help, can't find articles on vaccinating autistic children

[babygirlie]

I am still trying to find information on how people and doctors feel about vaccinating autistic children. I vaguely recall even on the show The Doctors they don't vaccinate kids with a genetic history of autism in their lineage and they are huge pro needlers.

My 2 year old has her well check tomorrow. She is unvaxed and autistic. She is not talking but has spurts of babbling which she is doing this week and I would hate to muck that all up. She is no where close to talking yet so when she babbles it's a big deal. My in laws are pushing to get her vaxed tomorrow but I don't want to stunt her already severely stunted self.

So while I obviously know vaccinations don't cause all autism.. what would their effects be an already autistic child?

I envision completely mucking her up and having a drooling baby who stops making progress altogether. She's eating noodles and looking at me so much more. Or the other side of dying from a vaccine preventable disease (rare I know but still and she has had to start school at a very young age. Throwing any homeschooling option out the window for now).

I am just not finding anything at all about this situation out on the internet! Maybe I've got the wrong google wording.

Maybe I should also mention she had her first cold in over a year (just HAD to lick the blocks at school but the cold was no biggie) and she is virtually allergic to everything. Still trying to calm down this strawberry rash. She's also allergic to potatoes and tomatoes and we don't eat gluten. I think she's gotten over her milk allergy actually. And she's allergic to other stuff.. we're trying to figure it out (bad excema).

[ammiga]

I don't have an answer to your question. All I can tell you is to do your research and make a decision you are completely comfortable with. Tomorrow isn't a deadline. Go, get information, come home and research the heck out of everything you are told, and when you are comfortable, make a decision. Or decide to keep researching :)

[Jugs]

I can only share my own anecdotal experience. Ds1 hadn't been vaccinated since 12 months, but at 6 years old I decided to get him up-to-date. He had no reactions, but did have a temporary behavioral regression after each dose; pretty much the same type of regression he has anytime he has a viral infection. 

[Michelle610]

Originally Posted by babygirlie 

I am still trying to find information on how people and doctors feel about vaccinating autistic children. I vaguely recall even on the show The Doctors they don't vaccinate kids with a genetic history of autism in their lineage and they are huge pro needlers.

My 2 year old has her well check tomorrow. She is unvaxed and autistic. She is not talking but has spurts of babbling which she is doing this week and I would hate to muck that all up. She is no where close to talking yet so when she babbles it's a big deal. My in laws are pushing to get her vaxed tomorrow but I don't want to stunt her already severely stunted self.

So while I obviously know vaccinations don't cause all autism.. what would their effects be an already autistic child?

I envision completely mucking her up and having a drooling baby who stops making progress altogether. She's eating noodles and looking at me so much more. Or the other side of dying from a vaccine preventable disease (rare I know but still and she has had to start school at a very young age. Throwing any homeschooling option out the window for now).

I am just not finding anything at all about this situation out on the internet! Maybe I've got the wrong google wording.

Maybe I should also mention she had her first cold in over a year (just HAD to lick the blocks at school but the cold was no biggie) and she is virtually allergic to everything. Still trying to calm down this strawberry rash. She's also allergic to potatoes and tomatoes and we don't eat gluten. I think she's gotten over her milk allergy actually. And she's allergic to other stuff.. we're trying to figure it out (bad excema).

There is NO WAY I will EVER give my children vaxes again. EVER.

I had an ASD son who I've recovered from this hideous disorder, and will never fill his body and central nervous system with heavy metals again.

By the way, we dumped all the allergies, too!  After over 2 years of CF/GF/SF we're eating everything!

[ma2two]

It's none of your in-laws' business.

You can get an exemption to the school vaccine requirements. You don't need to homeschool.
 

Originally Posted by babygirlie 

My in laws are pushing to get her vaxed tomorrow

she has had to start school at a very young age. Throwing any homeschooling option out the window for now).

Why don't you make an appointment with a DAN! doctor (a type of doctor who heals and sometimes completely recovers kids with autism). See what he or she says about it. 

http://www.autism.com/pro_danlists_results.asp?list=US&type=1

Edited by ma2two - 6/8/11 at 9:19am

[kathymuggle]

You do not have to do it tomorrow if you are not comfortable.  Trust me, if in 6 months you decide you want to vax, they will do it in a heartbeat.

I would not vaccinate a child showing autism tendancies.  I honestly do not think I could live with myself if they developed autism and I had done something I knew was questionable.

In the cost/risk analysis - there is almost no risk to not vaxing.  People will disagree with me but whatever.  The stats are right there at the CDC or with a quick google search.  Even if you believe in vaxxing for "herd immunity"  (i.e. to keep disease rates low) children with medical issues related to vaccination are exempt from herd immunity thinking.  

With the possible exception of pertussis, the liklihood of her getting a vaccine-available disease is really low.  The chance of recovery from a vaccine - available disease is pretty good, too.  

Edited to add:  I should read the dates before replying, lol.  OP, I hope you made a decision that sits well with you and that you and your baby are doing well.

[babygirlie]

What about kids walking around shedding vaccine diseases at school? She iwll have to attend school at 3 due to her disabilities

[kathymuggle]

Still the stats do not lie.  Most people do not pick up viruses from shedding.

[emmy526]

What about the chicken pox vaccine that has been known to shed and spread shingles to unsuspecting older adults and teens whose cp vax wore off? it says rite on the package insert it can shed to immunocompromised individuals. 

[kathymuggle]

Chicken pox is a benign disease in most people.  I have not for one second entertained the idea of vaccinating against it.  I do not care if it sheds.  

However, upon reflection (and the mention of chicken pox), there are few diseases around that do have high stats (flu and chicken pox).  They as diseases do not concern me.  The Op can figure out where she lays, and there is little harm in delaying as she figures out what she wants to do .

[ma2two]

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmy526 

What about the chicken pox vaccine that has been known to shed and spread shingles to unsuspecting older adults and teens whose cp vax wore off? it says rite on the package insert it can shed to immunocompromised individuals. 

The chickenpox vaccine has been responsible for a big rise in shingles, but not in the way you think. Shingles is a result of not being re-exposed enough to the chickenpox virus. So being exposed to a shedding chickenpox vaccine would help someone avoid shingles. Chickenpox isn't common enough in kids anymore to give many people the re-exposure to the virus they need to avoid shingles.

For a child with autism, I would personally worry about the chickenpox vaccine, but I would not worry about him or her getting natural chickenpox. So the potential for a shedding vaccine would not concern me.

[miriam]

Title of this thread - "help, can't find articles on vaccinating autistic children."

Since vaccines do not cause autism, why would there be any articles on vaccinating those children?  It is not a concern, so why would any researcher bother publishing an article on the subject?

[babygirlie]

because vaccines affeft autism 100% and most doctors will refuse to vaccinate a family with a history of autism regardless if they are or not because of the complications.

[nigellas]

I have a 4 year old son with mild ASD - he has never been vaccinated so obviously I don't think it "caused" his autism.  However, he is very sensitive to anything that goes in his body from food to medicine - I too fear that a dose vaccine would regress him because of that.

[PNWmama]

Originally Posted by ma2two 

It's one of your in-laws' business.

You can get an exemption to the school vaccine requirements. You don't need to homeschool.
 

Why don't you make an appointment with a DAN! doctor (a type of doctor who heals and sometimes completely recovers kids with autism). See what he or she says about it. 

http://www.autism.com/pro_danlists_results.asp?list=US&type=1

 

Yes, in most states you can get an exemption for school vaccine requirements quite easily.  Also, off topic, bu if you were thinking about homeschooling, why not give it a try?  I'm planning on homeschooling/unschooling my child who has autism :)

Remember, you can always get her vaccinated at a later date, but you can never take those vaxes back once you've done them.  If you don't feel comfortable with vaccinating your LO right now, I'd recommend holding off.
 

[Kristine233]

I have 2 children with Autism/AS and know its genetic (I have Aspergers). While I know that vaccines don't cause the Autism, I know my kids are highly susceptible to being sensitive to things. We've witnessed many sensitivities over the years and vax reactions as well. Because of this we do a delayed/selective vax schedule. This has worked out really well for our kids with no side effects. So I don't really worry about vaxing them as related to the Autism, I worry about vaxing them simply because they are sensitive to them in the first place. I don't think its necessarily related at all.

I DO think its more common for kids with Autism to be sensitive to things and for their bodies to not be able to handle/process them as effectively. I think this applies to a lot of things including food, vax, environmental changes etc. Their systems simply don't process it as well as neurotypical children. But I don't think it causes it. Of course this is just personal opinion. With that in mind I think each parent has to asses how they feel their child will handle the various things based on past experience if its available and make a decision about them individually. I don't think there is one guideline that will fit every child, and especially not every child with Autism. Certainly no Dr or article will be able to tell you what is right for YOUR individual child.