Immunizations

[katie9143]

I was just thinking about my baby's second ped. appt on weds and my mum was asking me if i was going to immunize - since i had planned a hb and then had refused all the hosp interventions i think she is scared that i wont immunize. I pretty much had planned on immunizing, given that my fiance's family lives overseas and he goes there often for work and so forth, I thought the risks of her getting something were just too high for me to not have her immunized. Plus for us to go anywhere that she needs a passport, I think you have to show proof of certain immunizations.

I was looking on another website that showed the schedule of them and it seems like there are so many!! I already refused the hep B at the hospital, not really cuz I knew much about it, but because I just wanted to save her the immediate trauma, already feeling badly that she had had to be born there with all the bright lights, drugs and strangers.

I was just hoping to get some educated opinions on this subject as I dont really know anything about it!!

[Full Heart]

Not from your edd but I 'know' you have the homebirth forum. Just wanted to suggest you check out the vaccination forum here at mothering. There is a ton of good info there. Once you are eduacted about all the diseases and their vaccinations if you still want to vax you can set your own schedule. You don't have to do what is recommended. If you look back to when you were a child you probably only got a handful of vaxes.

Heb B you get from sex, needles and blood transfusions so unless you expect your little one to get anything like that anytime soon I wouldn't worry about refusing that one.

[alegna]

Also not in your group....

Come over to the vaccination forum! Tons of good info there.

We don't vaccinate at all.

-Angela

[Mavournin]

Popping in from the March DDC...

I would really suggest going over to the vaccination forum. Vaccines for travel are just suggestions, not requirements. Personally, I would never vaccinate simply because of overseas travel because I believe the risk from vaccines is much higher than the risks of disease. Do some research and then make some decisions. Even if you decide to vaccinate, or selectively vaccinate, later you won't have caused any harm by waiting to do some reading first.

[storychick]

We do a limited and modified schedule of vax. We have delayed HepB, and dont do varicella or Prevnar. We did choose to do DTaP on time, but delay the MMR until starting at 3. We do Hib and polio also on time. If the kids haven thad varicella by 10 or 12 we'll do that then, as well as the HepB and maybe for the girls Gardisil by then. If I end up putting Ella in daycare in the next year I may rethink the prevnar and varicella, but we'll deal with that if it comes to it. We also do HepA around 4 since there is a high risk in this area and it is food-borne.

We have never really come to a great feeling about it either way, but what we ended up doing was taking the list and looking at the relative risks and benefits of each vax vs the odds of getting the disease, risks of getting it, and potential for missing dx'ing it/finding a person who knew how to treat it. In the end, we also have contact wtih foreign travelers, as well as risks in the community, and so we felt comfortable with what we ended up doing.

[meggles]

We're delaying all vax until she's older, and then, only selectively vax'ing. You could spend ours on the Vaccination forum...lots of good info there.
And, I know that you can get a passport without proof of vax--my friend took her kids to Central America, and neither are vaccinated.

[skueppers]

We choose to vaccinate our children. It seems to me that there are two major issues to consider:

1) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from vaccination?

2) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from catching a disease for which they could have been vaccinated but weren't?

Plus a third issue that may or may not be important to you:

3) Do you think vaccination protects our society as a whole, including people who are unable to be vaccinated, through the concept of herd immunity -- the idea that if most people are vaccinated, diseases are less likely to be spread and thus, unvaccinated people are less likely to be infected.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by skueppers

We choose to vaccinate our children. It seems to me that there are two major issues to consider:

1) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from vaccination?

2) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from catching a disease for which they could have been vaccinated but weren't?

Plus a third issue that may or may not be important to you:

3) Do you think vaccination protects our society as a whole, including people who are unable to be vaccinated, through the concept of herd immunity -- the idea that if most people are vaccinated, diseases are less likely to be spread and thus, unvaccinated people are less likely to be infected.

All important points. If #3. is a factor for you, you will need to research which vaccines can and can not create herd immunity. Many vaccines on the current schedule do not prevent transmission of the diseases.

-Angela

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by skueppers

We choose to vaccinate our children. It seems to me that there are two major issues to consider:

1) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from vaccination?

2) What do you think the chances are of your child being harmed in a lasting way from catching a disease for which they could have been vaccinated but weren't?

Plus a third issue that may or may not be important to you:

3) Do you think vaccination protects our society as a whole, including people who are unable to be vaccinated, through the concept of herd immunity -- the idea that if most people are vaccinated, diseases are less likely to be spread and thus, unvaccinated people are less likely to be infected.

I would add a 4th to this and ask if you are morally opposed to how vaccines are made. Those that are vegans and those that are staunchly prolife for example.

[katie9143]

thanks for all the opinions! I talked to the PA that Amelia has been seeing at the homeopathic drs. office today and she told me that I should definitely read and decide which ones i want her to have. She said that her position is pretty neutral and she doesnt like to tell people what they should do when it comes to something that controvercial. What she did say is that she does tell parents that choose to vaccinate that they should start them much later than normal peds. do and to try and space them out so as not to load them up all at once which is what can cause a lot of the issues.

[shmoo]

Originally Posted by alegna

All important points. If #3. is a factor for you, you will need to research which vaccines can and can not create herd immunity. Many vaccines on the current schedule do not prevent transmission of the diseases.

-Angela

Near universal immunization creates herd immunity for communicable vaccine preventable diseases (VPD).

Tetanus is a VPD that does not present that particular public health concern.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by shmoo

Near universal immunization creates herd immunity for communicable vaccine preventable diseases (VPD).

It does not with vaccines that simply prevent some parts of the disease and still allow for infection. Do you know which vaccines those are?

-Angela

[Eben'sMama]

"Immunization" is a misnomer

Just FYI: Many people prefer to use the word "vaccination" over "immunization," as vaccinations DO NOT actually provide immunity. Many people end up contracting the diseases they are supposedly "immune" after receiving the shots, and most vaccines need to be readministered when they "wear off" or lose their efficacy. That's not true immunity!

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by Eben'sMama

Just FYI: Many people prefer to use the word "vaccination" over "immunization," as vaccinations DO NOT actually provide immunity. Many people end up contracting the diseases they are supposedly "immune" after receiving the shots, and most vaccines need to be readministered when they "wear off" or lose their efficacy. That's not true immunity!

:

[velveeta]

We did not vaccinate either child (and won't ever), and we travel to Africa and Central America quite often. Just as everyone else in this thread, I highly recommend the vax forum here at MDC. Even though we do travel to seemingly higher risk parts of the world, vax still doesn't make sense for us, since I don't believe they offer any real benefit for us (our family).