do you vaccinate?

[Triceratops]

Im just wondering how many mommas vaccinate, dont vaccinate or delay vaccinate - and the effect they have seen so far. What are your reasons for your choice? What advice do you have for moms who are thinking of doing what you are doing? Just curious :]

[Knitting Mama]

We vaccinate. We have done it on a delayed and selective schedule, as I had reactions as a baby, so we wanted to make sure that if my daughter did have reactions, we'd be able to pinpoint which vaccine caused it. Thankfully, she hasn't had any.  We have skipped the ones that are mostly for babies who are around lots of other babies regularly, e.g. babies in daycare, because I am a stay at home mom. So, she is up to date save the hep vaccines.

I understand and can respect anyone's choice not to vaccinate, just as I would expect that our choice to would be respected. The bottom line is that, for us, the thought that she may get a disease that is completely devastating and incurable, like polio, outweighs any negatives to vaccination.

I would recommend that any parent who is questioning whether or not to vaccinate should do a LOT of their own research and not just go by what other people say. A great place to start is the Sears Vaccine book, but again, this is a very serious decision that should be very seriously discussed and researched.

[MsFortune]

I'm pro-science.  We vax.

[Triceratops]

me too :) its cool to see what other moms think!

[Hannah32]

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

I'm pro-science.  We vax.

Yes. Us too. 

[P.J.]

Max is 9 months and we haven't yet. We are going to do some once he is one. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I am not as well-researched as I should be. I feel so incredibly overwhelmed! Each side makes a convincing case and it's often such an embroiled argument. I feel so confused. I have the Sears vaccine book, but it is based on the American schedule and vaccines, and here in Germany they do far fewer, and use different ones and in different combinations. So a lot of the info I get from US websites or books is moot for my situation.

Our ped is a homeopath and she has her own vax schedule. I think she said when he is one year she'll do tetanus and a combo vax but I don't even remember which ones are in that. The plan is to make a special appointment and go discuss it in detail with her before he gets any shots.

Honestly, if it were up to me only I would probably not vax, or do maybe one or two or three select ones if I could be convinced. But DH was clear that no vaxing seemed too risky for his liking. We decided to wait a year, not just because our ped recommends it, but because it makes sense to let the child's natural immune system build up before injecting chemicals into his body. Plus, it gave us more time to research and learn...which I need to really get going with!

[mommariffic]

Delaying and selective - so far DS has had 0 but that will change when he's a year old. DD has a few vaccinations we have careful chosen and she's 3.5 

I am not anti vaccine but I think there are way too many in too short of a time so that's how we made our choices. 

[McGucks]

We do.  The 1 year old ones will be given on an alternative schedule.  And our rationale?  Like PJ said, I have been so overwhelmed with all the pro and con info. out there that I haven't the vaguest idea what is the "right" thing to do, so I guess I am shooting for a middle-of-the-road approach.  So many decisions in parenting (I have a 15 year old also) are confusing and it is so hard to know what path to follow in so many areas.  Such is life, I guess.  That's my two cents on the matter.

[~Demeter~]

We don't. I just don't feel comfortable doing so yet. I'm always researching and really in my travels have found no reason to yet. (my older 3 were completely up to date, my younger 2 have never had any) My thoughts on it? I can always choose to vaccinate but I can never undo something already done. It really is all about what works for you and yours.

As for pro-science... exactly what does that mean? To me, I'm researching scientific studies on both sides of the coin... so, um, I'm 'pro-science' too. Pro-science in that our bodies are meant to get ill and fight illnesses off. They are not meant to be filled with chemicals and other animal substances, if they were they would have been created that way. That almost sounds like a snarky response to people that don't vaccinate, like they are ruled by something other than science??

[macy]

I vaccinate. I was afraid to at first but then I read more from less biased sources and now I only worry about the slight fever and fussiness my baby experiences after her shots. I hate seeing her sick after her shots and I hate seeing her in pain getting them but I just have to remind myself that she'd be a lot more miserable if she had a vaccine preventable disease and by getting her vaccinated I'm really doing what is best for society as a whole. If I had any reason to believe she was at higher risk for a adverse reaction, however, I might feel differently.

[new2this]

We vaccinate and do it per the CDC schedule. For me I did some research and while I started out leaning more towards delayed but for us I felt it was to much to keep on top of and trying to remember. Plus DH had his share of opinion and since I couldn't convince him on reasons not to vaccinate  or even delay he wasn't really willing to budge a whole lot. Outside of a few where we won't do like flu shot and chicken pox and HPV. For me I just didn't feel this was worth a hill to die on with him...lol 

[Oliver'sMom]

This was an extremely difficult decision for me as well.  I didn't vaccinate my first son at all until he was almost 3 years old because I wanted to research as much as possible and be confident in my decision before I gave him something that "couldn't be taken away".

I researched like crazy and even studied immunology at our local university to learn how everything works.  I came to the conclusion that there is a vast amount of scientific peer reviewed research out there that supports vaccination, while on the whole, the information I found against vaccines seemed more like conspiracy theories to me.

I'm now 100% confident in my decision to vaccinate my kids.  I think all anyone can do about any parenting decision is just get informed and do what you feel is best.  There really is no one right answer for everyone. 

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

I'm pro-science.  We vax.

This is exactly what I was going to say, and I really don't mean it snarkily.  Trying to explain what I meant by it...I feel like the anti-vax positions are often individual, looking at the safety of a vaccine for your particular baby, while the pro-vax standpoint is more global, based on the overall positive effect that vaccines have had.  I guess that's why I think of my position as pro-science - it's impersonal, "objective," and kind of a luxury due to the fact that my baby is healthy and responds well to vaccinations.  

[my kidlets and me]

We vax as well - none of my kids have reacted to any of the routine childhood vaccines thus far.  We do not do the flu shot and we won't do Gardisil when dds get to be the age where they do that kind of thing.

[MJB]

I got my big kids fully vaxed (according to school standards) when they were 7 and 4. My 7 mo. old is not yet vaccinated but are planning to start at her next appointment (were planning to at 6 mos. but haven't made it to the ped yet!) 

[annettemarie]

Hi there! I am going to actually move this over to our Vaccination forum.

Our first three were delayed and selectively vaxed and we haven't vaccinated the last 3 (three month old twins and a three year old) although we might. For us, it's more than just a science issue; it's also a moral issue.

[Jugs]

I've taken a different approach with each child, based on where I was at at the time.

Ds1: vaxed on schedule until 6 months, at which time he had a serious neurological reaction. Two and a half years later, he was diagnosed with autism. We hadn't vaxed him since 12 months, but will be resuming vaxes soon.

Dd: unvaxed until age 3, at which point (echoing previous posters), after 5 years of exhaustive research, I do not believe there is good, credible evidence against vaccinating. She's getting most of the recommended vaxes and, so far, she has taken her vaxes like a champ.

Ds2: his birth is actually what caused me to reevaluate the decision not to vax (long story). Initially, I was going to delay until 2 or 3 years old, but ended up starting vaxes at 2 months with a delayed schedule.

I came to the conclusion that there is a vast amount of scientific peer reviewed research out there that supports vaccination, while on the whole, the information I found against vaccines seemed more like conspiracy theories to me.

^^This. At some point it hit me, that I would have to be willing to believe the overwhelming majority of the scientific and medical community is either willfully-ignorant or in a vast conspiracy to allow harm to come to innocent children, including their own.

[UnderTheMoon]

Originally Posted by annettemarie 

Hi there! I am going to actually move this over to our Vaccination forum.

Our first three were delayed and selectively vaxed and we haven't vaccinated the last 3 (three month old twins and a three year old) although we might. For us, it's more than just a science issue; it's also a moral issue.

I couldnt agree more, mama.  i respect my babes integrity.  when they are old enough, they can make that decision for themselves.

[oaktreemama]

We do delayed and space them out more because my son has CP. Not because any of his gazillion doctors believed it would harm him but more a just in case-based on our doctors. Our son was (knock on wood) more likely to have seizures than other children-and for myriad reasons besides any remote chance of a vax or fever reaction.

That said, our son will be fully caught up by 40 mos and we are confident in our decision.

 I do not believe there is good, credible evidence against vaccinating. She's getting most of the recommended vaxes and, so far, she has taken her vaxes like a champ. 

This is us. No issues, no worries.

[sosurreal09]

Well my DD had very bad and painful reactions that thankfully were reversed by no longer vaxing. I wasn't going to vax, but was talked into by Drs. To me it is against what God wants and I haven't found any good reason to question Him. My DD does 100% or at least 99% better without vaxing. She has had a reaction to every vax we ever tried.