Pediarix

[armychicmkm]

What can you ladies tell me about pediarix and its side effects? Baby Daniel is supposed to be getting his first set of vaccines today and DH and I would like a little more info. on this one. We're nervous because DH doesn't handle some vaccines very well he had a particularly bad reaction when he was given DTP and he knows someone who caught polio from the vaccine. I know they're different vaxes now but are they really any better?

[grahamsmom98]

Call and CANCEL the appointment RIGHT NOW!!

You say you need more info on this one? No, you need more time to research ALL of them!!

Well child checks can be done anytime, they don't have to be done at all.

Cancel. Study. Research.

Because, if you don't cancel, you WILL be bullied into allowing them to give whatever vaccines they insist on giving to your little one. They will quote all kinds of statistics to scare you about diseases and they will blow-off your vaccine safety concerns.

Once those are in his body, they can't be taken out.

Please, cancel and take some time to learn before you next see the doctor.

[armychicmkm]

I hadn't even heard of Pediarix before the doctor mentioned it... the couple of times I've met him he's been pretty good about respecting our wishes. He is really pushing this one for some reason but isn't even trying to persuade us into getting the MMR. Makes me wonder if there is a valid reason for getting it. As for research - I've been having a hard time finding what is in my opinion good research on any of the vaccines (for or against).

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by armychicmkm

I hadn't even heard of Pediarix before the doctor mentioned it... the couple of times I've met him he's been pretty good about respecting our wishes. He is really pushing this one for some reason but isn't even trying to persuade us into getting the MMR. Makes me wonder if there is a valid reason for getting it. As for research - I've been having a hard time finding what is in my opinion good research on any of the vaccines (for or against).

A likely reason he's not pushing MMR is that he has a while to encourage you to take it. Not sure how old your LO is, but doc probably has several months at least to lure you into the MMR.

[Emmeline II]

Cancel. You cannot make an informed decision the morning of the appointment. This is his pet vax; my first ped's pet vax were DTaP and Prevenar. The reason he isn't pushing the MMR is because it isn't given to babies younger than 12mo yet; he isn't doing you any favors.

Vaccination is a risk/benefit analysis. Do you really think the risk of your babe contracting and suffering serious complications from pertussis is greater than the risk of your child's known family history of reaction to DTaP? (The polio vax given in the US is inactive).


Here are some questions to answer for yourself in deciding not to vax.

1. Name of the disease
2. Description of the disease
3. Length of time from initial infection to end of all symptoms
4. Infectious period
5. Normal symptoms of the disease
6. Known serious consequences of the disease
7. Proportion of persons infected developing serious consequences
8. Transmission route of the disease
9. Prevalence of the disease
10. Treatments of the disease and efficacy of those treatments
11. Relevant research about the disease
12. Name of the vaccine
13. Company that makes the vaccine
14. Contents of the vaccine
14A. The significance of whether or not the vaccine is live
15. History of development of the vaccine
16. Known side-effects of the vaccine and rate of incidence of those side-effects
17. Possible side-effects not yet acknowledged by the vaccine maker
18. Relevant research into the vaccine
19. How effective is the vaccine at preventing the disease?
20.What is the vaccine meant to do? (Many vaccines are not meant to prevent infection or transmission).
21.Number of cases reported each year.
22.Number of deaths reported each year from the vaccine and natural disease.

Here are some sources to help you out:

Inside Vaccines

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html (download the current issue)
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pin...k-chapters.htm
http://vaers.hhs.gov/pdf/PackageInserts.pdf
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...40451107552&q=
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...87981735&hl=en
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pin...ses&deaths.pdf

[LavenderMae]

You don't seem very sure of vaccinating from what you've written here. I would cancel this app. and research until you are comfortable with your decision (whatever that will be). There's no reason to get the vaccines today, you have time to research and make an informed decision.

[armychicmkm]

Thanks for the responses. We're not going with the Pediarix. Joe doesn't want to do polio. Ever. Period. And I'm not too crazy about Hep B in an infant. Why on earth was I considering a vaccine where we don't want 2 of the 5 ingredients?

We do definitely want pertussis and tetanus though. Those are concerns where we're living right now. Even with the reaction to the DTP that Joe had we're willing to try DTap. We did do a lot of research on DTap and we knew when Danny was born that we wanted to give that one. Obviously, if Danny shows a reaction we won't get a second as it's likely the pertussis causing the reaction.

Still undecided on HIB and Prevnar though... not getting either of those today.
The only two vaccines I really got to research as well as I wanted before the baby was born were DTap and MMR.

It's very likely that unless the military makes us vaccinate if I get assigned an overseas duty station that DTaP is the only one we'll consent to and then when pertussis is no longer a concern (approx. 1-2 yo) we'll just be making sure to keep up with all recommended doses of tetanus.

[armychicmkm]

Emmeline -

Thanks for the Inside Vaccines link. I'm really liking that site.

[nia82]

Don't take Pediarix if you don't even like 2 of those ingredients! It also contains a trace amount of Thimerosal.
The military can't make you vaccinate your baby or yourself - you are not active duty, you are a family member. As far as I have heard if you have an overseas assignment they might bully you to vaccinate, but if you don't the worst thing is that you have to pay the flight to the assignment yourself. I am sure though with thorough insisting you can get a religious waiver.
We're in the AF and I'm sure your base has the same vaccines available as ours. The local DTaP is Tripedia. I won't take it. It is the worst of the three brands of DTaP on the market. Go for Daptacel. THe local health department might have it available or civ doctors... They work out low prices for you (health dep is for free though).

[armychicmkm]

Actually Nia, I will be the one active duty (fingers crossed) not my husband. Emmeline posted some great links on another thread about that one. We're going to be trying for east coast at first and then an overseas duty station when Danny gets old enough for school.

[Marnica]

I agree with PP's. Cancel this appointment. Take your time and do your research. This is not a decision to be taken lightly and cannot be made in a day, a week or even a month. It takes time to look at both sides of this issue. I have been researching for 4 years and still don't feel like I know all there is to know!

[armychicmkm]

Grrrr

Ok DH is now no longer taking DS to dr. without me. Why is it that we can talk and have an intelligent conversation, reach a mutually agreed upon decision, and the second he gets in front of the doctor it all goes out the window?

Yahoo messenger convo:

Mary: Hello
Joseph: hi
Mary: How'd dr. appt. go?
Joseph: all vacts
Mary: what did he get?
Joseph: all of them
Mary: which ones were all of them?
Joseph: idk
Mary: ok
Joseph: i have a list in the truck

:

[cadejaxellamom]

I would be FURIOUS!!!!! Doctors have a way of doing that though, some are manipulative as can be : I'm sorry, and I hope everything is okay with your baby, I'm not sure if i would let DH take the baby alone to the doc anymore

[LavenderMae]

omg I would be livid. I would definitely not let your dh take alone again.

[armychicmkm]

I really don't think this dr. is all that manipulative. He never said a word about us refusing to circ, refusing Hep B at birth, and refusing the eye drops. He actually looked down on us a little because I let the nurses give him some formula even though I was planning on exclusively BFing. Like a PP said - the pediarix is probably his pet vaccine at the moment.

DH was the same way when I went into labor. Everything I told him went out the window when the dr. came in the room...