Vaccines... Yes or No?

I know this is a hot topic right now. I myself didn't want to feel like I HAD to get my kids vaccinated, but I wanted to able to make a well-informed decision. In the end, I decided to vaccinate because a lot of those illnesses are only a plane ride away. And right now several are making a comeback supposedly because un-immunized children are spreading them again. Also because I was told that the preservatives that were causing a lot of the problems are no longer put in them. I decided to have the vaccines given on my schedule, though and not my Dr.'s. I space them out a little more than is traditional, but I feel better about it. Dr. Sears has a vaccine book that I heard is very informative and not pushy. Good luck with this tough decision.

Hot topic-

Do what you feel is right. And remember... Before any child starts in a daycare or school, they must be updated with vaxes.

I recently read an article, about a baby that died from Pertussis (whooping cough). This baby was not vaccinated.
It can be transmitted to babies/children from adults. Adults having less severe or even minimal symptoms. But in a baby, it can be deadly.
The article said, it is epidemic in a part of California.
They have advocated, getting vaccinated, and adults/older children getting booster shots.

So these things happens.

all the best,
Susan

Well, for starters, look around you. Everyone who is not suffering and/or dying from Polio, Whooping Cough, Hepatitis, Measles and Mumps ought to be a good start in making your decision. When you consider that in our grandparents' era, children would routinely die from these things and now they don't, it makes the decision pretty easy.

Also, consider that the person who started this whole uproar against vaccines has had his "research" discredited, and now he has lost his medical license because of the very serious breaches of protocol in his "study." Consider whether you would believe that guy over decades of established results when it comes to the health of your child and the health of your community as a whole.

http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/statistics_report...
http://drtenpenny.com/vrc.aspx
http://www.knowvaccines.com/vaccineingredients.htm
http://www.vaclib.org/exemption.htm

These are just a few. Props for you in doing your own research! Don't make your decisions based on what anyone else advises you to do. Make decisions based on your research and most importantly listen to your gut. And for me... many hours of prayer were involved. This is a heavy and highly controversial issue in which only you can make the decision you believe is best... based on your families individual situation, and research you do. We did begin to vaccinate our son with an alternative schedule, and he had a very severe reaction. So we have stopped all vaccinations and since stopping them, his excema has completely cleared up... and I have a beautiful and vibrant, healthy 9 month old boy! And any of our future children won't be vaccinated. This is just bits of my story and you will have people on the other side of the coin. But again, you are wise by doing your own research. This will enable you to make the best decision.
Also to clear up confusion... NO shot is mandantory. Not for daycare and not for school. There are exemptions in every state. Also, know that even if your child has vaccinations, they can still contract whatever illness that vaccine is for. What parents are not hearing right now about the pertussis outbreak is that a majority of the people that have contracted it... have been fully vaccinated. And with the live virus vaccines your child can actually contract the illness from the vaccine itself. Be fully informed! You can find all of this information on the links I posted above.

Best wishes to you and your family V.! And good luck on your research:-)

~C.~

Understand that the choice to vaccinate is a personal one for each and every family. It is also completely LEGAL to NOT VACCINATE despite what schools or doctors try to put forth. Make sure you do a ton of research and base your decisions on education not fear or what others suggest.

Talk to your doctor. If you don't trust your doctor, you should get one who you trust. That is not to say that you should blindly follow anyone, but that if you have a bad doctor, get a new one for goodness sakes, and I am in no way inviting anyone to tell you thier horror story about the overdose that would have killed their kid if they had trusted "blindly" that is just not helpful.
Find a doctor you trust, and follow their advice. They should be your resource.

You can find anything you are looking for on the internet if you look, and if you raise a new fear, someone will write a book for you to buy about what ever scary thing you fancy.

History is a great resource too, there is good to vaccines if you read about life in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Seriously, there is nothing today that is as uncertian as life for a new born was 100 years ago, and most people burried at least one child from deseases we never think about today except to debate the possible side effects of a vaccine to prevent it. You benefited enormously from that history and the contribution of vaccine to our way of life. That you can debate this is evidence of the benefit you have recived.

I would also look into the real effects of the deseases that your child will be protected against. Did you know that small pox was so bad that in the 18th century people spent 6 weeks in islolation and risked a %10 death rate to get the vaccine? It was something that only the wealthy could do for some time, but people who lived in a time when they knew the horrors of these illnesses risked far more than we do now to get them. It is worth thinking about.

M.

I actually am a nurse for a pediatrician. I do believe in vaccinating your children. Not just because I work there. Now schools are requiring your child be vaccinated or they cannot go. They have actually made Hep A a requirement. Vaccines DO NOT cause Autism, so don't worry about that. Just an FYI, our clinic will not see anyone who refuses to vaccinate. It's a good thing, keeps them safe from getting diseases from other children.....

this is a no doubt answer: dr robert sears.

robert sears is the son of william and martha sears. they have many books and publications, and are very sensitive to moms instincts, and give accurate information to all parents no matter their choices.

robert wrote the book "the vaccine book". it is VERY DETAILED. when i read it i do not remember pressure either way; to or not to vaccinate. his purpose is not to steer parents one way or the other; but to give parents the most accurate and up to date information possible.

one thing that is great about his book is that he gives an outline of an adjusted vaccination schedule. what this does is spreads the vaccines out more; your child will receive fewer shots at one time, and it is thought that it will not overwhelm a child's system to do so. you might have problems with your doctor agreeing to it so make sure to talk to someone in administration. its not that your doctor doesnt WANT to do what you ask, its that the clinic has protocol that tie his hands and require that he do things in the way that the AAP recommends.

one of the most notable thing about his vaccination schedule is that he splits the MMR up into M, M and R. LOL. this is more difficult to find; i havent heard yet if merck has decided to manufacture these vaccines separately again yet; they had stopped. however, hopefully they will soon. it might require a bit more work (you might have to purchase them yourself and bring them to the clinic in a cooler or something) - but it might be worth all the effort.
besides, the alternate vaccination schedule also requires more visits to get the shots, but many parents decide that this is SO worth it.

i do get periodic emails from robert sears as well, updates to the book, and vaccine news. you can probably sign up for that on www.askdrsears.com. the books are also available for purchase there, but you could get them used on amazon; OR if you feel comfortable, contact a local la leche group; they usually have books like this. if you are breastfeeding its a bonus to connect with a group to get support and like minded parents in your social circle! :)

anyway, good luck with your decision. the best thing you can do is stand up for what you believe, and stand up for your rights and your child. my opinion is that the diseases that vaccines prevent are serious, and its a good thing they are for the most part eradicated because of vaccines; but many are making a comeback in certain areas. how bad this is cant really be determined because some officials might be going overboard to "scare" parents into getting vaccines. but also, there is no doubt in my mind and the mind of many parents that vaccines have and do cause damage to certain children. just because its few children doesnt mean its any better. we should always take caution, and keep pressuring groups like the AAP to use alternate vaccination schedules; even if its simply asking your local clinic to do so. remember, if you get a no answer, go up the chain of command. i talked to my son's doctor, his hands were tied, so i went up to administration, they said "ok". :) :) you never know until you try. if nothing else, you probably will find moms who feel just as apprehensive as you do and you could as a group pressure the clinic to use alternate schedules.

the worst thing you would have to do is walk out. they cant FORCE you to vaccinate your child. they might make you THINK that you do, but they dont have the right. you can walk out. my son hasnt seen the doctor for about a year and a half because i was waiting for the MMR to be available in separate shots again and if i dont go to the doctor, then they wont ask or try to vaccinate him with the full MMR. ;P what are they going to do ? LOL.

anyway, thats what i would do ; find "the vaccine book" by robert sears. its awesome. tells you everything you need to know while leaving the decision up to you.

Oo have fun with this question. But what I am doing with my son is I fully believe that vaccines are an amazing and wonderful things that society needs. People who don't vaccinate rely on the fact that 95%(im guessing on the percent) of the population is vaccinated and so they are in a safe bubble, but if one person some how gets this then it can spread like wild fire. So I'd prefer not to take that chance with my son since a lot of things spread by contact and one person shakes a hand of an infected person and all safety is lost.
BUT I don't like how often and how many are injected into a tiny baby. So we have decided to go with an alt vaccine schedule. I found a doctor that respects my decision and we found a schedule that works for us.
So go with YOUR gut and not what other people tell you. Because there will be a lot of people that will sway you, especially if you have a pediatrician that doesn't believe in what you believe.

Good for you for asking questions.

My kids are older (20 and 16) and up until a few years ago had everything recommended. I won't get into what or why I started asking questions, but I have really opened my eyes, mind and heart to another way of thinking.
As I tell people, the old nurse in me certainly sees the benefit of some vaccines, but the better informed mom questions the need and safety of all that are "recommended" today. If I had small children now, I certainly would do things differently.

*I am a traditionally trained registered nurse with over 25 years of experience. I do believe that there is a lot to be said for modern medicine. My mom is a cancer survivor because of it. But I also believe there is more than one way to look at things.

No we don't get diseases as previous generations did, but a lot of disease really started decreasing in incidence and severity with improved hygiene and living conditions. Really, do your research and look at history and you will find that things like measles and mumps were starting to decline and rapidly, with proper quarantine before the age of vaccines!
And when did chicken pox become so life threatening? My oldest did not have the vaccine because it was not available. He had an extremely mild case! Our second did have the vaccine and did get chicken pox when she was 3-4. Yes it too was a 'mild' case but I'm not convinced that it was all due to the vaccine, especially since my doctor, whom I did trust explicitly and we had a mutually respectful relationship, told me they really didn't know how long the vaccine lasts since it was so new. My fear is that we are now setting up a whole generation of kids to actually get chicken pox later in life when the risks are much higher!

Another great resource that I have not seen mentioned yet is www.nvic.org.

Read - research - and ask questions. Then make the best decision for your family.

The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. It gives you good info and doesn't tell you what to do, just gives you the facts and then you can make your own decision. My pediatrician recommended for me. We have 5 children and we stopped vaccinating with #4 and 5.

Good luck with your decision. It's not an easy one. :)

I don't know if it has been suggested to you yet, but I would become a fan of Dr. Tenpenny on Facebook. Post all your questions and you will very quickly know everything you need to know about vaccines. I have come to the conclusion that they do more harm than good and I will never vaccinate my kids. I love them too much!

I don't think you'll be able to pick and choose what vaccines your doctor gives your child. I'm thinking it will be all or nothing. Not vaccinating your child puts not only your kids at risk, but other kids as well. A lot of childhood diseases like mumps have reared their head again in the past few years because parents think that vaccinations or some are not necessary. These vaccines were put in place for our children for a reason.

Hi, I read several books while pregnant with our first baby. The most informative, neutral book I read was Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives. It doesn't advocate for or agaisnt vaccinations; it simply explains the disease/virus we are vaccinating against, gives a nice history of the disease/virus and also explains what is in the vaccintaion, the risk of infant harm and how it has evolved and also the prevelance of the disease in our society. It also describes the risk of contracting the disease and the effects of it. Overall, it is a great book, both to read and for reference. I still pick it up when I have a question about a vaccine or disease.

In case you are interseted, below is a link to it on Amazon. Good luck, this is a huge desicion that only you as the parent can or should make. I wouldn't follow what anyone here or even your Ped says about it. I would listen to what they have to say, but do your own research and then decide what is best for your child.

http://www.amazon.com/Vaccinations-Thoughtful-Sensible-De...

R.

P.S. Yes you can pick and choose which, if any, vaccines you give your kids, yes your child can go to school with or without all the vaccinations and yes there is hard evidence that vaccines can and have harmed children. The autism link may not have been proven yet, but there are thousands of cases of kids with brain damage casued by seizures cause by a vaccine overload.

There are certainly a lot of ideas out there about vaccines. I have had three children and I have vaccinated all three but handled it very differently with the third. I don't follow the 'reccommended' schedule for vaccines because I feel that two to four shots in one day is way to many. You can't even begin to tell which one caused a fever if you give them all in one day. So I go over a several week period when vaccinating my daughter. My doctor thinks I'm ridiculous but it truly makes a much better experience for all of us. Not only has she never had a reaction she never cries when given vaccines. Giggles her way through the experience.

I give my children the vaccines because I have weighed the risks of a reaction against the risk of the diseases they prevent. There is a terrible whooping cough epidemic going on right now. At least 6 babies have died. This disease can be prevented. I would never forgive myself if my child died because I did not get a vaccination.

There is a concept of 'herd mentality' but that only works if everyone else is vaccinated and your child isn't and will never be exposed to a larger population.

Good luck...I wished that I could point you to some reliable resources but I think you will either find literature on how important it is to vaccinate or how potential dangerous it is. And like the rest of life, yes there are dangers but you have to weigh the risks with the consequences of your decisions.

yes, very hot button, but i have to tell you one thing, you can put your child in school without vaccines, im not sure what the exact name for the place is, but in my state its called "exemption from vaccinations for reasons of conscience'

My oldest has severe allergies to some vaccines and with this paperwork that i get notorized at my local bank i get her into school just fine.

you have rights

The American Academy of Pediatrics site is great for information on vaccines and pediatric health. It's pro-vaccine but it lists exactly what the diseases are, how the disease would affect the child if contracted, and what the risks of the vaccine are. Personally, I vaccinate based on what is recommended by the AAP with the exception of the seasonal flu shot but I know that there are many parents who elect not to vaccinate at all. Good for you for doing the research so you can make an informed decision. I hope this helps. :)

http://www.healthychildren.org/english/safety-prevention/...

Catherine C. spoke my mind. I agree wholeheartedly.

Oh boy, you are going to get A LOT of responses to this question :)
I will be brief... I have 3 kids. My brother has 3 kids, the 1st one ended up having autism so they didn't vaccinate their 3rd child (the 2nd had already been vaccinated when they learned of the first's autism). So naturally I was really nervous vaccinating my children. I have a great pediatric nurse practitioner, we talked. She simply said that she cares for a family of 4 children in her practice and none are vaccinated and all 4 have autism. She also said that many doctors think that it would be helpful if vaccinations DID cause autism then they would finally know what the cause was!! My opinion is that you are born pre-disposed to it and there is going to be a trigger that sets it off, be it a vaccine, a virus, an extreme temperature change... I have since had all 3 of my children vaccinated. It is a really tough decision these days with all the hype and people feel strongly both ways. Do your research, talk with your doctor, get a second opinion. Our babies need us to protect them and when faced with this ethical dilemma, it makes it very hard. Good luck (I guess I wasn't very brief!)

I guess I am curious as to why you wouldn't considering there is no hard evidence against vaccinating children.

With all due respect, I personally believe that all of the vaccines that they give children are necessary. There purpose is to protect not only your own kids but my kids and all other kids that they come in contact with. If I remember correctly from one of your other posts you are expecting a baby. If you were to come in contact with a child who was not vaccinated against rubella fir example and you had not been vaccinated it could cause serious problems for your unborn baby. There are more problems with the diseases you can get than there are problems from side effects of the vaccines.

Peoples experiences with vaccine preventable diseases:
http://shotbyshot.org/story-gallery

http://whyichoose.org
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/parents.htm#myths

Hi mom, try the website www.homefirst.com { Dr. Mayer Eisenstein}. I hope this helps.

I requested that my child only have the required vaccines and that we skip the optional. You will need to check with your local public school and ask what shots are required for entering school. You might also call your local health dept and ask them which vaccines are required and which are optional and for info on the optional choices.

These questions always get a ton of responses. Good luck! We do not vaccinate our kids, we will get tetanus (dt only) at some point, because tetanus is incurable. My kids eat healthy, play in the dirt, wash with soap and water, take vitamins and probiotics, elderberry when they have a cold, and get adjusted regularly (once a month) by a chiropractor, more often when they're sick or injured. Even our ped (MD!) says how healthy my kids are!

They were exposed to whooping cough by two very close relatives and never got more than a 24 hour fever and runny nose. Our ped told me not to bring them in even! The children I personally know that aren't vaccinated seem, on average, sick less often than their peers.

My favorite website is www.thedoctorwithin.com, his book is called the sanctity of human blood. Dr sears books is good for an alternate schedule, the nvic website is good, as is dr. Tenpenny's. Look up past vaccination posts on mamapedia, Tanya and Mimi usually give good answers to these questions as well.

And yes!! In most states, there are waivers for public schools. Ours has medical, religious, and personal/philosophical. They can have some or none under these waivers, and you can't be questioned. Good for you, figuring out what's best for you and your family!

Just read your edit, and the book I mentioned goes over each vaccine, the likelihood you'll catch that disease,etc..so it's really good for figuring out which ones you decide are most important. The ones I would never, ever give a child are chicken pox/varicella, hep a and b, and flu shots. Space out others, so you can track reactions and avoid toxic overload or immune system shock. Dr sears book has a good alternate schedule for the ones you decide to do.

I know you've made your decision and have had lots of other great responses, but I just wanted to throw my two cents in...

I work with kids with autism and my dad is a family doctor, so when it came time to thinking about immunizing my baby, i felt a little torn. I eventually went with what I felt was logical, based on the scientific evidence, rather than the manufactured "fear" of autism being caused by vaccines. Some of my coworkers chose to vaccinate their children on a different schedule, hoping that just *in case* there were any adverse effects they would be diminished by doing so.

The graduated schedule seems to be a fairly popular alternative to no vaccinations, but it turns out it does nothing... "Worrying about too many vaccines is like worrying about a thimble of water getting you wet when you are swimming in an ocean."

Here is a link to a journal article from the AAP: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstrac...

I know you've made a decision on this, but I wanted to throw out there (in case it hasn't been said) that you might consider just discussing it with your doctor. This is what I did when I had concerns, and her answers were so wonderful! My ped is more "natural" like I am, and has 3 kids of her own, so her advice was well appreciated. That being said, you may just have a vaccine happy doctor and get no advice other than to vax. But it's worth a shot just to hear their take on it!