Vax appt for my 2 & 3yr olds tomorrow-- still undecided!

[jen6163]

Tomorrow we are going for some vax.... still unsure what I'm doing though. WWYD if you were me at this point? 

DD1 (3yrs)-- has had 2, 4, 6mo vax (DTAP, HIB, PC I believe, but need to look at her record)-- I'm still on the fence on MMR yet, no HEP B yet, not sure about HEP A  , and will not be doing varicella ever 

DD2 (2yrs)-- has had no vax -- I'm leaning towards PC & HIB tmrw, but not sure about DTAP yet. 

Why is it so hard for me to make these decisions 

WWYD?  Thanks!!!

[ma2two]

Can you reschedule the appointment or not give any vaccines tomorrow? You shouldn't vaccinate unless you are completely sure. That probably won't happen in one day.

Do you want to commit to a pertussis vaccine every 3 years for life? Recently, it was found that the pertussis vaccine only lasts 3 years. Parents who don't vaccinate know that sodium ascorbate works extremely well for treating pertussis, and therefore are not afraid of it.

The hepatitis A vaccine for young children makes no sense at all. The CDC says that the majority of hepatitis A cases in children are so mild, that they don't show any symptoms at all. I hope that my children catch hepatitis A, if they haven't already. That way, they'll have natural immunity for life. It can be more serious in adults, and vaccine protection can wear off.

It didn't sound like you are considering hepatitis B, but I'm sure you know your 3 year old is at no risk of catching it at her age.

[jen6163]

I think that's my problem.... will I ever be ready?

My plan was to start DD2 at age 1 and now here is is turning 2 and still vax free! 

I have SOOOO many friends who fully vax on schedule and have never had a problem, and I'm not anticipating problems or reactions with my girls, but I just keep thinking... why now?  Just wait a little longer?  

Hep B I will not be doing for a LONG time.

Hep A- good info... thank you!  Wasn't really too concerned with that one.

Tetanus?  -- would like to do soon I think.

The meningitis vax my pedi puts higher up on the risk factors so I'm considering those for DD2.  

Maybe I'll cancel yet again.... 

[*MamaJen*]

I had my son vaxed on a slightly delayed schedule (mostly waiting on Hep B). Tetanus is one that I wouldn't skip. 1 in 10 cases leads to death, and there are a lot of rusty nails in this world.

[flightgoddess]

I didn't get any hep vaccines until teenagehood ....beats me why they give them to babies! Got them because I was travelling internationally. Menigitis I got before living at the dorms at college.

I would consider the flu shot IF you have someone vulnerable in your family/friends (elder, baby, immune compromised)

Tetnus is a must as we are a barefoot type of family :)

[ma2two]

Quote:

Originally Posted by *MamaJen* 

there are a lot of rusty nails in this world.

And yet only about 30 cases of tetanus per year in the U.S., mostly in people over 40 and heroin users.

[ma2two]

I just saw this regarding Hib and pnuemococcal (Prevnar)

"the potential effects of conjugate vaccines on neural development merit close examination. Conjugate vaccines fundamentally change the manner in which the immune systems of infants and young children function by deviating their immune responses to the targeted carbohydrate antigens from a state of hypo-responsiveness to a robust B2 B cell mediated response. This period of hypo-responsiveness to carbohydrate antigens coincides with the intense myelination process in infants and young children, and conjugate vaccines may have disrupted evolutionary forces that favored early brain development over the need to protect infants and young children from capsular bacteria."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21993250

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by ma2two 

Quote:

And yet only about 30 cases of tetanus per year in the U.S., mostly in people over 40 and heroin users.

that just might be because that is one vax that most folks are pretty open to getting and one of the few that most adults keep up to date. i know a handful of folks that got not a single other tax for their kids but that one.

[dogretro]

Originally Posted by ma2two 

Quote:

And yet only about 30 cases of tetanus per year in the U.S., mostly in people over 40 and heroin users.

Probably b/c most people in this country are vaccinated.  To me, that stat is proof the vaccine works.

[APToddlerMama]

Originally Posted by *MamaJen* 

I had my son vaxed on a slightly delayed schedule (mostly waiting on Hep B). Tetanus is one that I wouldn't skip. 1 in 10 cases leads to death, and there are a lot of rusty nails in this world.

According to the CDC, over a 14 year period there were only 624 total cases of tetanus in the US.  That means roughly five people a year die of tetanus.... The CDC acknowledges way more tetanus vaccine injuries. 

[mangosink0]

For the 2 year old, the risk of Hib/Pneumococcal disease is very low at age 2, not sure I would vax for those at this point.  I would probably do DTaP.

For the 3 year old, I haven't read up on this lately, but there were a few states that if you received the MMR at age 4 or older, you only needed one dose. 

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by mangosink0 

For the 2 year old, the risk of Hib/Pneumococcal disease is very low at age 2, not sure I would vax for those at this point.  I would probably do DTaP.

For the 3 year old, I haven't read up on this lately, but there were a few states that if you received the MMR at age 4 or older, you only needed one dose. 

most schools now mandate TWO doses of MMR, because they are finding pockets of individuals who still got the vpd, even tho they were vaxed...so the mentality is to vax everyone again to "make sure" everyone is caught up on boosters. Esp. before school entry into kindergarten. 

[Taximom5]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

most schools now mandate TWO doses of MMR, because they are finding pockets of individuals who still got the vpd, even tho they were vaxed...so the mentality is to vax everyone again to "make sure" everyone is caught up on boosters. Esp. before school entry into kindergarten. 

But you can request a titer!  They can draw blood, and test it for measles antibodies, and if your child has enough, no need for the vaccines.

My understanding is that all stateswill accept a positive titer as proof of immunity. Doublecheck with your pediatrician and state rules.