd reacted to and I'll be darned if its going back into her body!) he told me to watch for the signs of tetnus and get her to the hospital if she ever developed them.

Hello! I'm also a mom of an 8 mo. old and she's only had one shot-the DTP and I'm not sure we'll go back and do any more. I recently spoke to our naturopath about this and her stance was that tetanus was the only vaccine that she felt comfortable really did more good than harm. She suggested getting it when kids are old enough to be out playing in the dirt, etc. I also just order Dr. Sheri Tenpenny's DVD and haven't gotten to the section on tetanus but this might be a good resource for you too-it's a very dry lecture style dvd but she's done 6000 hours of research on vaccination. Hope that helps and I have to say, I'm so glad to see so many resposonses from moms in this area....I often feel very alone in my decision to postpone/ not vaccinate!

Good for you!!!! Don't you know you are threat to this country? ;-) We don't vaccinate either, and hate all the fear around it. I have heard the same about the Tetanus shot being not fun. I would check into the Mothering MAgazine website. They are very anti vaccine and have a lot of good articles by respected drs like Dr Sears about the dangers and a lot of scientific data. There was an excellent article this month by him about the dangers of aluminum in vaccines now. They "got rid" of the mercury (or so they say) but now use a preservative that has aluminum! Yah I want that in my kid!! Every month they have a type of vaccine alert. I love that magazine. A side note on the Tetanus. My Anatomy and Physiology professor went off one time about that shot. He said it makes no sense to vaccinate against it when we live in a world where it is everywhere. He said unless you work in an office, never touch the dirt, never get cut on anything you don't need vaccinated. He said it is on everything. He said if you get a cut on your finger or a scratch that breaks the skin you get a "booster shot" of tetanus. He said it boggles his mind when a construction guy steps on a nail and the docs say get a booster. He said that guy is probably so immune already!! Sorry this response is scattered. Good luck on your search. If you find any good articles on it could you pass it on?

J.

I am interested as well. I have been trying to find tetanus alone because my daughter will not let others attend to her wounds. My understanding is that tetanus is all about wound care. If you can clean it and protect it, all should be fine. I just worry that when she is out of my care (school, friends etc.) they will not feel comfortable retstraining her to clean a wound like Mom and Dad can and that can develop into a problem.
I do realize that I have the opportunity to decline vaccinations because so many before me have done them and that has made it safer for us to decline. As some illness naturally have waned, and would have regardless of vaccines, I also realize they potentially can wax again. Therefore, I am grateful for the choices others have made. I, too, appreciate mutual tolerance.

Hi S.. I am a like-minded mommy on this issue. I too have thoroughly educated myself and at the present time my twin boys are 2 years old and have received no vaccinations. I feel very good about this decision and I am committed to encourage other parents to educate themselves also on this issue before they vaccinate their children. I wanted to let you know about a fabulous Yahoo group that you can join called "Slowandnovaxmoms." If you searh on Yahoo and then click on "groups" just type "slowandnovaxmoms" in the search field and you will see the group's home page. This is a wonderful group of parents that discuss the latest vaccine research and discuss options for slow vaccination, delayed vaccination and non-vaccination. They also discuss a lot of helpful "off-topic" issues that I find interesting like food, plastics, cleaners, homeopathy, etc. Somebody in this group recently had a question about tetanus and i must have already deleted the responses. One of the people that I really respect when it comes to vaccines is Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. Here is an exerpt from her about tetanus:

Blessings to you... -B. S. in Gresham, OR

Tetanus - the disease and the vaccine
Tetanus is a disease caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium tetani. This organism exists as a spore in soil contaminated with animal or human feces. In the presence of anaerobic (low oxygen) conditions, the spores can germinate and release a potent neurotoxin, called tetanospasmin, into the bloodstream. Dirty, deep puncture wounds and injuries caused by frostbite, crush injuries, or burns are at greatest risk.

The incubation period for tetanus can be several days to several months, depending on the location of the inoculation. When the spores germinate, the toxin is released into the bloodstream, traveling to peripheral nerves and attaching to receptor sites on nerve endplates. The result can be unrelenting, painful muscle spasms that can last from seconds to minutes. Death from tetanus is due to spasm of the vocal cords and spasm of the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory failure. When recognized early, the infection is treated supportively until the toxin is metabolized from the body. The highest mortality rate for tetanus is seen in the very old and the very young, but recovery is usually complete, unless unforeseen complications occur(1). Although a serious infection, tetanus is not "uniformly fatal", as most people believe.

A review of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from the CDC called "Tetanus Surveillance-United States, 1995-1997"(2) revealed that 24.8% of those who contracted acute tetanus had at least one dose of the vaccine. Of the 124 reported cases, 12.4% were vaccinated with three or more doses of tetanus. This means that vaccine is not completely protective and without appropriate attention to wound treatment, you can still contract tetanus even if fully vaccinated.

In addition to the tetanus toxoid, the vaccine contains the following ingredients: formaldehyde; sodium phophate dibasic, [an eye and skin irritant that may be harmful if ingested]; glycine, and aluminum. In addition, all forms of tetanus shots still contain thimerosal (mercury).

What are the other treatment choices?
It has been known since the 1940s that the best way to prevent infection is proper attention to washing the cut with copious amounts of soap and water soon after it occurs. Regardless of vaccination status, dirty wounds must be properly cleaned and crushed tissue should be surgically removed.

Antibiotic regimens are available for prevention of tetanus infections. The Red BookT, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following suggestions. Metronidazole, the antibiotic of choice for a dirty wound, should be given to reduce the potential bacteria from the wound. Another antibiotic choice is injectible penicillin G. Either therapy, when used, should be continued for 10 to 14 days(3). It appears that a prophylactic course of antibiotics would be prudent for all risky wounds to prevent the possibility of C. tetani germination and toxin production.

Another available treatment is TIG, or tetanus immune globulin. This injection can be given at the time of an acute injury and provides immediate antibodies in the area of the wound. The antibodies from TIG are reported to last up to 3 weeks to protect against germinating toxin. The package insert for TIG states the following: "If a contraindication to using tetanus toxoid preparations exists for a person who has not completed a primary series of tetanus toxoid immunization, and that person has a wound that is neither clean nor minor, only passive immunization should be given using tetanus immune globulin."(4) This means that TIG represents an effective treatment for the prevention of tetanus in an unvaccinated person who sustains a dirty wound.

Knowing the facts about the infection and being aware that treatment options are available should be a comfort to parents who choose not to vaccinate. (Side Note: I grew up on a horse farm where we raised standard bred and quarter horses. Of note, I was not vaccinated for tetanus as a child.-Dr. Tenpenny)

I don't have much info myself, though we do not vaccinate our children either. In Dr. Robert Mendolsohn's book, How to Raise a Healthy Child (in spite of your doctor) says he questions whether or not how necessary tentanus shots are as there is no evidence otherwise.

I just wanted to encourage you! You are a minority and you really are doing what's best! It was encouraging to see your request. Have you looked online for sources? mercola.com is a good one.

As a side note, when I went to Romania I didn't take any "suggested" shots. Instead I took natural antibiotics to strengthen my body (grapefruit seed extract). Everyone thought I was crazy, but I did it anyway. I didn't suffer in any way and saved all that money and time and my health.

Also have you looked into essential oils for healing? They are highly effective and completely natural and smell so wonderful! My husband got a very deep cut on his hand this winter from a skill saw. We put a strong apple cider vinegar antiseptic with essential oils on it and it healed so fast, though with a bragg able scar!

I've been looking into our health lately, realizing our American, processing, convenient diet is killing the God-Given ways our bodies protect themselves. That is a big part is fighting infections and disease.

Good luck.

I'm not completely for or against vaccines. I have just been selective about which vaccines I give my daughter and when I give them. I found some great articles on mercola.com about which vaccines are really important and which ones can be left out and why. They recommmend not doing any until 2 years of age and then only doing one at a time. I have just kind of done my own thing with my daughter. It's a free country, right? Not sure about your questions about tetanus, but maybe the mercola site will help you with that. My understanding is that tetanus is mostly related to rusty objects, not glass, but don't quote me on that :)

If it was my daughter, I would discuss options with my homeopath and naturopathic doctor.