As a non-vaxer, is there any VPD that concerns you enough that you have considered (or might...

[VeryLovingMama]

To clarify, I consider myself a non-vaxer.  Actually, maybe a selective vaxer might be more appropriate, since I might consider giving certain vaccines IF (and only IF) I truly believed that the risk of any given disease outweighed the risk of its vaccine.  I have a 16 month old and he has had no shots.  I hope he doesn't ever need any.   But I'm curious as to what other parents feel on this issue--are there any vaccines that you feel you might consider giving, or any VPD that worry you more than others?   

[Chloebelle]

Maybe Tetanus...but I'm not convinced the vaccine is even effective anyways. I think I sat on the fence until DD1 was about 2 years old. I was mostly convinced to not vax at all, but would waiver occasionally and wonder if I should do a few. Needless to say, I eventually settled on my decision not to vax, and I'm really happy with that decision. Good luck!

[Monkeygrrl]

I do not vaccinate. None of the illnesses scare me more than the vaccines themselves, so ... no. 

My 10yo has had whooping cough and chicken pox. They were no big deal. (I realize people can have varying degrees of illness - some worse than others.)

[fruitfulmomma]

If we had an injury that put us or our children at significant risk for tetanus, we would request the tig. Same with rabies and its equivalent. Don't know if those are considered vaxxes but that would be it for us, no preemtive jabs. 

[Mirzam]

None.

[kathymuggle]

The short answer is no.  The risk I assign to a VAD for my family comes down to its prevalence and typical course of the disease. For my youngest, who is prone to chest issues, the risk I assign comes down to prevalence, and if the disease typically goes to the lungs.  I weigh all this against efficacy of the vaccine and safety risks of the vaccine.  Despite looking at this issue for years, I have no real handle on how safe vaccines are.  I don't think it is knowable, actually (I am like an agnostic of vaccine reactions).  I am hardly inclined to give my kids a preventative pharmaceutical when I believe the risks are unknowable.   

I do think my youngest will have to face a decision about chicken pox as she ages.  She is my only child not to have had CP.  CP is not dangerous in children (ergo the non vax) although does have a higher complication rate in adults.  It can also lead to birth defects. who knows what the prevalence rate will be when she reaches adulthood.   That will be her decision to make as adult, though, not mine.  

[thispathisme]

Kathy, I keep seeing you write VAD. What does the A stand for?

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by thispathisme 

Kathy, I keep seeing you write VAD. What does the A stand for?

Vaccine availible disease. 

I do not like VPD, as it is not always true.  Plenty of people still get the flu, pertussis, chicken pox, etc...despite being vaccinated.   The lack of diseases such as diptheria have more to do with good sanitation and living conditions than vaccines. 

Edited by kathymuggle - 1/23/13 at 2:43pm

[thispathisme]

That makes sense. I always thought twice before writing or saying VPD because I didn't believe it to be true. Now I have an alternative. Thanks

[sassyfirechick]

Originally Posted by fruitfulmomma 

If we had an injury that put us or our children at significant risk for tetanus, we would request the tig. Same with rabies and its equivalent. Don't know if those are considered vaxxes but that would be it for us, no preemtive jabs. 

You know I never thought about rabies! I was offered the opportunity to get the vax long ago when I worked in a shelter.  I turned it down for various reasons, one of which was the protocol that if a dog bit, they were immediately taken in back to euth and remove the head and send to the state lab to check the brain (only way to test for rabies), and it was done pretty quick bc the status had to be known so anyone in contact would recieve treatment if it was positive.  This was before I had given too much thought to vaxing, but for some reason voluntering myself for the vax was not on my priority list and I heard nasty things about side effects from those who had gotten it (the preemtive vax, not the treatment).

So I agree that since stopping vaxes for DD at 4mos due to bad reactions, for her especially, the risk of vaccine reaction is far greater than her risk of contracting these diseases so we will take things as they come and go from there.