Should I vaccinate

[balsammommy]

:
why should I vaccinate my baby

[Theoretica]

If you look through the threads on the boards, especially the stickys, you will get lots of info to be able to make an informed decision that works best for you and your family. Also, you'll be able to ask more specific questions based on the information you've gathered.

[JamieCatheryn]

Hmm possible reasons FOR vax? Let's see...

You're traveling to a country with rampant deadly vaccine available diseases.
There is an outbreak of something very serious locally.
You or someone in your household has Hepatitis B.
You feel that doing something and taking a risk (of reaction) from that is better than doing nothing and taking a risk (of disease).

[plunky]

Originally Posted by balsammommy

:
why should I vaccinate my baby

I believe an honest answer to your question would result in bannination. If you read the little blurb for this forum, it says "pro vax viewpoint = not ok here". I paraphrase, of course. You will receive a lot of people telling you why they DON'T vaccinate, and no one opposing them, because it is not allowed.

[applejuice]

Should I vaccinate

That is the title of this thread. This is the question the opening post is asking.

My answer is:

You should research all of the available information and make an informed choice, a choice with which you will live. Your child is counting on you to make that choice for him/her.

[applejuice]

Originally Posted by plunky

I believe an honest answer to your question would result in bannination. If you read the little blurb for this forum, it says "pro vax viewpoint = not ok here". I paraphrase, of course. You will receive a lot of people telling you why they DON'T vaccinate, and no one opposing them, because it is not allowed.

Not true.

There is no blurb that says that.

Vaccination is discussed here. This is not the "I'm Not Vaccinating" Forum. Where did you get the word, bannination?

[lil_stinkyfeet]

Hi Heather Nice to see you

Here is one thread to help you get started.. It has a lot of info in it
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=232509

I would start with asking questions about a specific vaccination that you are thinking about
like the dtap.

Like what are the risks/benefits

[LeighB]

Originally Posted by plunky

I believe an honest answer to your question would result in bannination. If you read the little blurb for this forum, it says "pro vax viewpoint = not ok here".

Pro- vax discussion is welcome here, when appropriate (obviously not in the "I'm not vaccinating section". There are MANY vaxing mothers here at MDC.

To the Op, for sure do the research to decide. Even if you decide to vaccinate, you will be glad you researched it. I started with Vaccines:A Thoughtful parents guide by Romm, and the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears.
Also, check the archives here in this section. I got a lot of good info there.

Good luck with your decision!

[Lisa85]

Originally Posted by balsammommy

:
why should I vaccinate my baby

You shouldn't because there's no need to.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by plunky

I believe an honest answer to your question would result in bannination. If you read the little blurb for this forum, it says "pro vax viewpoint = not ok here". I paraphrase, of course. You will receive a lot of people telling you why they DON'T vaccinate, and no one opposing them, because it is not allowed.

I agree with others posters. This is not thecase. There are many vaxing moms here. I think what the forum description means when they say a purely provax thread will not be allowed is that they won't tolerate somebody coming and saying vaccines are great and all parents that don't are parasites (kind of like something Amanda Peet would post )

[Grateful]

In asking such a simple, straightforward question, it sounds like you're just after a basic breakdown of the vaccine issue, eh? Well, no one will do that for you. Not here, not in a doctor's office, not anywhere. I think that's one of the things that makes the issue so frustrating - the polarization.

Why might you vaccinate? Well, I'm pretty new to MDC, but I can't imagine it violates the rules to simply say that, so far, the scientific community has not been able to show a systematic link between vaccines and serious adverse health outcomes, while it has shown, many times over, a systematic link between vaccination and protection from disease. If you're someone who respects peer-reviewed science, you might conclude that vaccination is appropriate for your family.

With that said, there are many people who believe vaccines are, in fact, harmful and that mainstream science has done a poor job uncovering this harm. In making this assertion, people tend to cite one or more of the following: 1) Vaccines are toxic/harmful, in ways that are either subtle, or not easily measured in epidemiologic studies; 2) A vaccine seems to have injured someone they know/love, making scientific studies irrelevant to or at odds with their personal experience; or 3) There is a conspiracy, involving the government and the medical establishment, to conceal the harmful affects of vaccines (or to make them out to be more effective than they really are) because they are a huge source of profit for big pharma.

I hope I didn't offend anyone on either "side" of the issue in my effort to (over)simplify things. Like a pp said, you really have got to look into this stuff on your own. Good luck!

[jjawm]

Why to vax? Research both sides - there's so much info on why you should vax out there, but balance it out by reading information on why you shouldn't, or why you should do it selectively.

We are partialy vaxing/delaying because we feel that there are some diseases that concern us more than their vaccination, and that if done in a careful manner, the potential harm of the vaccine can be limited.

Be informed. Don't take your doctor's word, your MIL's, or even people here. Vaxing (or not) is a major decision, one not to be taken lightly.

[theretohere]

Originally Posted by jjawm

Why to vax? Research both sides - there's so much info on why you should vax out there, but balance it out by reading information on why you shouldn't, or why you should do it selectively.

We are partialy vaxing/delaying because we feel that there are some diseases that concern us more than their vaccination, and that if done in a careful manner, the potential harm of the vaccine can be limited.

Be informed. Don't take your doctor's word, your MIL's, or even people here. Vaxing (or not) is a major decision, one not to be taken lightly.

Just wondering- which vaccines are you considering and why?

[loveyourohana]

Originally Posted by Lisa85

You shouldn't because there's no need to.

[Murihiku]

One answer is because your government and the medical establishment encourages you to. (However, I don't know what your location is or what your govt and medical establishment encourage you to do.)

Since these two entities have also encouraged me to breastfeed, put my child in a car seat, not smoke around my child, and not drink a lot of alcohol while pregnant, I trusted their advice on vaccinations to be sound advice also. While there is some logic in my approach, it does not, however, prove that anyone should vaccinate their baby. Just because they get some things right doesn't mean they get all things right.

Trusting these two entities is not a popular stance here, though!

[alegna]

I don't make *ANY* decisions because someone says I should... least of all those involving my children.

Should you vax?

Maybe.... maybe not.

Research each vaccine and disease. Figure the risk/benefit ratio of each vax. Decide which you're comfortable with.

-Angela

[Murihiku]

Originally Posted by alegna

I don't make *ANY* decisions because someone says I should... least of all those involving my children.

So, balsammommy, Alegna and I have different approaches but end up in the same place (I partly assume, partly gather from Alegna's other posts in other forums) regarding breastfeeding, carseats, smoking, and alcohol, and a different place regarding vaccines.

It's quite interesting to me that vaccines are the place where our divergent world views make a difference.

Good luck with your research or questioning or whatever you decide to do.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Murihiku

One answer is because your government and the medical establishment encourages you to. (However, I don't know what your location is or what your govt and medical establishment encourage you to do.)

Since these two entities have also encouraged me to breastfeed, put my child in a car seat, not smoke around my child, and not drink a lot of alcohol while pregnant, I trusted their advice on vaccinations to be sound advice also. While there is some logic in my approach, it does not, however, prove that anyone should vaccinate their baby. Just because they get some things right doesn't mean they get all things right.

Trusting these two entities is not a popular stance here, though!

Well.... at times in the not so distant past, those same government entities have said that formula was better, smoking was healthy, alcohol was great and carseats not needed.... I try to be ahead of the government

-Angela

[Murihiku]

Originally Posted by alegna

Well.... at times in the not so distant past, those same government entities have said that formula was better, smoking was healthy, alcohol was great and carseats not needed.... I try to be ahead of the government

-Angela

Good point.

[Lollicup]

Get Dr. Sears book, "he Vaccination Book". I don't think we can all explain it the way he does in detail, then make your decision.

I got my LO the DTaP and HIB because those are most serious in the first year of life.