Quick! She's coming!

[dkenagy]

I'm not on a computer with good "favorites", or I'd look for myself, but I'm supposed to be meeting up with my sister today since her kids are finally out of school for the summer. She just called to say she'd see me in a little while, and mentioned that her 4-year-old is "stumbling around" and stiff-legged because he got shots yesterday ( poor thing!). I asked which ones and she didn't know "I didn't ask, I just knew it was time for him to get shots". And I asked if she got to see the drug inserts and she didn't know anything about that. She pulled out his immunization record and read off that he received MMR, DTaP, IPV, and HepB. Should I be worried or prevent my children from being around him today? My children are unimmunized, save the older one has shots up to one-year on the vax schedule.
TIA!

[an_domhan]

Originally Posted by dkenagy

Should I be worried or prevent my children from being around him today? My children are unimmunized, save the older one has shots up to one-year on the vax schedule.
TIA!

If it were me, I would not be worried. Take care not to exhibit the same kind of irrational fear that those who discriminate against unvaccinated people do. After all, kids playing with kids is just what a growing immune system needs.

ETA: standard immune competency disclosure should apply. ie. none of the children are compromised.

[peainthepod]

I agree with an_domhan. Don't stigmatize vaccinated children or you risk becoming like so many pro-vaxers who want to put our little ones into their own separate-but-equal schools or herd them into camps for forcible jabbing. Assuming your children are healthy, being around your nephew is no riskier than being around any other kids at the playground, grocery store, daycare, etc.

I would urge you to do whatever you can to help your sister understand that vaccines are DRUGS, with possible side effects and adverse reactions, and that there are lots of things she can do to boost her child's immune system naturally. The books Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm and How to Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor by Robert Mendelsohn could be very helpful in that regard.

The blind faith some parents have in the medical/pharmaceutical complex is staggering to me. I can't even fathom not knowing exactly what a doctor was planning to inject into my child, and why. Yikes.

[Gitti]

Why worry? Your child is bound to be in contact with vaccinated kids and with kids who are sick at time. Who knows when they come in contact with a measles virus or mumps. Besides, don't you want your kids exposed to those so they can build life long immunity? That should be the goal. Of course since we never know when a child has been exposed, we also don't know when a child has built immunity. So the gist of my suggestion is: Don't worry. Live naturally. Don't fear germs. :

Oh and I agree with the previous posters.

[dkenagy]

thanks for your replies! i met with my sister and all went well. We even discussed the possible side effects of vaccinations and I offered her my copy of Aviva Jill Romm's book. She didn't bite, but she's a smart girl and I think our conversation got her thinking.
I realize that my children come in contact with vaccinated children all the time, but they don't generally hug/kiss or play in very close contact with kids at the playground/gymnastics class/homeschool group.
Thanks for calming my nerves!