Are there ANY not-dangerous vaccines? Should I just skip them altogether?

[barefootpoetry]

With DS1 we did a regular vax schedule until he was about 1, and I started to educate myself on the dangers of vaccines. He'll be 4 in a week and hasn't had any more vaxes since then. Now that DS2 is here, I am debating what, if any, vaxes I should give him and if I should give DS1 any more. But all the research I can find gives me horror stories about each vax I am considering. I know that most vaccines can be dangerous, but are there really none that don't carry the possibility of some harm? Would I be better off just exempting all of them?

And yes, I know I need to read The Vaccine Book. Our local library has it, but I have to walk to get there, and being only 2 weeks PP I'm not walking any lengthy distance for a while yet.

[carriebft]

They all have a small risk of side effects; exactly what these are beyond the tested ones (see package inserts) is debatable. For example, The merck (i think) Hib vaccine showed a side effect of persistent crying for a small percentage in its trials. Some would claim that the vaccine can lead to SIDS. The former is shown in the evidence; that latter, IMO, is not (and others will claim it is shown, etctec).


The best way to go about researching these, IMO, is to go out and get a good grounding in the issues. Start general, like you are...with the Vaccine Book or similar. Then work into reading different professional points of view. ANd then really get to the source and read the studies yourself and draw your own conclusions based on all the knowledge you have gathered and your own family situation/risks/etc. (I am sure I missed a bunch of good steps, just making a rough outline here)


And I would add that you should stay fluid on the issue. Things change and new studies come out and family situations change. So try to keep learning if you can

[CookAMH]

There may be some that are less reactive. Keep in mind though, as you do your research, you want to investigate whether the vaccines are actually effective or not, in addition to whether they are safe. Hib, the example given above, while considered safer by some, is a useless vaccine, in my opinion. The bacteria type b (hence, Hib) have changed such that there are other strains that are not protected by the vaccine, and are as numerous overall than before the shot came out.

Between the effectiveness (or lack of) of some of the shots and safety of others (ie toxic ingredients and volume of shots), we're close to saying no vaccines, period.

[Ophelia]

There's no quick and easy answer, what is really best to do is research each vaccine one by one. I recommend not getting all your information from one source. Read several different sources, and make sure the info is backed up. For example if they give a number, where did they get that number from? I know some of that info is hard to find.

These are my favorites for vaccine and disease info:

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/
~Dr. Jay Gordon's Vaccination DVD However he does not discuss serotype replacement, nor how vaccines are actually tested (generally no true placebo)
~Vaccinations – A Thoughtful Parent's Guide by Aviva Jill Romm

Don't give any vaccines unless you are absolutely comfortable with them. You can always wait and give vaccines later.

[nwmamas]

Also, the adverse reactions database is online (VAERS). You can compare it to the package inserts for each vax (also online) and incidence of the wild disease (WHO or CDC) without leaving home. I just got a new computer and dumped my research, but I bet some people around here have the raw numbers to compare the risk of disease vs. the risk of reaction. That's an easy place to start, imo.

[xmasbaby7]

I once asked myself the same question as I was wrestling with what to do, but someone here said something great: flip the order of your thinking, and decide which diseases that have vaccines are most worth vaccinating for, based on what your child's risks and benefits analysis.

In my opinion, I have come to the conclusion that the only real vaccine preventable diseases that have a good chance of occurring in my family more likely than a lottery jackpot are the ones I have no issue with my child getting: measles, mumps, chicken pox, rotavirus (had and was no big deal) and rubella, and influenza.

I firmly believe that an intact immune system has a better chance of faring well through these childhood diseases as well as all other viruses that have no vaccines, and keeps the bacterial balance in the body much stronger, so that is why I wouldn't vaccinate for those diseases listed above.

Although we have whooping cough all around us, I still don't like the Dtap. That is the one that I struggled with the longest in the beginning, but now having educated myself on bacterial infections, I don't regret it at all.

Take your time with this. It is great to get past the fear stage and love your decision based on knowledge!

[CanidFL]

I started off wanting to do a selective schedule with only the "safe" ones. Well, in a few weeks I realized there are not any "safe" or "less harmful" vaccines. I personally could not find one that I felt was worth the risk