Vaccinations - Columbus, OH

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/vpd-vac-basics.htm

Perhaps this will guide your decision making process. Also, do a search on 'vaccines and autism'.

no school in ohio will require you have them vaccinated despitge what others say, you can get a notorized waiver and your child can attend public and private schools :)

WOW, this is controversial. My husband and I don't agree. I challenged him:

PROVE TO ME THAT IT IS SAFER TO GIVE THE VACCINES THAT IT IS TO NOT GIVE THEM.

He couldn't do it. One fact stands out in my mind. This is a statistic from the World Health Organization: 70% of SIDS deaths occurred within the 3 weeks succeeding the DPT vaccination. That's frightening to me.

Another point to consider: How many of us got the chicken pox, even though we had the vaccination? I know I did. These diseases are not life threatening, and if we let our bodies do the job (if you get chicken pox, you're immune for life. If you get the vaccine, it needs updating every few years) I don't feel the vaccines are necessary.

They say that there is no proof that the thimarazole (mercury) preservative in vaccines is harmful. Well, no doubt! Who is going to put their kid in a study to find that out? Did you know that you can get vaccines without mercury now? Yup. They have aluminum as a preservative instead. Did you know that a safe amount of aluminum for a child to have in their bodies is 30 mcg but the amount in a vaccination is 250mcg?

I am very strong in my determination on this point, but as you stated, it is controversial. Just remember- whatever you choose, YOU HAVE RIGHTS NOT TO VACCINATE. If doctors or schools try to tell you you have to, don't believe them. You do NOT have to vaccinate- you simply must fill out a form indicating why you have not vaccinated and state your reason (for us it is health concerns- it can also be religious, etc). It is NOT law and no one can legally MAKE you vaccinate.

Whole Foods has a book about this issue. It's written by a doctor who has researched the issue a lot. He lists both sides and facts- statistics posted from FDA, WHO, CDC, etc. IT's a good read. I'd encourage it. It allows you to decide for yourself.

Lastly, while many claim that autism is not caused by vaccinations (or at least that there is no proof of it) I can tell you with utmost certainty that parents of autistic children feel differently. You know your child better than anyone. When a parent of an autistic child says to me "my son was normal before he was vaccinated, then a few weeks later was changed", I believe them. Because I know that no one knows that child better than that mother.

I'm coming across strongly, I know. It's because I feel very strongly about it for my daughter. However, I really do feel that it's a personal choice and you must do what's in your heart. If you're not sure, you can always get the vaccines later, should you choose to. There are lots of people who wait until their child is a year old, when their immune system and bodies are more developed & stronger. Just remember- you have options! You don't have to say "no vaccines" but you can say "not yet".

Good luck.

the choice to vaccinate is a very personal choice, and I don't knwo that there is a RIGHT thing to suggest in this situation. there is a ton of info onthe web some better than others but the truth of the matter is, there ARE chemicals in those shots, and there is to much controversey about what if any side effects are caused by these chemicals. I personally vaccinate my two oldest children on time and as instructed by the doctor, with my last child she went from being a normal infant to getting ehr first real round of shots and showing signs of autism, could have been a coincidence but my little girl didn't even hold her head up till after the 9 month mark. I stopped her shots after the second round and some research, by hr first birthday she was crawling and walking a couple months later and basically right on track, i then tried getting her vaccinations caught up only to have mor problems, so she is now 5, and I will plead religious exemption in order to get her into school next year. Do i blame the shots, in her case sure i do, it's the only factor we can see, but i do not think vaccinations ar bad, just like with any drug different child respond differently. My best advice, get them slowly, one at a time even and then wait a few months before getting the next, that way if there are problems that show up you can just eliminate a certain vaccine. and avoid any vaccine that is not mandatory at this point, as well as the combination vaccines, and be prepared if you do choose not to vaccinate it's a long hard road not only with your doctor, they will generally fight you and some will even threaten you, but with child care centers and schools and such later. good luck.

L.,
As a previous daycare provider and pre-school teacher I will warn you that you can't count on taking them to a center, and even some in-home sitters are requiring the children to be vaccinated now as well. Thats one thing I wanted to make sure you were completely aware of.
Secondly, stop thinking about the pain your little boy will go through and think about his safety. Everyone of the mom's who said "why do you think we don't see polio any more" is right. I had my daughter vaccinated (who is now two) with every shot she could get. I was a very sick child growing up, and I had all my vaccines, but none of it had to do with those shots. My little girl was fine. She did get a fever on most nights of the shots, but after the first set and the high fever the Doctor told me to give her tylenol an hour before the appointment. So I did, and it cured it! I gave her tylenol or motrin every 4 hours until she went to bed. Then again if she woke up warm. I am not a health professional by anymeans, but if you think about it... letting a child scream and squirm for 15 seconds is worth it if you consider the latter option. My fiance and I were very good about distractions. My doctor and nurse were wonderful. They would do prolly 4 at a time at the most. Two in each thigh, sometiems they would bleed but most of the time not. The site would swell on I think the HB shots and it'd be a little tender but I would just be very cautious around it. My daughter would maybe cry for 5 seconds then I held her and she was fine. She forgot! Even when she went for her final shots, she looked at the nurse said "shot" and let her do it. We all clapped for her and she recieved a sucker and sticker and we went about our day. And for those moms who said "i don't want to hold my child down" you don't, and if your Doctor makes you you need to find a new ped. I had to hold her arms out of the way. I sat her on my lap and played patty cake with her hands while the nurse did it. Ten seconds and its over and your on your way. Read up on all the diseases that these vaccinese prevent. Most of them can result in death, or severe disabilities. I look at it this way- God was gracious enough to give me a healthy child, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep it that way. Some people believe in the "natural" ways of health, but theres a reason all these scientists are working their butts off to create cures and ways to prevent the dreaded diseases.
Basically I just wanted to say, your son will be fine. He's already had a couple shots from when he was born. And he lived through that right? It's better to be safe then sorry. And by the way, do your research on what shots have to be given before a child begins kindergarten, and what shots are given in school. I was given the MMR shot in junior high, but I know I had to have some shots before I could even start school.

Your a mom, you know whats best for your child.. No one else can tell you that. But please please please do your own research and make a wise decision!

Best wishes

A word of caution - if you plan on enrolling your child in school (I know it's hard to think about it now) you will need to have certain vaccinations. Many schools are now requesting that children recieve the Chicken Pox vaccine in addition to the other routine vaccinations. You may want to contact your local school board to verify what vaccinations are needed as some have specific windows the dosages must be spaced.

Find out which ones are really required and which ones are recommended..Not all are required by law. There is also a religious exemption...

L.,

There is a reason why we don't see kids with polio anymore in the US and small pox has been almost completely erradicated - vacines!! I am a scientist and I feel very strongly about people getting vaccinations for their children. I did not blink twice when they asked me if I wanted my child vaccinated. I said "absolutely yes". But others are right, this is a personal decision and as with everything, you should consider the cost-benefit ratio.

Here are the costs:
-your child will get a disease that could be debilitating if not lethal. measles can lead to death, polio is debillitating and leads to deformities and diabilities, rotavirus can cause severe diahrea that cause dehydration and death
-as someone else mentioned, certain schools will not let children enroll unless they have certain vaccinations. This could force you to enroll your child in a school that is either more expensive or less convenient. Or you will have to have your child vaccinated at an older age (which is actually more uncomfortable for them when they are older)
-costs if you have limited or no health insurance. However, almost all of these can get paid for somehow since they are so important. Speak with your pediatrician if you are concerned about costs.
-adverse reactions are very minimal and extremely rare. The worst is a little swelling at the site of injection that a cold compress can take care of easily and a little fever, which tylenol will take care of. Don't be alarmed when your child cries/screams, you would too! The shots don't hurt them as much as they just piss them off. Some stranger is holding them down and poking them. As soon as the shot is done and they are back in your arms, they will be perfectly fine.

Here are the benefits:
-pretty much the opposite of what I said above - good health, ability to go to day care/school without fear of not being able to enroll your child or have them catch some horrible disease from another unvaccinated child
-being able to keep communicable diseases under control and potentially lead to the erradication of other childhood diseases. If you don't vaccinate your child, they DO have better odds in getting chicken pox, measles, rotavirus, hepatitis, influenza, small pox, polio. If your child gets one of these diseases, they can then pass it on to some other child thus keeping the disease alive.

Common myths:
-the chemicals in vaccines cause autism. This is a MYTH!! There is no scientific proof of this and there are actually less chemicals in the vaccines now then their used to be. So by this logic, our generation should be full of autistic people, which it isn't. I have said this before and I will say it again, chemicals DO cause increases in autism and ADHD, but these are the chemicals that are in your FOOD. All the preservatives and artificial colors and flavors are bad. Think about the food you used to eat and what you feed your kids. Studies have shown that children with ADHD who are put on a natural diet actually improve behavior and symptoms.

I hope this is helpful as well as all the other information you ahve received.

http://www.amazon.com/Vaccine-Book-Decision-Parenting-Lib...

Check this book out if you can. VERY informative. Good luck in what you decide. : 0 )

L., I have 4 children and all of my kids are current on their shots. I know that a lot of your responses have been in favor of not getting the shots. I can tell you from personal experience that one of my friends didn't get her child the chicken pox shot and when she entered kindergarten she had to sign a paper saying that if she refused to give her daughter the shot that that was fine but that if someone if the school got the chicken pox that she would have to keep her daughter home from school until there were no more signs of chicken pox in the school...that could take up to a month or more. My friend decided that it wasn't worth it and that the benefits outway the con so she got her the shot.

My husband works in the medical field and he says that they have seen almost no cases of kids with the chicken pox because of the shots. Also something to think about, your child can not go to college without the MMR vaccine. It is mandatory. There is no 100% medical proof that vaccines cause Autism. Just something to think about. I believe that I am doing what is best for my child to make sure that they are healthy.

At one time any baby that was fussy had colic...now they say that a lot of that is acid reflux. They realize now that kids that were out of control, a lot of them have ADHD and that they are not bad kids. The umbrella to what was recognized in the past has expanded so much and it's not all because of the shots. I trully believe that people are looking for a reason for everything and they have choosen to blame the vaccines.

Everyone is entitles to their own beliefs and to their own opiions. I chose to believe that the vaccines are their to help our children and not hurt them. My children are the way they are because that it how God made them...not becuase they had a vaccine. The more information that my husband learns about the vaccines, and shares them with me, the more I am sure that we are doing the best thing for our children. You obviously need to do what is best for you and your family and that is your decision....that is the great thing about living in a country where we are intitled to our own opinion.

Good Luck.

I gave my child all the vaccinations. I did the perservative free shots. More money but less concern with autism since perservatives seemed to be the concern. Also the flu shot in perservative free.

They are required for school especially after sixth grade. They are important to the well being of the child.
Carol

The Dr. Sears book series has a new one out completely on vaccines. I really feel it gives a lot of good information so you can figure out which choice to make for yourself, and why. You can be armed with great information to discuss your decisions with your pediatrician and other family members and friends. He also gives what's called a "delayed vaccination" schedule, which makes a whole lot of really good sense to me. Best Wishes!

Read the book "The Vaccine Book" by Robert Sears. It's very informative and gives a pretty good look at the vaccines. He also has an alternative shot schedule, which spread the shots out(so the child doesn't get so many at once) and also holds off on the more major shots (MMR and Hep A) till he or she is closer to 2 years of age. Hope this helps.

very important to get them the good deff out weighs the risks on this one!

I have twin sons that will soon be 21 years old. I immunized them and their older sister(23 years old)just as recommended. When the twins were 2 months old they had reactions to their DPT vaccines. One was nearly unresponsive for 24 hours, the other cried a pitiful wailing cry for 8 hours or so. Even though the literature said that these symptoms would indicate that the shots should be withheld, my pediatrician said to keep to the recommended schedule. The result was that the twin that had been unresponsive ended up with a high fever that caused seizures with a subsequent round of shots. Because of my fear, I made the decision with my other two children to delay the shots. My youngest daughter was not immunized until she was 10. I was able to find a doctor who signed a medical exemption for her so that she was able to attend school without problem. That doctor retired and I was unable to find a doctor who would support me in delaying the shots for my youngest son, so I immunized him when he was 2, so that he could go to pre-school. I know some people who choose not to immunize at all and if they cannot get a medical exemption, they find a way to get a religious exemption. I felt very comfortable with the decision to delay. There are risks with any decision that you make about the shots. I commend you for investigating before you blindly do as the Center for Disease Control recommends. I wish that I had done that. I felt very betrayed because I didn't feel as though I had been adequately informed about the damage that the shots could cause, only the benefits. I would recommend that you keep asking questions, do your own research and decide what risks feel more acceptable to you. Good luck to you.

I, too, did tons of research regarding vaccinations. We have had our granddaughter (and our daughter) with us since she was two weeks old. Lots of water has passed under the bridge since we were parents of little ones - so we read everything we could and talked with doctors who had chosen NOT to vaccinate their own children.
As an educator of young children, I have been extremely concerned with all the challenges children have from Asthma, Allergies, ADD, Autism, etc. Since these typically are not inherited disorders, there has to be a common thread somewhere.
Somewhere between cleaning supplies and vaccinations, I believe, lies the key.
We chose not to have her receive vaccinations (other than the H/B she received at birth that we knew nothing about) so she is now 32 months old and has not had the vaccinations. We support our health with natural nutrition and the best supplements and work very hard in building the immune system. Consequently, we seldom have colds and are never sick. That includes her. She has never had ear problems or an antibotic so I think for her, we are doing what's best.
Continue to educate yourself and then make the decision on what's best for your son.

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE VACCINATIONS BY LAW.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM / COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH ARE THE ONES REQUIRED BY LAW TO PROVIDE VACCINATIONS AT LOW COST & OR FREE FOR FAMILIES IF THEY NEED IT.

YOUR CHILD DOES NOT NEED VACCINATIONS TO GO TO SCHOOL - YOU CAN REFRAIN FOR 4 REASONS (RELIGIOUS, MEDICAL, PHILISOPHICAL & JUST BECAUSE)

I HAVE A FORM THAT YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR DOCTOR -
IF YOU LIKE - EMAIL ME AT ____@____.com

I agree with Laura S. 100%.

And...why are vaxed people so frightened of unvaxed people? If the vax really worked...there should be no worries. ??? Enlightenment anyone?

My 2 daughters are not vaxed...ages 2 & 4 and I love them indescribably! Yes, I believe, along with my husband, that we are doing the best possible thing for them and their future. Not that we don't believe in medicine but that it has been overused.

There is a time and place for everything...

Hi L.: I have a one year old little girl and have had her vaccinated on schedule since 2 months old, she has never had a bad reaction to any of the shots. You have to weigh the possibility to exposing your child to serious life threatening illnesses to a possible fever or rash from a vaccine. Ask your parents how you reacted to your childhood vaccines maybe that will help you make your decision but I would definitely vaccine your child.

He will have to have all his shots unless you plan to home school him. All private and public schools in the Cincinnati area require it. My sister had 3 children who she hadn't gotten shots for. 2 of the boys were even required for preschool.

Do your own research. There is no such thing as unbiased research regarding vaccinations, so study both sides of the issue. Don't rely on random people from an online community OR a doctor to make your decision. Doctors are often very uninformed/misinformed on the subject and many have a hidden agenda regarding vaccinations.

My children are not vaccinated, and the decision to do so was a long, thoughtful process involving me and my husband. After knowing all the facts, and seeing how much is still unknown about the possible effects of vaccinations, we decided to not go forth with it. Others make a different decision, although most people who decide to vaccinate do not seem very well-versed on the subject.

I don't think there's a right or wrong choice here, but I think it's very important that every parent does the research for themselves before injecting their children with chemicals with blind faith from a doctor or anyone else.