If you and your kids are unvaxed and going to do missionary work overseas... - Page 2

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by pilesoflaundry

I really don't know. I wouldn't do missonary work in countries like that until my kids were older

Excellent point! That's what the TRAPP FAMILY did. The whole Family went when the kids were grown up. Actually they went after the father died. I don't know what made me think of them?
Someone mentioned the 'Sound of Music' the other day....

Diptheria, maybe -it is deadly and I know medical care in remote areas is poor.
hep a and B maybe because I would be dealing with blood and sick people and HepA causes diarreah which can cause dehydration and if the water is poor that's the last thing I want to deal with.
hib-only for the baby

Oh NOOOO

Then the immune system would be totally botched up and I would not trust the child to survive.



That would scare the 'bageebas':ignore out of me.

[Jane]

Somewhat unrelated to vax, but related to missionary work and health.

Family friend did extensive missionary work in very remote Africa. She was pregnant and had 3 of her 4 babies over there. She and her husband are both brilliant incredible scholars. And good missionaries, too.
She didn't get good nutrition, ate too many canned foods, and her children are weak physically and dim mentally. The nutrition, even with her best efforts, was terribly lacking. The locals were fine, but if the family ate a local diet, they got really sick. Their health was impacted by something way more
important than sicknesses or vaxes.
Anyway, to the OP:
Polio - yes (not oral)
Measles - yes
mumps - no
rubella - for me as a potentially pregnant woman (if no titers present)
Hep A - nope
Hep B - nope
HIb - nope
Chicken Pox - yes, if no immunity by 12
Diptheria - yes, potentially no, based on location
Tetnus (ok, not contagious so let's say you have to walk barefoot on a bed of rusty nails) - no
Flu - no
Pertussis - no
Pneumococcal - no

I'd rather have that helicopter evacuation service up-to-date than load everyone up with vaxes.

[crazydaisy]

this is such an interesting question...the prob is that i don't think vaxes work, or they aren't the best thing you can do to prevent disease. just looking at it biologically, the immune system in a child would be way better off to fight off disease if not tampered with by a vax. if i would vax myself or my child to go overseas...then why not vax in the US? there is still a fear of those disease here too! maybe not as much and we do have medical help that is better, but still there are alternatives/homeopathics/TLC that can help a child thru whatever she gets. i guess some people decide not to vax based on other things, like the benefit vs. risks of vax. the thing is i just don't believe that they are 100% safe or effective...so i couldn't make the decision to inject that into my child.
it is such a scary thing not to vax, but i find it even scarier to vax. i think we are so afraid of suffering and illness...rather than looking at those things as a way for our bodies to build themselves up.
i guess i just think we shouldn't screw with nature...
- kate

[Destinye]

I would look into homeopathic nosodes (some controversy about these but they DO work) and/or homeopathic treatment if you do decide to vaccinate to help reduce some of the possible side effects.

Just a suggestion!

[loving-my-babies]

I know you ddn't post this one but I would do the BCG. It's the one for tuberculosis. In chile there is still A LOT of tuberculosis around, if I go there I don't know what I'll do with my ds we and dd are vaxed against it)

[applejuice]

I know I ended up w/hepatitis and malaria even tho I consider(ed) myself to be a strong, healthy, individual.

In Vietnam, despite the Monday pill to prevent malaria, which gave him the "trots" (diahrrea), my DH still came home from his tour of duty with malaria. He also had tuberculosis exposure which he was also treated for. Everybody is different. Every bug is different. And sometimes, the doctors and drug companies are experimenting with the medications and/or the dosages.

Editted to answer the OP:

My BIL went to Emetria to work with the UN, and he does NOT believe in vaccinations either. However, he was REQUIRED to get a yellow fever vaccination, or he would not be allowed to go. So he got the shot because he did want to go.

ME? I simply would not go, or I would choose a more desireable location as far as diseases are concerned if I was still determined to go.

I have considered joining VISTA or the Peace Corps. I may have to revisit this

[elyice]

?

I was just thinking about this (sort of)

we have 4 free tickets anywhere but must use them by September. My dh's grandpa just bought a house on the beach in chille.
I would like to go but ds,12 months old, is totally unvaxed. I do not think I can take him out of the US comfortably. I think we'll just go to Hawaii

Also what are you doing to boost your unvaxed babies immune systems?

[sphinx]

unvaxed traveling

polio - yes
BCG - yes
tetanus- yes
maybe HiB
anti malarials (they are not vaccines as far as I understand) - no

We selectively vaccinate and started at 2 years old with my first, now 4.5. I took her totally unvaxed as a 13-month old to Mexico and elsewhere and she was fine. Went this year to Costa Rica for a month, again, fine (but Costa Rica is supposedly quite safe - still there were times i think we were in compromised surroundings). Next year we'll be in a India for several months with a 7-month old who will probably be vaxed for tuberculosis, but nothing else, at that age. I have to really consider the issues. I don't plan to be around seriously ill people on a regular basis there. If I were doing some such kind of work, it might be harder to decide. I also think whether the child is nursing is really crucial - like if for some reason this baby (I'm due in october) can't nurse, I will seriously reconsider the trip to India until s/he's older. Otherwise, I plan to research more about natural remedies before we go. I think parents' attitude counts for something too - I have been reasonabl, but never overly worried or overzealous about hygiene when traveling with my child, and we have been very fortunate and always stayed healthy. Generally maintaining good nutrition and exercise, being very careful with water and food, keeping shoes on, and not hanging in stuffy areas next to people who are very sick are my main areas of focus for staying healthy.

[loving-my-babies]

Originally Posted by elyice

I was just thinking about this (sort of)

we have 4 free tickets anywhere but must use them by September. My dh's grandpa just bought a house on the beach in chille.
I would like to go but ds,12 months old, is totally unvaxed. I do not think I can take him out of the US comfortably. I think we'll just go to Hawaii

Also what are you doing to boost your unvaxed babies immune systems?

oh my gosh, chile? that's where we are from! GO THERE! It's gorgeous! You can take him to chile unvaxed, just don't drink any tap water (sounds creepy, I know, but you get used to it) Ofcourse we would drink it, but because we were used to the bacteria in chilean water. You would get tifus (my mom had that the first time she went to chile)

But by all means, go there! It's beautiful, PM me if you want more information. We are from Vina del Mar (central chile) right on the beach. Where did you grandpa buy a house?