debating getting series of vaccines after first round

[lkmiscnet]

I have a 4 month old boy, though his corrected age is 3 mo. since he was induced a month early.

I was very apprehensive about vaccines and determined not to get them. My dr. is a D.O. and was supportive of my decision either way.

I read the Dr. Sears books on vaccines as well.

My husband, however, is not in the same camp as me, and feels that I would be taking a risk with our son to avoid vaccines.

After doing further research, I was only going to get the rotavirus vaccine, though I did not think my son was in the high risk group since he is not in daycare and the risk is highest in the first 6 months. The pediatrician said that she felt it was a good one to get as she sees so many cases in her office. She also felt that pertussis was an important one to get as well.

To make a long story short, I ended up having him get Pentacel (DTaP, HIB, Polio) and rotavirus. I was on the fence about HIB, but she said she was seeing more cases of that than she would have liked. So I decided at the time that it made sense to do just one shot and get all three, though I did i with gritted teeth and uncertainty. She didn't force me, but I now have some ambivalence over this.

He is due to get the second series in two months and I am stressing over whether I should go thorugh with it or not.

Would the first round have been a waste and should I just go through with the second (and third series) since he's already had one series or should I skip it altogether and not get any more? I would hate to be penny wise and pound foolish. Have they done studies to see if you build up an immunity after just one round?

I looked at the risk factors outlined in the Dr. Sears book and felt that because most of the viruses are worse in children under 6 months old and/or they were rarey occuring in the US, that my son would not be in the high risk group since he's not exposed to other kids.

He is not in daycare (though I am not working due to a job loss and can't guarantee that at some point, he will not be) and I am breastfeeding.

However, the ped said that some of the viruses are easily caught if they are airborne, so I could walk through a grocery aisle where someone has coughed or sneezed and the droplets could still be in the air, exposing my son in his carrier. So, that is why I relented not to mention that Dr. Sears indicated that he felt comfortable with those vaccines. The ped could see I was agonizing over it and said it was up to me what I wanted to do.

She was a microbiologist and all 5 of her kids were vaccinated.

I have been paranoid about my son catching something and have been keeping him away from other kids, so the first round of vaccines did give me a bit of peace of mind. But, I've been researching further and am again feeling uncomfortable with my decision.

I'm not sure how to move forward. I wish I knew of more research studies. Is the 3 dose series overkill? Are the manufacturers just wanting to make more of a profit?

I recall how cats and dogs were (many still are) given an annual rabies vaccine, though my vet told me that the vaccine was good for 3 years, which is a schedule we used on my cat. Eventually, in my state, they changed the requirement to every 3 years. Will the same thing happen to human vaccines?

I do not plan to give my son the MMR, Hep A, Hep B, or Pc (ped said Pc vaccine was useless). If he ends up in a high risk group for either of the HEPs, he can get those as a teen or adult.

Linda

[degarrettjones]

How lucky for you to have a supportive doctor! Since she is so, why not give her a call and ask her the question you've posted here - how long do the vaccines that have already been given provide protection? That seems to me to be the first step in making this decision. If you're apprehensive about vaccinating (and having a child with neuro disabilities, I understand that apprehension and confusion - these decisions are hard and very emotional!), but believe that vaccinating in general is a good idea, then how about adopting an alternative schedule from here on out and delaying the vaccines until after you feel your son's immune system can better take them, and doing just one at a time? By the time that date rolls around, you may have more information that helps you decide one way or the other. From what you posted, this sounds like a conversation your doctor would be open to, and you might even be able to consult with other doctors in your area regarding this decision before deciding either way. Research until you're comfortable with your decision.

[Marnica]

It sounds as though you fell for the fear mongering that most docs heap upon their new parent patients...

I am a non-vaccinating parent so I have a different POV than you might, but my choice was based on 2 and a half years Pre pregnancy research and an additonal 9 months wehn I was pregnant and I'm still research every day.

It is a risk vs benefit analysis. From the sounds of it your child is at low risk for most things given that he is not in daycare and breastfed. (BTW my son has been in daycare since he was 3 months old and is unvaccinated). Your child can indeed catch something from being out in public, but what he will most likely catch is a cold or virus that has nothing to do with his vaccination status.

As for Rotavirus vaccine, have you read the package insert? One of the common side effects listed is diarhhea. Pentacal was licensed in June of 2008It has been on the market just over a year. WAYYYY to new to know of it's longer term negative effects IMO. Pentacal contains aluminum, formaldehyde, bovine albumin (a protein from cow's blood), 2-phenoxyethanol (2-PE contains phenol, which has the ability to inhibit phagocyte activity, meaning it is toxic to all cells. The phenol in 2-PE is capable of disabling the immune system's primary response mechanism. It can also cause systemic poisoning, headache, shock, weakness, convulsions, kidney damage, cardiac failure, kidney failure, or death. 2-PE also contains ethylene oxide, which is an irritant causing dermatitis, burns, blisters, and eczema.
) http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-2_Ph...thanol-9926486, polysorbate 80 http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ly.html?cat=70, and neomycin (an antibiotic)

Did your doctor tell you of the risks associated with these chemicals? My bet is she didn't. Im not saying you shouldn't finish the series.. (there are no adverse consequences to NOT finishing a series BTW, you can stop at any time) what I'm saying is that it sounds like you have a lot of research to do before you make any further choices. A FULLY informed choice will never be the wrong one whatever you decide. Good luck!

[MyLilPwny]

I'm not aware of which and every vaccine source you have read through, but since you're mentioning Dr. Sears' "The Vaccine Book" I just want to point out that he is heavily biased towards pro-vaccines. He believes that vaccines work, that they were responsible for the decline in diseases, that the diseases would come back in epidemic proportions if we all stopped vaccinating, etc. and his book does not cover the anti-vaccine side at all, which disputes all those theories. Vaccines are based on theories...they are one big human experiment too.

I'd recommend reading some anti-vaccine sources in order to balance out the different views. I like "Saying No To Vaccines" by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny and her web site www.drtenpenny.com is also very good. "The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination Is Not Immunization" by Dr. Tim O'Shea is good. "How To Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor" by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn is also a good read and although the book isn't entirely focused on vaccines, he goes through the diseases and discusses the vaccines for them.