Which vaccines do you consider essential/important?

[campbellsoup]

My first son was faxed on conventional schedule until he was 2.  When I had my second at home, I realized I had a choice of when I wanted to vaccinate.  I started reading and have put off the shots for all of my children...... well, indefinitely, I suppose.  I intended to vaccinate but only when immune systems were more mature.

  I homeschool so I have never had to deal with waivers, etc.  Also, my kids are at home with me and have never been to a daycare, where they would have more exposure to some of the nasty stuff out there.  I have BF all of them for at least 2 years.  I guess I have felt fairly safe regarding health issues.

Now that my oldest is 9, I was revisiting my books to decide what vaccines I should take care of. I was thinking about pertussis, but it looks like I missed the boat with that one.  My book said the CDC recommends it should be administered before they are 7.  I could still vax my others.  Is it bad to vax some and not all??  I was considering components of the MMR.... but separately.  I read here that Merck no longer makes this. I am not going to vaccinate against polio.   And varicella??  I don't know what to think.  It seems like such a dumb "disease" to vaccinate for. I object for that reason alone.  However, seeing as all the kids are vaccinated against it, is it silly to be the lone hold out??  Does that do my kids any good??  I wish they could get lifelong immunity by actually having the pox and recovering.... like most of us did.  But wishing something to be true doesn't make it happen.

Am I just really a non vaxer?  Thinking I was going to selectively vaccinate "one of these days" made me feel more "normal?"

I would love to hear from some selective vaxers.  What vaccines do you choose?  If you disagree with some of my above thoughts, I would love to hear why.  I want some information to think about.  I feel like I have reached a dead end.  

[katelove]

I am probably a selective vaxer. My 15 m.o. is too young for me to be comfortable vaxing yet but these are my thoughts for the future.

We will probably do tetanus. Tetanus is everywhere and we will be in vege gardens and playing in the dirt etc etc. I do not want to be worrying about every injury.

I think rubella immunity is important for women of child-bearing age. If she doesn't have natural immunity by puberty then we will do rubella and probably in the form of MMR.

They're the only two I think are really important for us. It really depends on your individual circumstances though.

I personally wouldn't do varicella just because everyone else is. I'm also not too concerned about pertussis as children get older. The most fatalities occur in the very young and very old.

These are just my thoughts for us though. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer.

[nia82]

It's an ongoing process. We are very selective and delay quite a bit. DS got his first shot at 2.5 years. So far we did HiB (one suffices at this age) and one DTaP. I'm not sure when he will get more, but we will do titers for DTaP (yes they actually can do those). I do want measles protection and will get that shot while in Europe (we go yearly). If they haven't had rubella or mumps by teenage years, we will do those shots separately as well in Europe and check titers to see if they even need more than one of each. That's all we do. I would go for polio if we ever went to India or Africa or if polio made a comeback to North America / Europe.

[columbusmomma]

You can always chose the dpt(or some form of it) if you are concerned about pertussis. Age doesn't matter, in fact a booster is recommended for adults now. Of course we know it doesn't necessarily prevent pertussis but can lessen the severity of symptoms which are usually more severe in young children/babies. I do selective/delay with my DD. We started when she was 3. So far she has received 3 dtap and one prevnar 13. I am NOT considering Hep B or varicella yet. And no polio. I will likely do 1 MMR in the next year or so.  I won't consider Hepatitis A or flu shots.

[lisamarie1081]

Have you read "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears? 

I was referred to that by my hynobirthing coach who read it.  The day she recommended it, I found a lot of references to it on these boards. 

She told me about it when I asked her if she knew what the situation was with pediatricians in our area regarding delayed/selective/and no vaccinating moms.  She indicated that the doctors at her practice recognize and honor his alternative vax schedule.

I bought the book and flipped directly to the chapter on delayed/selective vaxing because I feel as you do about delaying -- a child's organs aren't even completely developed (like lungs) until they are 2 years old.  In that chapter, he tells you exactly which of the "critical" immunizations would be effective or worth it after age 2.  Basically, there are like 2 or 3 of them. 

He says throughout the book, though, that low risk children (those breastfed for at least 1 year and not in daycare) don't have much to worry about, since the breastmilk gives them sufficient immunity if mom had her shots.  He also says that parents who just don't want to vaccinate or severely on the fence just shouldn't do it ... and he doesn't urge them.

I wish he was my doc ....  :/

Anyway -- I bought the book for my husband who thinks that because the rest of the world does it, it's a "necessity".  He hasn't opened it yet, but I won't have the discussion until he educates himself and can make a truly informed decision.  (This is our first baby).

I highly recommend it!! 

Good luck and God Bless!!

[kinkajoujou]

I vaccinate on schedule more or less (some delayed, some not) because we travel a lot ever since DD was 2.5mo, I studied, weighed the facts and made my decision that way. I usually decline the ones that are not recommended (rotavirus, flu etc).

I would say that deciding which ones to go for depends largely on individual circumstances, and the fact that your kids don't go to school etc. makes it easier for you to avoid the ones that are clearly intended for children in schools, like the rotavirus, pneumococcal etc. And it would be a great help to have a supportive and informed ped but I guess these are not easy to come by

I would say tetanus is a good one, then rubella for girls and mumps for boys, and then the Hep ones and the meningitis one (which is not recommended in the US but in my home country it is) for those who travel a lot. That would be about it for me. 

[7soleil]

hi, funny to see this thread today as I just had my 14 year old daughter at the pediatrician for a physical today. When she was a baby I was a total non-vaxer. (I was so upset to find out that the hospital where she was born (meds free with a midwife) had given her a hepatitis shot at birth!) Aside from that I didnt plan to vaccinate ever, but my views changed over time and we have selected a few: Last year I decided to do the varicella because we have never been able to get the chicken pox, and I wouldnt want her to suffer them as an adult. After hurricaine Katrina I decided to do tetanus/diptheria because I saw the news footage of people escaping homes through mud and contaminated water and I thought, wow, that really could happen to anyone and wouldnt I be so upset with myself if my child was at risk during a natural crisis.Then my family became very close with an older man who had suffered polio as a child and had lived a life filled with painful and debilitating health issues. He actually begged me to vaccinate my child against polio. I have always felt that there is no way my child is going to come into contact with polio...but really, the world is so much smaller now that international travel is possible.Maybe the chance is very small, but polio is a terrible disease. I decided to ask for the polio vaccine. And incidentally, they have stopped using the live vaccine, so I felt a little better about it. Lastly, after 4 years homeschooling and 4 years in a tiny private school, this year dd entered a large public high school. So today, she got the meningitis vaccine. Again, I weighed her chance of exposure and the devastating effects of this disease, and felt that I wanted her protected. I dont think we will do anything else...Maybe she will want to do measles later if she considers having a child, but that will be up to her. I have always felt that I could care for any of the usual childhood diseases, and my childs exposure to the others was limited by living on a small island, nursing for over two years, and homeschooling. However, kids grow up and want to spread their wings.( Last year my dd went on a class trip to NYC, and I couldnt be there watching over her!) Selective vaccination has seemed like the right thing to do as I prepare her for independence and life in the great big world. I still cringe a little when I think about the negatives of vaxing, but at this age her body is strong and healthy (better able to handle the vax) and this feels like the right thing to do.

[Jugs]

Another former non-vaxer here We're pretty much vaxing on schedule now, but when I was selective and delayed, my priority list looked like this:

Top priority

(may not be inherently dangerous, but are highly contagious and worth avoiding)

chicken pox

flu

pertussis

rota virus -if not too old to start vaccine series

hpv

Moderate priority

(more serious, but not as common)

measles

pneumococcus

hib

hep a

meningococcus

Low priority

(highly unlikely to encounter)

polio

hep b

[Turquesa]

Delayed/selective here, and I'm going to pilfer Jugs' impressive organizational format.

Top Priority

Pertussis (although I consider this mostly important while they're babies.  When they're older, it's not as serious, and I'm exploring the evidence suggesting that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission.  And even when they're babies, they're not fully covered.  Guess I figured that some protection was better than none).

Measles/Mumps/Rubella (mostly so that we aren't reamed for measles transmission potential; also, I don't want DS to experience those serious side effects of the mumps)

Mid Priority

Polio (went ahead with this one because we travel, the vax has a pretty good safety record, and I'm OK helping to obliterate this disease from the planet)

Low Priority

(either rare, not terribly serious, or a stretch)

Chicken pox (provided that I can get my kids exposed, otherwise they get this vax in early adolescence)

Hep B

Influenza

Hep A

Rotavirus

HPV (Poor safety record.  Covers only 4 of only 100+ strains.  The four strains are rare and might lead to cervical cancer.  Too big of a stretch; we'll stick with paps, thank you).

I haven't done any of the ones for meningitis, although I could have done HIB and not regretted it.  The meningitis vaxes are also sort of a stretch for me, meaning that they cover only a handful out of hundreds of strains of meningitis, and these strains may or may not develop out of different illnesses.  Still torn on this one.... 

Another vote for Sears' book.  He lays out each disease and each vax in a way that makes it easy for parents to make decisions.

[Mama2Kayla]

 Our choices and reasons are the same as Turquesas except for HIB and pneumococcus 

I've moved those vaccines into our top spot, but only for my baby. She is around a lot of kids and will be attending daycare next fall, so it's important to me she has protection.

You can still get the 9 yr old vaxed for pertussis. They would use the Tdap.

Here is a site I found helpful when I was looking to catch up my 6 yr old

http://www.immunize.org/ 

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by Mama2Kayla 

 Our choices and reasons are the same as Turquesas except for HIB and pneumococcus 

I've moved those vaccines into our top spot, but only for my baby. She is around a lot of kids and will be attending daycare next fall, so it's important to me she has protection.

You can still get the 9 yr old vaxed for pertussis. They would use the Tdap.

Here is a site I found helpful when I was looking to catch up my 6 yr old

http://www.immunize.org/ 

Really good point!  I'd probably select more vaxes if my children were in daycare.  Formula fed children are also good candidates for more of the vaxes, IMHO. 
 

[Devaya]

Originally Posted by lisamarie1081 

Have you read "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears? 

I was referred to that by my hynobirthing coach who read it.  The day she recommended it, I found a lot of references to it on these boards. 

She told me about it when I asked her if she knew what the situation was with pediatricians in our area regarding delayed/selective/and no vaccinating moms.  She indicated that the doctors at her practice recognize and honor his alternative vax schedule.

I bought the book and flipped directly to the chapter on delayed/selective vaxing because I feel as you do about delaying -- a child's organs aren't even completely developed (like lungs) until they are 2 years old.  In that chapter, he tells you exactly which of the "critical" immunizations would be effective or worth it after age 2.  Basically, there are like 2 or 3 of them. 

He says throughout the book, though, that low risk children (those breastfed for at least 1 year and not in daycare) don't have much to worry about, since the breastmilk gives them sufficient immunity if mom had her shots.  He also says that parents who just don't want to vaccinate or severely on the fence just shouldn't do it ... and he doesn't urge them.

I wish he was my doc ....  :/

Anyway -- I bought the book for my husband who thinks that because the rest of the world does it, it's a "necessity".  He hasn't opened it yet, but I won't have the discussion until he educates himself and can make a truly informed decision.  (This is our first baby).

I highly recommend it!! 

Good luck and God Bless!!

Timely thread, my 4 year old is unvaxed but am now concerned about tetanus in particular, and possibly diptheria - same shot anyway. I wonder if you could divulge whether tetanus is one of those that are still useful after age 2, from the Sears book? Would love to order a copy but funds are just not extending to books right now! Thanks. 

[nald1]

Originally Posted by lisamarie1081 

Have you read "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears? 

I was referred to that by my hynobirthing coach who read it.  The day she recommended it, I found a lot of references to it on these boards. 

She told me about it when I asked her if she knew what the situation was with pediatricians in our area regarding delayed/selective/and no vaccinating moms.  She indicated that the doctors at her practice recognize and honor his alternative vax schedule.

I bought the book and flipped directly to the chapter on delayed/selective vaxing because I feel as you do about delaying -- a child's organs aren't even completely developed (like lungs) until they are 2 years old.  In that chapter, he tells you exactly which of the "critical" immunizations would be effective or worth it after age 2.  Basically, there are like 2 or 3 of them. 

He says throughout the book, though, that low risk children (those breastfed for at least 1 year and not in daycare) don't have much to worry about, since the breastmilk gives them sufficient immunity if mom had her shots.  He also says that parents who just don't want to vaccinate or severely on the fence just shouldn't do it ... and he doesn't urge them.

I wish he was my doc ....  :/

Anyway -- I bought the book for my husband who thinks that because the rest of the world does it, it's a "necessity".  He hasn't opened it yet, but I won't have the discussion until he educates himself and can make a truly informed decision.  (This is our first baby).

I highly recommend it!! 

Good luck and God Bless!!

We now have our 2nd - our first is 4.  We also read the Dr Sears book and so far no one could make a compelling enough argument for me to vax DD.  im trying to be open-minded if there are specific risks she could avoid- did you decide on no vax/selective after Dr Sears book?

[mcgee]

Our son will be 2 soon. He has had two doses of DTaP, and that's it. Our pediatrician generally recommends DTaP (for the pertussis component), HIB and Prevnar, since he feels those are the diseases we're most likely to encounter.

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Top Priority

Pertussis/Tetanus- pertussis is one of the only vpds that I do not feel confident that I could handle at home.  Tetanus is rare, but can be anywhere and it's scary.  We will be getting DTaP next month before we travel to Mexico. 

Measles/Mumps/Rubella - DD will get these when she is a bit older. I am mostly concerned about measles and rubella for when she is of childbearing age. 

Polio - I do believe in the herd immunity concept to some extent, and this one has a pretty good safety record. We also travel and I never want to worry about this one. 

Low Priority

(either rare, not terribly serious, or a stretch)

Chicken pox - (provided that I can get my kids exposed, otherwise they get this vax in early adolescence)

Hep B - Will reconsider when DD is reaching adolescence 

Influenza - Never.  Just never.  

Hep A - Depending on the prevalence and where we are traveling, will consider. Will not consider until or unless we travel to a location in which it is very common.

Rotavirus - DD had the natural virus when she was 1.  She had 3 days of mild diarrhea and no vomiting.  It was so mild that we would not have known she was sick if she hadn't gotten her grandfather sick.  Unfortunately, he was hospitalized for heart palpatations after severe dehydration.  We deeply regret exposing DD to him, but the answer is not to vaccinate her, it is to quarantine her when she is contagious. We know now that DH's mother and father have seriously compromised immune systems and we will never expose her to them if she is in less than 110% good health. 

HPV (Poor safety record.  Covers only 4 of only 100+ strains.  The four strains are rare and might lead to cervical cancer.  Too big of a stretch; we'll stick with paps, thank you).

HIB and Prevnar - as long as DD is breastfed and not in daycare we won't do this.  If she was in daycare or not breastfed up to age 2, I would reconsider.  Also, there is some really sketchy stuff about how with the HiB and Prevnar vaccines, incidence of the other bacteria can increase dramatically.

Meningitis - will consider as DD reaches adolescence. 

[sarafi]

Originally Posted by Devaya 

Timely thread, my 4 year old is unvaxed but am now concerned about tetanus in particular, and possibly diptheria - same shot anyway. I wonder if you could divulge whether tetanus is one of those that are still useful after age 2, from the Sears book? Would love to order a copy but funds are just not extending to books right now! Thanks. 

I know this is old, and I don't have my copy of the book, but one that you don't get after 2 is the Rotavirus, as most everyone has gotten the actual illness at that point and the risk if you get it after 2 is really nothing serious. It's just diarrhea and the thought is that it is hard to keep young kids hydrated.

[calapitters]

Originally Posted by Devaya 

Timely thread, my 4 year old is unvaxed but am now concerned about tetanus in particular, and possibly diptheria - same shot anyway. I wonder if you could divulge whether tetanus is one of those that are still useful after age 2, from the Sears book? Would love to order a copy but funds are just not extending to books right now! Thanks. 

IMHO, Tetanus is one of the most useful at every age.  Tetanus is contracted by having a deep wound become infected: step on a nail, hunting accident, etc.  Its is ALWAYS fatal.  Even adults need a booster every 10 years. Anyone can get it at any time.  

Check your local library for the Dr. Sears book.  It really is a great resource.  

[philomom]

Tetanus for sure. I had older relatives deal with that and it was quite horrible. Even though my family selectively vaxes.. I never miss a tetanus every ten years.

[trauerweidchen]

Slight clarification~tetanus is *not* always fatal, but there's not much you can do if you contract the disease other than wait on the toxin to clear your system, which often means life support type care in a hospital. It causes paralysis and can affect muscles that allow the person to breathe. Rabies, on the other hand, *is* fatal in practically every case in humans (there have been one or two people who have survived, but essentially it's a fatal disease), but the vaccine series for that is usually reserved for people with a relatively high exposure risk (veterinarians, etc.), or people who may have been exposed to rabies (ie, a bat was found in a house and an unidentified bite may have occurred).

As for us, we are selectively vaccinating on a delayed and spread out schedule. My son didn't have any vaccines until age 2, when we allowed administration of the MMR vaccine because we were going to be traveling to a state that had recently had a measles outbreak, and we felt comfortable starting to vaccinate at 2. If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn't start with MMR because it's one of the most reactive vaccines, but our son seems to have handled it well. A few weeks ago (he's not quite 2 1/2 now), he had DTaP and Varicella. While I agree that chicken pox isn't a major concern as a disease (although I admit I never had it, and so am a bit frightened of it--I have been vaccinated as a teenager and young adult), the PA we are seeing insists that it will prevent or reduce the chance of shingles later in life because there was no primary infection. I'm not 100% convinced, but I've heard a lot of shingles horror stories lately, and I decided I wasn't comfortable with purposefully getting my son sick. In this case, we felt the risk of complications of the disease (which he would be exposed to sooner or later) outweigh the risks of the vaccine.

We will do polio--it is a relatively safe, widely used vaccine--since travel is definitely a possibility, and polio is no joke, although it is no longer a concern in this country for now. Hepatitis B will be revisited later on in childhood and I think we'll consider it, but for now, the chance of exposure seems low enough to merit skipping the shot. Who knows what will happen by the time our son is a teenager; I had the meningitis vaccine prior to going to college, but skipped the HPV vaccine and currently have no plans to administer it unless its track record improves considerably.

I use Dr. Sears' vaccine book as a primary resource to base my decisions on, BTW, but our schedule is definitely tailored to what our son is exposed to in his everyday life. He was at home with me and breastfed through age 2; now, at 2 1/2, he still nurses but also goes to a small Montessori program three days a week. We feel comfortable with our choices on this front so far.

[ma2two]

According to the CDC's Pink Book, tetanus is fatal in approximately 10% of cases. There are about 30 cases of tetanus per year in the U.S. (mostly in people over 40 and heroin users) and about 3 deaths.

There are about zero cases of diphtheria in the U.S. per year.

Pertussis is common among unvaccinated AND vaccinated people. It is easily treated at home with sodium ascorbate. If no appropriate treatment is given (as in the vast majority of cases), it is miserable for a few months, but only dangerous in infants under 3 months. Appropriate sodium ascorbate dosing turns pertussis into a mild illness. Infants can be given sodium ascorbate for pertussis, but conventional medicine does not use it as a treatment at any age. That is why people are so scared of pertussis. Sodium ascorbate is simply a certain kind of vitamin C, and can be bought at health food stores and over the internet.

Edited by ma2two - 11/5/11 at 6:17pm