LDS Missions & Vaxes (xposted)

[Kim B Lynn]

Are there any LDS people delaying or being selective about vaxes here? I hope it's not inappropriate to ask.

I'm just curious how the whole mission thing works out if you don't vax or are selective. I hope my son will choose to go on a mission, but I'm wondering about all the medical papers they have to do. I know when my SIL went to Thailand, she had to get like 3 vaccines or something. I guess I'd probably be fine getting him everything that's required when he's a teen or something if the mission required it....

Does anyone have experience with this? What is the official stance on it? Does he have to have everything? Or would he be fine with nothing or a few important ones? What have you done or what do you plan to do if you were/are in the same situation?

[bluebirdiemama]

I'm not an LDS, but a good friend of mine is, and her brother is on a mission right now. I am pretty sure they did not vax their children. I could be wrong but, based on how they do everything, medically, I think it would be very safe to assume they didn't.

[wombatclay]

Are you given a choice about "where" the mission is? Some countries require specific vaccinations to enter the country, others have "suggested" vaccinations. However, if your child could remain in the US or select a country that allowed for religious exemptions from vaccination then it would be less of a concern.

[marcitrix]

My BIL wasn't vaccinated fully as a child, when he left on his mission (stateside) he was supposed to get the full hepatitis b (or a) series. He recieved one shot before he left and was supposed to finish up in the MTC but never did.

[seeing_stars]

He can go stateside or low risk countries.

[Paigekitten]

I am LDS and non-vaxing. I had a cousin who was called out of country and did not want to get all the vaccines and ended up going stateside instead. There may have been more reasons why it changed, but I know that was part of it. I am not worried about it for my kids. I figure it will all work out when we get there.

[brightonwoman]

I am LDS, and have looked into this a bit as I have 3 boys and we're delayed/selective...

There is only one vax that is actually *required* for travel anywhere in the world, and that is the yellow fever one for (as I recall) certain parts of western africa. There are lots of others that are recommended--malaria and hepatitis A and so on--but none are legally required by the country. Of course, whether the church would send a person to a place or not is based on more stringent guidelines than just the laws of the land...

The MTC has 'recommendations' for vaxes. It is my understanding that if you have not had the vaxes you will almost certainly be sent stateside, or maybe to canada/western europe...

I know several non-vaxing parents who figure that as the child gets into his late teens, if he wants the foreign option to be open, then he can get all the vaxes then. As you probably know, the dosages are the same whether it's a 2yo or a 18yo, so theoretically an older person would be able to cope better with the scarier contents of the vaxes.
Personally, we are doing a few (spread out) in childhood, but will discuss it candidly with our sons as they get into their teens, and if they want to get the others then we'll spread those out too. IMO Satan is pounding them hard in that year or so prior to the mission, so it's not a great time for pounding your body too...but during the mid/late teen years I think a boy is old enough to make a decision with his parents about it all.

[brightonwoman]

oh, btw, link to mtc 'requirements' http://www.immunize-utah.org/public/...missionary.htm