Please help...chose monovalent MMR

[mangosink0]

I have a 3 yr old DS who is fully vaxed except for MMR/CP. Today at his check up I got the monovalent measles and now fear I did the wrong thing. In looking at the package insert it looks like he is going to get 3 times the fillers/adjuvants with the 3 separate shots than if I had just done the MMR. I was hesitant to do the MMR because of viral shedding of the rubella to my 4 month old. Any insight? WHen he gets his booster can he get the combo MMR?? Ugh, I thought I was doing the right thing and now I'm feeling like my poor little boy is going to get 2 extra shots and a bunch of extra junk because of my stupidity. Oh and the ped wants me to get the mumps vax in 4-5 weeks because we are going to Disney world and the recent mumps outbreaks. I know the package insert says no live vaxs within a month. If it's right at a month is that ok? And when would I expect to see side effects from the mumps vax?

[~member~]

And when would I expect to see side effects from the mumps vax?

http://www.vaers.hhs.gov/reportable.htm I am guessing the best way to get that info is to look at what has been reported.

[Mommy To Baby Roni]

Imo, yes, it would have been better to get the MMR vax if you plan on doing all 3. However, what's done is done and there's nothing that can change it. You just have to make the best future decisions you can.

As far as waiting for the booster, I don't know when you plan on having your child enter daycare or schooling and whether or not you plan to adhere to the vaccine guidelines by vaxing fully or submitting an exemption, so I can't answer your question.

When are you going to Disney World? I ask because, imo, you should never give a vax just before travel, compromising one's immune system during the stress of travel. Considering the mumps cases have been pretty isolated in geography, I wouldn't be too fearful of contracting the mumps at Disney. I'd be more concerned about my child contracting other run-of-the-mill bugs. That's besides that the mumps is, generally, a mild illness.

There will always be contagious illnesses for which there is no vaccine, so you can't be fearful to travel and enjoy life because your child has not received a specific vaccine. You just have to help them be the healthiest they can be.

[alegna]

What are your reasons for doing the MM and R? That will help people give advice.

-Angela

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by Mommy To Baby Roni

Imo, yes, it would have been better to get the MMR vax if you plan on doing all 3. However, what's done is done and there's nothing that can change it. You just have to make the best future decisions you can.

.

So what do I do now?? I planned on getting whatever it is that my state requires. He's not going to preschool this year but possibly next year. Ok, I'm in tears now. How could I have made such a stupid decision. I wish I had of just gotten the whole MMR.

I'm going to Disney in October. I'm thinking the best thing to do is wait until after we get back to vax for mumps.

For whoever asked why I'm getting the MMR... I get all vaxs with exception of CP/Hep A, I just try to space them out/delay. My flawed logic was thinking that if DS got the MMR, the rubella portion might shed to my 4 month old and my concern with that was that it could cause autism in my 4 month old. Crazy? I don't know.

[mangosink0]

I was however not planning on doing rubella for at least another year.

[amnesiac]

Even with all the other stuff in the shots (no adjuvants BTW), I still feel it's safer to inject each live virus alone. These are live viruses & as such, they do have the potential individually to do some harmful things. The minimum allowable interval between live virus vaccines is 4 weeks/28 days. I wouldn't personally give a live virus vaccine less than 4 weeks before travelling either. If you do decide you want him to have the combo vaccine for his 4 year dose then you certainly can do that.

[Plummeting]

I think we need to clarify something here, because it sounds like you had a big concern about your newborn catching rubella from your recently vaxed toddler, while you did not fear the baby catching measles from him. Is that correct? We need to be very clear about this for anyone else reading this thread. Rubella is harmless in children, even infants. Furthermore, the measles vaccine sheds as much or more than the rubella vaccine, and measles is associated with more complications in infants than rubella ever was or ever will be. Therefore, you've chosen to give the vaccine that would be MORE likely to cause problems for your newborn. Rubella is only dangerous to the fetus during the first half of pregnancy - really mainly the first trimester. It is NOT dangerous to infants, regardless of how young they are. Measles, OTOH, is a more serious illness for infants.

[mangosink0]

Yes your correct I was worried about the rubella being harmful to my infant, not the disease itself but the vaccine. I think I am just so worried about autism that I don't know, it doesn't make sense now. It seems my reasoning for splitting them up was completely flawed. I read the package insert and it said that rubella sheds, maybe I missed that on the measles because I didn't know it shed. I know rubella is harmless supposedly, I was just trying to avoid a viral exposure to the infant because you never know what illnesses are triggered by a virus.

Also I've read Dr Cave's book and seen a homeopath who reccommended if I was going to vax for MMR to do them seperately. But now I realize that my concern with the rubella was probably really stupid and if I was going to do all of the MMR vaxs I should have just gotten the combo MMR shot.

I just can't stop crying. WHat do I do now as far as getting the mumps and rubella portion? Is there a mumps/rubella combo? I'm upset that he is being exposed to the sorbitol, gelatin, albumin 3 times if I do monovalent vaxs which is probably more harmful than my stupid illogical worry about the rubella affecting my newborn. And I'm going to Disney and was thinking I'd have time to do the mumps vax before we went to. But we go in 6 weeks so if I gave him the vax he'd be having the side effects on our trip.

I know I can't take back the shot I gave him, but if I want to proceed with having him vaxed against MMR, how should I go about it in the safest way?

[amnesiac]

I still say that while your initial reasoning may have been flawed, you did choose the safer option.

ETA this really old link:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...9&postcount=28

[Plummeting]

I agree with amnesiac. I wouldn't want three times the other ingredients, but I think it's safer to do that than infect with 3 live viruses at once. I think you made the safer choice of the two, regardless of why you did it. I think if you want to give those 3 vaccines, you should give the other two separately as well.

Also, another clarification is that it's the measles vaccine that's been associated with autism, not the rubella vaccine. Dr. Wakefield (the man who conducted the first study on this) recommended splitting the MMR up, in the hopes that this might reduce the risk.

[annalily]

Stop beating yourself up.
I agree with amnesiac too that splitting up the MMR is better than doing it all at once. I think it is best to separate each component by months.
FWIW, I would not worry at all about my children catching mumps or rubella, so I would think you can delay those for as long as you like.

[Tofu the Geek]

You mentioned you were concerned about rubella shedding and your 4 month old...is your 4 month old breastfed? If so, you would be exposed to the rubella as well, produce anitbodies and pass those on to your 4 month old. So, it isn't really something you need to be worried about.

[mangosink0]

Yes, she is breastfed. I'm immune to Rubella, would I still produce antibodies.

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

Yes, she is breastfed. I'm immune to Rubella, would I still produce antibodies.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but if you are immune to rubella, you have rubella antibodies already (that is how they can tell you are immune) and she would be getting them in the breastmilk already.

[Mommy To Baby Roni]

I could be completely wrong, but I thought that the only way to pass antibodies on to baby was if mom contracted that illness naturally, not via vaccination.

I just can't stop crying. WHat do I do now as far as getting the mumps and rubella portion?

I know you've made the decision to vaccinate, but you seem REALLY upset about this. Maybe you should do some more research and think about whether or now you really feel these three vaxes are necessary. It seems that you realize the REAL risks of these vaccines. I don't know you and I don't know your reasons for choosing to give these vaccines (nor am I asking you to give me an explanation), but just from reading these posts, you appear to be more fearful of the vaccines than the illnesses. Maybe reading more about the illnesses and how well they can be treated will give you cause to tip the scales in the other direction. I don't know what the right answer is for your children. I just know you seem to be in a pretty bad place right now...one where you should give yourself some time before making another decison that you may regret. Relax, do more research and enjoy your vacation.

[Mommy To Baby Roni]

Btw, that wasn't a speech to attempt to convince you not to vax...just to support you in taking your time in making a decision you can feel 100% good about.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by Mommy To Baby Roni

Btw, that wasn't a speech to attempt to convince you not to vax...just to support you in taking your time in making a decision you can feel 100% good about.

I understand and am thankful for everyone's support.

[Plummeting]

Originally Posted by Mommy To Baby Roni

I could be completely wrong, but I thought that the only way to pass antibodies on to baby was if mom contracted that illness naturally, not via vaccination.

This is said frequently, but it isn't completely accurate. If a woman is immune to something, she will pass antibodies to her child through the placenta and through breastmilk. The issue is that she might not be making as many antibodies, meaning the child is not as protected as she would be if she had contracted the disease naturally. We're all individuals, though. Some people will have tons of antibodies 20 years after a vaccination, some won't have any at all 2 years later.

[wonderwahine]

and some wont have any 2 weeks after, because the vax never worked