Has anyone delayed vaxxes until their child was a toddler or older?

[nukuspot]

If so...Can you PLEASE tell me your experience?  My DD is 3+ and she is totally unvaxxed.  After a month of frantic research and soul searching I have decided to start the DTaP series with her for two reasons:

1.)  Pertussis protection.  Even though the pertussis vaccine is woefully inadequate and does not prevent transmission we have a new baby coming soon and pertussis is rampant in the area. I will never ever vax an infant so logically it makes sense to vax the adults and older kids to try to stop bringing pertussis into the home, or if they do get it, so the case will be milder and they will cough on the baby or near the baby less.

2.)  DD is about to start preschool which is a Waldorf inspired preschool with tons of animals and outdoor time. I didn't want to be freaking about every little cut she came home with about tetanus and having to rush to the ER to get a dirty vax like TIG. 

So I'm not thinking about getting her "caught up" just the DTaP series.  However I cannot find barely any info about starting the series with older children.  I either know totally unvaxxed kids or kids who were vaxxed on the Dr. Sears delayed schedule, and had their DTaP as infants.  I want to know if the older they get, do seem to tolerate the vax better/worse than infants?  I'm super worried about vaccine reactions.  No real reason other than I have a perfect, strong, smart child right now and it kills me to think of injecting her with alumimum and formaldehyde...I want to make sure I am doing this for her good (and the good of the new baby) and try to prevent any harm coming from it. 

So if you started vaxxes with your older child can you please tell me how they did with them?

Also, what sort of vitamins, homeopathy, etc did you give your child before/after the vax?

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[columbusmomma]

I started the dtap series with my DD when she was about 3.5 yrs old. The biggest issue is now she has a fear of going to the dr. since unlike an infant, she knows fully well what a shot looks like, how it's going to feel,etc. So she has high anxiety over this and I hate that! She was completely unvaxed until I had the series started. She's now had 3. I'm going to do a couple more immunizations before she starts kindergarten this fall. This has been the biggest issue with delaying and doing selective vax, the anxiety pre-appointment. She exhibited no side effects, just pain at the injection site. She eats a healthy diet and still nurses a bit. I don't know or not if she tolerated the immunizations any better since she was older when she first received her first dose. I did space out the 3 dtap's she's had and I guess according to school requirements she will only need 4 vs. 5 dtaps, at least here in Ohio, since I would get the 4th dose after she turned 4.

[nukuspot]

Columbusmomma,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting your experience.  Even hearing just your one first hand account of starting this same vax when your child was about the same age (and with no issues) was very relieving to me.  I am still so on the fence about what I am going to do, but it really, really helps to hear your story.  Thank you so much.  I made an appt for my daughter but I am still weighing the pros and cons at the moment.

[Taximom5]

Regarding the concern about pertussis in your area--I wonder if it's possible to find out what percentage of unvaxed infants who got pertussis, especially those who had complications from pertussis, had underlying health problems?

I would also wonder what percentage were formula-fed. Seems to me that all the safety/efficacy testing on both DTaP and DPT were done primarily on formula-fed babies.

[columbusmomma]

Originally Posted by nukuspot 

Columbusmomma,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting your experience.  Even hearing just your one first hand account of starting this same vax when your child was about the same age (and with no issues) was very relieving to me.  I am still so on the fence about what I am going to do, but it really, really helps to hear your story.  Thank you so much.  I made an appt for my daughter but I am still weighing the pros and cons at the moment.

Glad my post was helpful! I am glad that I just did the one vax too. That way if she had a reaction I would know which vaccine it was from. Plus, her being able to communicate how she feels,etc. is helpful too, vs. a nonverbal baby!

I am still researching too and often so it will always be an ongoing area of interest. Good luck with the best decision for your family!

[nukuspot]

Taximom--I don't know how I can find out that information.  I did ask my DDs ped and she said she had many cases of WC this year, all were in unvaxxed or partially vaxxed kids, but they were all older (preschool/school age).  She had no infant cases this year.  However other counties in my state have,  I did ask her if perhaps she had other cases in vaxxed kids but because the sx were less intense maybe they weren't diagnosed?  She said that is very possible.  Anyway, that's almost beside the point because at this point I'm also strongly considering the DTaP for tetanus protection.  My DD is about to start a Waldorf preschool with lots of outside play.  This will be the first time I will have been away from her.  I actually did ask the teacher about wound care and it seems she is confident she will be able to take care of any wound my DD recieves, but she did not know about hydrogen peroxide to oxygenate the wound if it is deep....So basically because it is not ME that would be immediately taking care of any wound she might get at preschool I can't help but worry and think maybe for my peace of mind she needs the T protection from the DTaP even more than the aP part...Otherwise I would be afraid I would rush her to the ER for TIG unecessarily.  And that would be horrible.  I don't like the TIG at all, being a human blood product that could contain viruses, Hep C, etc.

This is an impossible decision!  But having first hand stories really do help.  If any other mamas out there have started vax at 3 or older, can you please weigh in?

[slmommy]

sorry nukuspot, my DD was vaxed selectively but on schedule until 6 months when I stopped.

I'm surprised there haven't been more mommas who delayed until toddlerhood chiming in...

[nukuspot]

Originally Posted by slmommy 

sorry nukuspot, my DD was vaxed selectively but on schedule until 6 months when I stopped.

I'm surprised there haven't been more mommas who delayed until toddlerhood chiming in...

I've been really suprised too.  I've been searching all over the internet for first hand accounts for stories from parents who delayed vaxxes until toddlerhood and have found maybe 3.  I have no idea why this is.  I really want to know if (anecdotally) parents are seeing older kids do well with vaxxes (especially DTaP) vs all the thousands of stories I read about infants having side effects.

[skyblufig]

We didn't start any vax's until this past Fall, when ds2 was about 18 months old, dd was 4, and ds1 was 7.  We did the first DTaP for all three of them in November, then the youngest just had his second DTaP this past week. The older two won't be getting their second until July.  The first time around, the older two had slightly sore arms the next day & the youngest had a very mild fever (around 100) overnight, and that was it [no fever at all this time]. Dd started to freak out a bit as soon as she saw the needle, although that was some post-ER stress rearing up (she took a header into an iron fence on her scooter and needed some stitches); as soon as the shot was over, she was completely fine. Ds1 didn't bat an eye at it. Ds2 was totally unfazed both times -- no tears. Although I will say, the nurse who does the shots is crazy-fast -- like literally 3 seconds and it's done. 

No negative effects so far. Ds1 was already diagnosed with SPD and that hasn't increased any since the first shot. Dd has pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in one joint and that hasn't gotten any worse.  Ds2's asthma seems to be diminishing as he gets older, which we were somewhat expecting regardless. Hope that helps. 

Jen

[nukuspot]

Jen,

That's wonderfully helpful to hear your story.  Can I ask you why you decided after being a non-vaxxer for all that time to give your kids all the DTaP?  And why the spacing difference between the doses for the 3 kids?  All this info is really helpful to me.  Thank you so much in advance!

[skyblufig]

Originally Posted by nukuspot 

Jen,

That's wonderfully helpful to hear your story.  Can I ask you why you decided after being a non-vaxxer for all that time to give your kids all the DTaP?  And why the spacing difference between the doses for the 3 kids?  All this info is really helpful to me.  Thank you so much in advance!

Our youngest developed asthma that's triggered only by respiratory viruses. Foods, pets, grasses/trees/pollen, dust, mold -- no problem. But the common cold can trigger a very very fast and ugly attack. We realize that the vax's aren't 100% protection -- nothing is -- but after 2011 and four hospitalizations with a baby that was turning blue, we felt that in the greater scheme of things, even a tiny amount of extra protection was worth the risk. He is [knock wood] growing much healthier, stronger lungs as he gets older. 

Our family practice MD left the spacing (if we do them at all) up to us, and 3 or 4 months in between seemed a very conservative amount of time to see if there are any adverse reactions. The only reason the older two aren't getting their next ones until July is because they'll be going in for a yearly checkup anyway then -- our doc moved a bit further away from us to a bigger office. We plan to eventually give them most of the shots we both had when we were kids, i.e., DTaP, MMR, polio. We'll cross the chicken pox bridge if nobody gets it by about 10 or so. 

Jen

[Blessed_Mom]

Today we were talking catch-up schedule for my DD (35 months) vaxes with her Ped and while I was expressing my suspicions about Prevnar and one of the adverse reactions I mentioned were seizures he said that if I was so concerned maybe I should give her tylenol for 2 days following the vax as a preventative measure....

Just something you may want to either consider or discuss with your ped ... ?

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom 

Today we were talking catch-up schedule for my DD (35 months) vaxes with her Ped and while I was expressing my suspicions about Prevnar and one of the adverse reactions I mentioned were seizures he said that if I was so concerned maybe I should give her tylenol for 2 days following the vax as a preventative measure....

Just something you may want to either consider or discuss with your ped ... ?

but isn't there another study refuting the use of tylenol after vaxing because it reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine?   So much conflicting information out there.....

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-5388197.html

Quote:

Study: Avoid Tylenol After Vaccinations

[Jugs]

I delayed my dd's vax until age 3, and started with DTaP as well. Other than being terrified of needles, she didn't have any issues or adverse reactions.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

but isn't there another study refuting the use of tylenol after vaxing because it reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine?   So much conflicting information out there.....

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-5388197.html

Oh dear!  

Seriously - why can't docs do their jobs instead of making us do all the research? Why is it so difficult to keep these things straight? 

[nukuspot]

The Tylenol thing is truly weird.  I'd never think of giving a hepatotoxic drug to my child AFTER they just had heavy metals and all sorts of other crap that is in vaccines put in their bodies, they need that liver to be full functioning!  Now, if they truly had a scary fever from the vaccine then I might to bring the fever down since it's a false fever, it's not the body actively killing a virus (I usually think fevers under 103 to be a positive thing showing the immune system is doing it's job).  But it seems that so many doctors just routinely recommend Tylenol with vaccinations just offhand.  Case in point.  I called my local NATUROPATH to ask if she recommends any homeopathic support that I can give to my DD after she gets her first vaccine in a few weeks.  SHE SAID TYLENOL!  And she's an ND?  I now don't ever want to see her again. 

Anyway, Tylenol rant over, I am happy to now get 3 different anecdotal reports of starting a DTaP series with a 3 y/o with no issues (other than a little fear but I expect that.)  It makes me feel so reassured you don't even know.  I agonize over this decision more than I ever had anything in my life.

Jugs, how many DTaPs did your DD get?  What spacing did you do?

skyblufig...Thanks for explaining!  I love that at least 2 of your kids didn't freak about the needle.  If you were getting the older kids the DTaP to try to prevent the little one's asthma, I am curious why you spaced them so far apart for the older kids?  Nov-July is a huge space in between doses, since they don't seem to get any (albeit poor) pertussis coverage until at least 3 doses.  Not questioning, just really curious.

[nukuspot]

PS columbusmomma, what spacing did you use between DTaP doses?

[Jugs]

Originally Posted by nukuspot 
Jugs, how many DTaPs did your DD get?  What spacing did you do?

She got the first three 3 doses, spaced 2 months apart, and is due for the 4th dose next week. She doesn't *need* the 5th dose, since the 4th dose will be given after her 4th birthday, but we are going to go ahead with a 5th dose before she turns 7 anyway.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by Jugs 

She got the first three 3 doses, spaced 2 months apart, and is due for the 4th dose next week. She doesn't *need* the 5th dose, since the 4th dose will be given after her 4th birthday, but we are going to go ahead with a 5th dose before she turns 7 anyway.

Jugs,

Can you explain your reasons for going ahead with the 5th dose even when she doesn't really need it? 

Also it seems like your daughter is about 4 years old and you started vaxing after 3 years. Is DTaP the only vax she has had or did you do any other?

Am curious because your signature reads "We vaccinate" so am thinking you are pro-vaxing yet you couldn't have gotten many vaxes in from 3 to 4 years? Or am I mistaken.

We selectively vax and have delayed my DDs (3 yrs) vaxes too (but we started her first - HiB when she was 9 and have spaced out her others quite vastly). 

[Jugs]

Jugs,

Can you explain your reasons for going ahead with the 5th dose even when she doesn't really need it? 

With pertussis being more prevalent, I want her to have as much protection as possible.

Also it seems like your daughter is about 4 years old and you started vaxing after 3 years. Is DTaP the only vax she has had or did you do any other?

Am curious because your signature reads "We vaccinate" so am thinking you are pro-vaxing yet you couldn't have gotten many vaxes in from 3 to 4 years? Or am I mistaken.

She got the first vax the same month she turned 3, and is 4.5 now. We ended up starting with the bare minimum needed for nursery school (I'm in NY, where exemptions are rather strict). Giving 1 or 2 shots at each visit, over the course of 9 visits, she got: 3 DTaP, 3 Hep B, 3 Polio, 1 Hib, 1 PCV, 1 MMR, 1 Varicella. She also got 2 doses of flu vaccine. This year we're going to finish out the DTaP, MMR and Varicella series, as well as Hep A.