Vaccines

[luminesce]

We haven't gotten any vax for DS at all. We've considered not doing any vax and delay/selective vaxing. Our ped is trying to get us to consider HiB and DTaP. I'm pretty sure I will not get the DTaP - that one scares me. But I don't know about HiB. If I don't get the vax and he gets sick with HiB or Pertussis I'd hate myself forever - but the same goes if he had a reaction to the vax. UGH! I hate having to make such scary choices for such an itty bitty baby that I love so much.

Anyone else sitting on the fence and having such a hard time feeling good about jumping to either side?

[Marcimama]

I felt exactly the same way with my 1st dd. Neither choice seems right! I ended up caving into getting them at 4 mon and 6mon, but after her 6 mon vax she was sooooo fussy. That scared me too much and she never had another one. We may get the DTaP for both children soon (because we live at a camp, with animals and I know several children that have gotten Pertussus). Other than that I figure that my children a very well sheltered. Know that either way, you are trying your best to care for your child and you can't control everything.

[UltimateSerj]

i know what you mean! i do vax but i made up my own schedule's for my kids
well my first was full vaxed on time with NO ill effects so that helps a bit, then my dd2 i had vaxed one vax at a time starting at 4 months then didn't to chicken pox till she had to have it for school. she actually LIKES getting shots..shes strange lol but when her older sister got shots for K she cried cause she wanted a shot to!! and she has never cried getting them!!
my son i did the same thing one at a time.. he doesn't like them at all..so ut the window with my one shot at a time makes them like them theory lol

i actually for got that caroline will be getting vax'ed soon ( actually i think we are starting at her 2 month appointment this week), it scares me but like you i would be so made if she got one of these things and i could of prevented it.. but then i am so scared of hurting her if i do get it... ugg I HATE this part of being a mom lol
i am going to start with the hib since its a pretty low risk vax. i do, do the DtaP i would rather it be broken down but i also hate to jump thru hoops to get it that way Pertussis is very scary and still pretty common around here i know several homeschool none vax familys that have had it go thru there household at least just a few years ago and that really made me glad that i got it for my children.

but my biggest reason for doing them is that i send my children to public school and first its required ( yeah i know there are ways around it but..) second being in such a large population of children daily i feel they are more at risk and need protection.

also we skip silly things like Hep b chicken pox till they are older and never get things like prevnar or that new one for girls i won't get them ever.

ok anyway thats what i do and honestly i really once i have decided what i am going to do i try not to read about vaxs cause sometime its scares the crap outta me and i would rather be dumb about some things....( and yes i know that sounds stupid lol)

[kht2006]

From what I've read she isn't likely to be exposed to hep b as a babe. We are not doing that one.
I debated about the DTaP. I've decided now that DD is a year, even if she gets pertussis it's not as scary as it would have been when she was younger.
It's scary isn't it. These decisions are really hard to make
I hope you find a decision you feel at peace about. Karen

[LilMomma83]

We've been back and foreth on it a lot but so far DS has gotten everything right on schedule. I was SUPER nervous before his 2mo but other than being fussy (until I gave him tylinol) he didn't react badly...the nurse said his tetnus would be very painful and the last time I had it it hurt for several days and bruised up...so I was worried but he seemed fine within a day or less.

Yeah-- I try not too read much because everytime I start reading I second guess myself...I don't think there is any choice I can feel comfortable with.

[alegna]

Not in the group, but thought I'd invite you over to the vaccination forum. TONS of knowledge to be had there.

-Angela

[luminesce]

I'm not sure how to factor it into my decision making process but I had what was likely invasive HiB disease when I was 6 months old. I had epiglottitis and nearly died - I was poked and prodded in the hospital for a while. I guess it makes it seem more plausible that DS could get it too.

I know we're not getting Hep B, Hep A, Varicella or Prevnar ever.
I'm thinking of delaying Polio (since it is relatively safe)
I'm thinking of separating and delaying MMR until school age (funny thing about this one is that I was vax'd and my Rubella titers are not high enough.)
I'm on the fence now about HiB and when.
I'm on the fence now about DTaP and when.

Our ped wasn't concerned at all about us ever getting MMR, Chickenpox or HepA. He said HepB could wait until he was old enough to decide himself. He didn't mention Prevnar so I don't think he cared about that one either. He urged us to think about Hib (safe and prevents a bad disease), DTaP (because of the growing cases of Pertussis and several cases he has seen lately in unvaxed kids who ended up on respiratory support in the hospital for a while) and Polio (because it is safe and there were a few rare exposures in the US.)

The Polio can wait until he is older. The other two seem to make *some* sense to me - if only DTaP weren't the evil, awful reactionary vax... plus, I know that immunity isn't given until all the shots are given by six months. Of course, if I don't get them, then he'll be a moving target for Pertussis in that vulnerable 6-12 month window. Argh!

[UltimateSerj]

i know that if you wait on the hib then over a year maybe its 2 years but then they don't even need the vax anymore... but i think if i were you the one vax i would get would be Hib for now,

[doudat]

I decided to wait till she's older. Like not before 2yrs. Liam had a bad reaction (behavioral) at his 12 mths vaccines that completely scared me. So I stopped vaccinating him. He hasn't had a vaccine since then. My doc doesn't administer vaccines (we'd have to go to an out patient hospital-affiliated clinic for those) so she really doesn't push the vaccine issue. She just asked and when I told her I was waiting, she actually agreed

[ClassiclyAmber]

I know what you mean, Melissa! We have only ever vaxed our first child, and I seriously regret that with the info I now know.

It's a hard decision to make - especially at first - but it's one that every family has to make for themselves. Good luck with your decisions!