Vaccine waiver questions, please help

[EllasMama]

My daughter will be starting pre-school part time either in Sept. or next January. We live in Oregon. I assume because she's going to a school (Montessori) it will mean she'll need to have all the vaccines on the schedule up to her age, or a waiver? She's 2.5 and has not had any vax. However, I'm worried about getting the waiver b/c (hypothetical) what happens if she steps on a rusty nail and I decide she needs a tetanus shot? Do I then have to backfill all the vax she's "missed" to that point because I'll no longer fit the criteria for being philosophically opposed? Or would a tetanus toxoid administration in the emergency room fall under the umbrella of treatment rather than immunization? What about when I have another child, will my philosophical opposition carry to that child, as well?

I am really angry that I feel disallowed from selectively vaccinating. I'm not sure whether I never ever want to give any vax whatsoever to DD, but I feel like with the waiver I'll be signing away any choice in the matter. My mother suggested getting the waiver and then doing whatever I wanted, because, "how will they know?" I feel very uncomfortable with that approach. I feel uncomfortable with any of the other options I'm given, too. Any info or insight on this would be much appreciated.

Carol

[Sara29]

First off you can not give the tetanus vaccine after an injury to provide protection against that injury.You can get the TIG(pooled blood product providing temp. immunity),and some doctors will give a tatanus vaccine for *future* protection. There are some parents who claim a religious exemption and then continue to vaccinate.If you plan to do the tetanus vaccine after injury why not just start now and give 3 doses,then claim your exemption?

I don't recall your state laws,but the philosophical one does allow you to be selective,and with religious it is usually all or nothing.


sara

[EllasMama]

Thanks for reading my post, Sara. I don't really want to give any tetanus immunization to DD because the only mercury-free one I'm aware of is the DTaP. I am loathe to give DD the acellular pertussis portion of DTaP, much less any trivalent vax, much less the whole series you're supposed to give (not sure if it's 3 or 5 DTaP shots but I believe it's a lot). I just hypothetically wondered what would happen if I gave DD the TIG but claimed to be opposed to all vax. I guess I'm wondering if TIG is considered a vax.

Maybe I should figure out which vaxes I would not consider doing and try to find a common property to which I am philosophically opposed. Plus my daughter is allergic to at least one ingredient common in vaccines (eggs) so that is what I believe is a very legitimate reason I've really worried about her having a bad reaction to those shots.

However, if I call out the thing(s) to which I AM opposed, and it means I am NOT opposed to certain other vax, theoretically wouldn't I need to give DD all those vaxes to which I am not opposed?

Carol

[Tracy]

there is so much good tetanus info in here:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...threadid=43600


including how to take care of a wound.


you might be surprised.

[Mommy To Baby Roni]

Carol, while I appreciate all of your concerns, I really think you are stressing your self out over "what-if's". I think, for now, you should just be concerned with your decision not to vaccinate at all, submit your exemption, and deal with the future decisions when & if they come up. You have a lot going on right now with DD entering school, worrying about the submission of exemption and whatever else you have going on in your life. Take a deep breath and slow down, Mommy. Everything will work out!

[Sara29]

My dd just started preschool at a daycare across the street.No problems at all.And so far no calls/issues with the govt. preschool(headstart) that starts at the end of this month.All I put in my letter was not vaccinating for good cause including religious convictions.Eseentially what the law wording was.
Sara
Sara

[EllasMama]

Thanks for your replies. I was definitely stressing out too much over it; I talked to the school and apparently they have a form where you can list what vax your child has or check a box that says you take the exemption from vax-ing. Doesn't exactly solve my dilemma of not knowing if I maybe want to do some vaccinations at some point in my child's life, but at least it will be easy to "check here" and get on with it.

I've been particularly stressed about Tetanus lately b/c we're in the process of building a new house and there are literally hundreds of nails lying about on the property and DD insists on wandering about. Luckily the house is almost done. I don't want the DTaP for DD right now, and I know that tetanus is exceedingly rare and so on, but it's definitely a little daunting to have your child walking outdoors on a bed of 5-inch long nails!

Thanks again!

Carol