Changing my mind

[SweetSilver]

Both my girls were up-to-date on their vax at 3yo (except Hep A).  I chose to vax because dh's big sister died from meningitis when she was 2.5, and without doing any further research I decided we would vax.  I was astounded at how many they gave them at each visit!  I was more aware of spreading dd2's vaxes out after the horror of dd1's, but still I had them each up-to-date at 3yo, including chicken pox.

Fast forward.

DD1 became extremely needle shy, so when her booster shots came due, I let it go.  At 5yo we declined as well for the same reason.  We were going to be homeschooling so we didn't need to vax for that, so I wanted to know why the booster shots needed to happen right then.  Just for school?  Or because immunity actually started to wane?

Finally, after getting a slightly contrary answer, I did some research.  I wish I was a bit more proactive before hand!  I won't say that I switched camps and regretted every vax (mostly because it was already a done deal).  So why did I post this here?

DD1 is 6.5.  She shows no signs of relenting on the vax, and I think, does she really need booster shots?  (I know the answers you'll give me on that one!)  But what can I expect from vaxing early but not following up with boosters?  I'm most worried that I've doomed my girls to contracting chicken pox as adults.  Honestly, though, I don't think we've ever been exposed to cpox from either our vaxed or unvaxed friends.

Why am I worrying about this?  Are everyone's kids on this forum 100% unvaxed, or have some mamas had a change of heart midway like I have?

Help me ease my mind on this issue.

[ma2two]

My kids have never been vaccinated, but I know there are many on this forum who started out vaccinating but then stopped.

Since you are worried about their one chickenpox vaccine lasting throughout adulthood, start looking for chickenpox parties. There are Yahoo groups for that, and you can keep your eye out on the Mothering forums as well.

[mama to 2 girls]

I have 3 kids and DD1 is the only one who has had only 1 kind of vaccine (she had 3 doses of DTaP) and that was starting at 12 mos. old, I was going to VERY selectively (was only going to do DTaP and Polio) and VERY delayed (only 1 kind of vax and only 1 shot at each visit spread out over 2-3 yrs.) vax her...but I decided to stop because I started doing even more research and each time I took her to get the vax it caused me more anxiety than worrying about her catching the disease I was vaxing her for. So 2 of my kids are 100% unvaxed. I do have days of doubting myself and my decision but I just go back to the material that helped me make my decision in the first place, which was look up the ingredients for each vaccine and comparing my kids health to some of the kids that we know that are vaxed. 

Like the pp said if you are worried about her catching CP as an adult start trying to find a wild pox virus. I say wild because I have a friend who's 3 kids (who are NOT vaxed) caught CP and didn't know they had it and went to a toddlers birthday party with them and everyone who came in close contact with her kids caught CP AND they were all FULLY vaxed. I was SOOO mad because we were on vacation and by the time we got back they were no longer contagious. 

For now I am sticking to not vaxing because while I know that isn't any hard scientific proof that they are UNsafe, I am not comfortable with the BS studies they have done to prove that they ARE safe. I posted on here about a newspaper article in our paper the other day and it even mentioned that there were some adverse reactions but as usual they say that there isn't enough evidence to prove that it was related to the vaccine....that right there to me is BS!!! Someone on here once wrote that no matter what they are going to deny any reaction to any vaccine no matter what... i.e. If a child gets a high fever within hours of a vaccine and then starts having seizures they will say "Well the seizures are from the high fever"  Well what do you think caused the high fever that caused the seizures!! 

Sorry I will just get off my soapbox now. 

[SweetSilver]

At her 6yo appointment, the nurse showed us all the shots she was going to need to catch up, and it was like, 12 or 15 or something crazy like that.  Now they make you sign not just a simple statement saying you are not vaxing, but and entire release form.  This is probably routine for school age kids to get their exemptions.  But promising her she can refuse them has made going to the doctor's more peaceful. When she was younger and finished with her toddler shots, she would cry and panic, even when I told her none were due until she was 4 or 5.  It was only when I promised her she didn't need the shots if she didn't want them that she relaxed a little.  Then when I actually declined them for her at these visits, finally I think she started to trust that I was good to my word.

Honestly, even our unvaxed friends haven't had chicken pox. It just doesn't seem to be floating around, and I could never, ever *tell* my kids the point of the party.  My oldest would be screaming bloody murder!  This kind of thing is better done before they are old enough to be aware of it.  I can't in good conscience lie to my daughter about why we are going to a party with a bunch of kids, some of which we don't know.  That's a betrayal of trust which I am against.  And they wouldn't go to one on purpose.  No, it would have to be at a playground or something.  Maybe the homeschool play days at the park will provide us with some opportunities.

[kathymuggle]

Hi,

My son (oldest) was  fully vaxxed and on scheduel until about 15 months.  Around 15 months they decided they needed a second round of measles vax and I questionned why.    It took a lot of digging to get an answer.    I felt like my doctor and nurses wanted me to inject something into my son but could not answer basic questions on it.     Also around the same time, a controversy came out on why governments were still giving DPT when they knew DaPT were safer.  In any event, the whole experience left me quite distrusting of the entire process and I decided to delay any further vaxxing until I had more definite answers.  Needless to say, while time and the internet have given answers on some things, they have also raised more and different issues. There has been no further vaxxing done (except once for tetanus as my son stood on a rusty nail).

I think most of the danger period for most VPD is infancy- and that ship has sailed.  

I will talk to  my girls about both rubella and CP (the younger one has not had CP).   It is their body, though, they can decide.

Edited by kathymuggle - 8/28/11 at 11:15am

[kathymuggle]

Went to look up stats, maybe this will ease your mind:

http://opac.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=8132

One shot is 86% effective, 2 are 95% effective.  

86% is pretty good.

I sort of doubt some of the effectiveness of CP vax anyways  as there are numerous cases of breakthrough CP.