Austin, Texas moms agains vaccines.

[Alie9876]

Any moms in the Austin, Texas area against vaccines out there?

[Mama Amie]

I have one partially (delayed) vaccinated kid (age 4.5) and one completely unvaccinateded (age 1.5).  I've been riding that fence between wanting to go ahead and so some or all, and feeling horrible about even considering it.  I'm curious what reasons for being against vaccines, if you care to share.  I feel it is ethical to do all we can to protect our fellow citizens (since some are weaker/more sensitive than others), and if that requires herd immunity, it may not be so bad.  On the other hand, I find it very hard to trust big Pharm and all the other biz/politics around it.  I feel like the biased opinions and information are so strong on both sides that it just makes me want to crawl under a rock.  I wonder if I'll ever feel fully confident in either decision.   Thanks for posting.  I'm interested in your thoughts.

[Alie9876]

It's not easy making these decisions especially since there is such an enormous push for vaccines.

I can see your point with regard to immunity except that  I have a difficult time recognizing that herd immunity plays a true role in the decline of the communicable disease that vaccines are said to protect us from. I don't believe vaccines are effective and the whole notion of herd immunity is false. Take for example the recent outbreaks in whooping cough. There are some reports that

state as many as 80% of children that came down with whooping cough were fully vaccinated.

What really changed my mind to herd immunity is when the private practice that I work for was bought out by a major hospital. We were all required to be tested for MMR immunity and over 50% of the employees within our practice did not have an immunity to mumps. I remember being absolutely floored. How could this be? We all had received our shots as young babies.  If there are that many within our practice, how many adults in Austin...texas...the U.S walking around with no immunity to the mumps? And if herd immunity is what protecting us all from outbreaks, why aren't there more mumps outbreaks? It's not normal practice to be tested for immunity. None of us know if we are "protected" or not. We just all assume that vaccine = protection.

I am against vaccines for a couple of reason. I have a difficult time being OK with injecting my child with 42 doses of 14 separate vaccines by the time she is five years old. Vaccines that contain known carcinogens, genetically modified organisms, aluminum (which has been shown to cause severe brain damage in  rats). I also watched a one year old child go from being a vibrant, curious toddler to a distant, non verbal child exhibiting symptoms of autism after receiving the mmr vaccine.

I like you want to crawl under a rock sometimes. It's not easy go against the masses. But how many times in history have the masses been wrong? The earth is flat, the sun revolves around the earth, blacks are only a 3/5 human. This list is endless.

Anyway, this is just my two cents =)

 I know that every parent no matter what their decision only wants the absolute best for their child.

[Mama Amie]

Thank you for explaining, Alie.  Your reasons for being against vaccines are definitely in line with my own.  I wish there were better information out there to help us understand the likelihood of contracting the diseases for which we are routinely inoculated.  Having a pediatrician remind me that I am "putting my child at risk of death" by not vaccinating is always a bit disconcerting, but that is what they are required to say.  For now, I'm still more on the side of not vaccinating.  Your post, and others like it help me to feel more confident in my decision.  :)

[JulieWojo]

I am in Corpus Christi.  So far I have no met another parent that does not vaccinate.

I send my daughter to a private catholic school.  They required me to give her some vaccines or I was going to pull her out of school.

So we worked it out and she got 1 vaccine per month for 4 months.

I was still upset.

I am reading now that it doesn't matter if it is a private school or public school.  Exemptions are a legal right.  Do you know is this is true?

My 3 old is is going into pre school in the fall and he hasn't had any vaccines yet.  After all my research, I am dead set against it.  But I also do not want to send them to public school.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by JulieWojo 

I am in Corpus Christi.  So far I have no met another parent that does not vaccinate.

I send my daughter to a private catholic school.  They required me to give her some vaccines or I was going to pull her out of school.

So we worked it out and she got 1 vaccine per month for 4 months.

I was still upset.

I am reading now that it doesn't matter if it is a private school or public school.  Exemptions are a legal right.  Do you know is this is true?

My 3 old is is going into pre school in the fall and he hasn't had any vaccines yet.  After all my research, I am dead set against it.  But I also do not want to send them to public school.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

state exemptions apply to public and private schools....the school lied to you

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by Mama Amie 

Thank you for explaining, Alie.  Your reasons for being against vaccines are definitely in line with my own.  I wish there were better information out there to help us understand the likelihood of contracting the diseases for which we are routinely inoculated.  Having a pediatrician remind me that I am "putting my child at risk of death" by not vaccinating is always a bit disconcerting, but that is what they are required to say.  For now, I'm still more on the side of not vaccinating.  Your post, and others like it help me to feel more confident in my decision.  :)

You'd think the AAP would come up with a better slogan by now for convincing parents to vax....of course, the counter to that remark is, 'you realize you are putting my child at risk for reactions, vaccine damage, and possible death giving her that vaccine?

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

state exemptions apply to public and private schools....the school lied to you

Not necessarily true, especially since the member is in Texas:

. Whether or not state exemption laws apply to private schools and homeschools depends on the specific wording of each state's laws. For example, in 2006, the Texas State Attorney General issued a formal opinion concluding that Texas law doesn't require private schools to accept religious exemptions unless the school receives state funding

http://www.vaccinerights.com/exemptions.html

[JulieWojo]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton 


Not necessarily true, especially since the member is in Texas:
http://www.vaccinerights.com/exemptions.html

That really sucks that I have to choose vaccines in order to give my child a private school education.

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by JulieWojo 

That really sucks that I have to choose vaccines in order to give my child a private school education.

does the school accept any state funds? if so, they MUST accept the waiver....really have to read between the fines lines, they want to confuse parents. 

Quote:

We conclude therefore that a private school that does not accept state tax funds is not required to accept for enrollment a child who has received an exemption from the immunizations required by the Health and Safety Code.

https://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/op/2006/htm/ga0420.htm