Has anyone ever regret their decision to NOT vax?

[browneyeNYmomma]

I'm just curious about this. I am ready to jump on board to not continue vaxing dd, dh however is not comfortable. DD was vaxed according to Dr. Sears alternative schedule up to 7 mths and then we "took a break". She is now 15 mths and I am not looking to do anymore or to have any future kids vaxed at all. I just need to convince DH!

Has anyone regretted their decision to stop vaxing or even to not vax at all from the begnning? If so, what happened to make you regret that decision?

[CookAMH]

Not here. DS is 20mo and we feel as glad today that we haven't vaxed that we were when we decided not to, before he was even born. We have another baby coming next spring too and will do the same.

[goinggreengirl]

We have not regretted our decision. The thing about not vaxing is that you can always start vaxing again. But you can't take vaxes back.

[HappyTomato]

DD is 2.5 and DS is 12 months. Both have been in daycare since 6 weeks old. I don't regret our decision not to vax them.

[Marnica]

DS is 2.5 never been vaxed. I not only don't regret it, but my DS have allergies and others issues and I KNOW had we vaxed him he would have been much worse off than he is now.

[nia82]

I don't regret it, but I get super nervous when DS runs a fever. It haunts me. But I am an anxious type of person. DS rarely ever gets sick... But we actually will try to go ahead with one shot this Friday, as I cannot take the worry anymore when he gets sick. I literally run amock with my immagination that he has the worst case of HiB possible or something like that. We will however see how that works out, I'm nervous about it, but DS is nearly 2.5 years old so he can tell me reactions and if there is a bad one, we won't pursuit a selective schedule (we just have DTaP, measles and maybe one HiB on the list, I have access to a measles only shot).I think if I wasn't as nervous, I'd forgo them completely. 

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by goinggreengirl 

We have not regretted our decision. The thing about not vaxing is that you can always start vaxing again. But you can't take vaxes back.

That's true, but to be fair, if you find you regret not vaccinating, it's probably a scenario you can't take back either. You might change your mind and go get the vaccinations done, but that's not regret. If you regret not doing it, that implies that a problem happened for which you at least wonder if a vaccine could have alleviated.

But I don't regret it and have not been nervous about it either.

For me, I couldn't get around looking at each individually. There is no single reason why I don't want to vaccinate. Some vaccines are for childhood illnesses that I think we are better off just having. Some are for diseases that I would never want DD to have but are so rare that I think the risk of vaccinating outweigh the small chance of contracting. Some are for diseases for which the worrisome complications don't really apply to DD (like mumps or rubella). Etc. It's true that I generally distrust the concept of injecting chemicals and foreign DNA into my child's body, so that is a general position I apply to each vaccine. But it's possible that there might be a vaccine some day for which the incident of complications seems really low, plus it's for a condition that worries me and is very widespread. It's possible. But so far, that just hasn't been the case for me.

[becca_howell]

I think to be completely comfortable with the decision to not vaccinate and not regret non-vaccination, you need to accept the failed "science" behind many of the vaccinations. You don't have to dig too deep, especially on a thread like this, to discover it. Once you become comfortable understanding the science, you become comfortable with the decision. You have to look pretty hard to find a child who has died from a "vaccine-preventable" (I put in quotes because I don't believe there is such) disease that was not vaccinated "against" it. Many of the cases of whooping cough, measles and chicken pox seen lately have been in vaccinated children, and few if any have died or had long-lasting effects.

I apologize for not having "cited" any of my info here. I just replaced my laptop and have none of my previous research.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by becca_howell 

I think to be completely comfortable with the decision to not vaccinate and not regret non-vaccination, you need to accept the failed "science" behind many of the vaccinations. You don't have to dig too deep, especially on a thread like this, to discover it. Once you become comfortable understanding the science, you become comfortable with the decision. You have to look pretty hard to find a child who has died from a "vaccine-preventable" (I put in quotes because I don't believe there is such) disease that was not vaccinated "against" it. Many of the cases of whooping cough, measles and chicken pox seen lately have been in vaccinated children, and few if any have died or had long-lasting effects.

I apologize for not having "cited" any of my info here. I just replaced my laptop and have none of my previous research.

I disagree that there is any necessity to go the route of scare-quoting "science" and denying the existence of VPDs--in essence, pretending that there is no risk-benefit calculation--in order to comfortably arrive at a decision not to vaccinate.

[an_aurora]

I will admit I felt slightly unsure when I had the vax lecture in Pharmacology class.  It was more the animosity towards non-vaxers (the teacher said in lecture that she believes non-vaxing is child abuse) that angered me and made me realize the crap non-vaxers face from medical professionals.  I have never had an issue but none of my children have ever been hospitalized; I can't imagine having to deal with the opinions of others while in that situation.

Anyway, I have yet to hear a convincing argument for vaccinating, so no I don't regret it.  Our ex-pediatrician was very against nonvaxing, and especially pushed for the Tdap because she had 'personally seen over 200 cases of pertussis hospitalized in the past year'.  I asked how many of those were vaccinated children and she admitted that all but 5 had been vaccinated.  I told her we would take our chances (and at this point my DD was already over a year old, so I wasn't really concerned about it anyway).

[chaoticzenmom]

I admit that I occasionally have a "freak-out" moment.  When I compare the infant and toddler (now early childhood) health of my own vaccinated children vs. my non-vaccinated children as well as that of their vaccinated vs. not vaccinated peers, I am very re-assured that we're making the right decision.  My non-vaccinated children occasionally have a runny nose and fever.  My vaccinated children and their vaccinated peers have histories of several ear infections, lots of viruses and colds, stomache flus, etc.  Luckily all my kids are neurotypical, but when I compare friends' children..those who vaccinate vs. those who don't...I see a huge difference in mental/neurological issues and learning disorders, ADD, non-verbal learning disorders, etc.  So, the occasional "what if they get whooping cough?" is balanced out by seeing the damage in my own and in other people's children that I believe was caused by vaccines.  It took years for my older children to get their immune systems back after their vaccines. 

Two vaccinated and 2 not...huge differences in the health of them.  With the oldest ones, I could count the days  after exposure to any public children's play equipment, trip the dr., Mcdonald's playland or grocery shopping trip and predict an illness.  Every Single Time!  I was housebound for months one year with my kids being sick..taking turns with stomache bugs, ear infections and colds..  Now, the youngest two can be taken anywhere.  I never worry about them catching anything...they just don't.  I was a huge germaphobe with my first two due to our frequent illnesses...not now.  We go anywhere we want whenever we want and I don't have to count down the days to when they'll get sick.  When they do get sick, it's like a fever for a day and then gone.  Even the swine flu last year had me down hard for two weeks.  My kids had a fever and were tired for 2 days and then fine.

I know you wanted regrets...sorry there are none here.

[Arduinna]

no regrets and my kid is an adult now.

[just_lily]

None yet, and zero vaxes here.

Over the summer we thought DD had chicken pox (turned out it was Hand Foot and Mouth) and I got a lot of "I bet you wished you vaxed her now!" comments.  But we didn't regret it, and wouldn't have regretted it even if it was CP.  Twenty years ago getting CP as a toddler was normal, and a relief for 'getting it over with'.  Now it is reason to panic??

[Panserbjorne]

no regrets here.  my three are all in school (8, 6.5 and 4), have never had a vaccine and I'm very comfortable with the decision.  They are sick far less often and with far less severity than any of their peers.  We've even been complimented by the school nurses.  we did have mumps and pertussis a few years apart.  they did fine with the support that we used and it was in no way, shape or form dramatic.

[ammiga]

No vaxes, no regrets. My kids are 3yo and 5 months. Both are out in the world and around other kids all the time.

[sarafi]

Originally Posted by an_aurora 

I will admit I felt slightly unsure when I had the vax lecture in Pharmacology class.  It was more the animosity towards non-vaxers (the teacher said in lecture that she believes non-vaxing is child abuse) that angered me and made me realize the crap non-vaxers face from medical professionals.  I have never had an issue but none of my children have ever been hospitalized; I can't imagine having to deal with the opinions of others while in that situation.

This is funny, but not, as I am currently taking a mini-brake from the hospital where my 22 month old has been for the last day and a half. He started a fever 102.5 at 1:00 and had a seizure at 5:30 so I took him in as it was his first seizure and I was surprised that it happened. Both e-room doctors where complete UAV's when they found out he wasn't vaccinated. The first kept insisting that "he could have absolutely anything" since I failed to vaccinate. 

Top off the fact that he is intact and I insisted that I be the one to hold his penis when they took a urine sample as they screamed for over an hour about the need for a "clean catch" required complete retraction of the penis and by that time his initial blood work had come back and he still hadn't woken up so I knew he was indeed very sick. I am not their favorite parent :-)

But you know what, if this is indeed HIB related I still don't think I will regret not getting the shot. Of course if he dies or is seriously injured I will blame myself b/c I am a mom. I made an informed decision and weighed the risks and sought the appropriate care promptly when he showed signs of being very sick. 

I guess my point is that if your child does come down with something serious, be prepared as you will get lectured/talked down to/glared at b/c many doc.s really don't see a problem with shots and will really think you are stupid/lazy/or just neglectful. Even if you are being treated like **** you still are the parent and still get to decide what treatments and tests to allow.

[chaoticzenmom]

:hug  I hope he gets better soon.  I'm sorry you're having a rough time.

Originally Posted by sarafi 

Originally Posted by an_aurora 

I will admit I felt slightly unsure when I had the vax lecture in Pharmacology class.  It was more the animosity towards non-vaxers (the teacher said in lecture that she believes non-vaxing is child abuse) that angered me and made me realize the crap non-vaxers face from medical professionals.  I have never had an issue but none of my children have ever been hospitalized; I can't imagine having to deal with the opinions of others while in that situation.

This is funny, but not, as I am currently taking a mini-brake from the hospital where my 22 month old has been for the last day and a half. He started a fever 102.5 at 1:00 and had a seizure at 5:30 so I took him in as it was his first seizure and I was surprised that it happened. Both e-room doctors where complete UAV's when they found out he wasn't vaccinated. The first kept insisting that "he could have absolutely anything" since I failed to vaccinate. 

Top off the fact that he is intact and I insisted that I be the one to hold his penis when they took a urine sample as they screamed for over an hour about the need for a "clean catch" required complete retraction of the penis and by that time his initial blood work had come back and he still hadn't woken up so I knew he was indeed very sick. I am not their favorite parent :-)

But you know what, if this is indeed HIB related I still don't think I will regret not getting the shot. Of course if he dies or is seriously injured I will blame myself b/c I am a mom. I made an informed decision and weighed the risks and sought the appropriate care promptly when he showed signs of being very sick. 

I guess my point is that if your child does come down with something serious, be prepared as you will get lectured/talked down to/glared at b/c many doc.s really don't see a problem with shots and will really think you are stupid/lazy/or just neglectful. Even if you are being treated like **** you still are the parent and still get to decide what treatments and tests to allow.

[Arduinna]

Sarafi ((hugs))

as someone who has totally annoyed hospital staff before because I won't just blindly follow their orders, insist on reading the chart and actually seeing the physical copy of tests results and have had to fire a hospital assigned Dr due to him threatening me, I totally hear you. Many of them do not know how to deal with people who don't just bow down to their authority as if they were God. Good for you for standing up for an protecting your son.

Not sure of your spiritual beliefs but I don't you won't be offended if I add your family to my prayers.

[member234098]

. 

Edited by member234098 - 6/12/12 at 12:46pm

[A_Random_Phrase]

Has anyone regretted their decision to stop vaxing or even to not vax at all from the beginning? If so, what happened to make you regret that decision?

Nope. Not in the least.

I did regret the one and only vax my oldest got, though. Luckily her reaction didn't cause permanent damage.