Hi sjs friends,
I cringe as I begin writing this because I know vaccines can be such a polarizing, contraversial subject. But I am really hoping that we can all have a healthy discussion on the topic without the drama that sometimes accompanies vaccine discussions on OTHER message boards (not ours! :) ) .... because I really, desperately want your guys' input on this.
I have two sons, age 1.5 and 3.5. We have been following a delayed vaccination schedule for both of them...more so with the younger one due to finally finding a supportive pediatrician, and also because he already exhibits signs of a wacky immune system (eczema, weird skin reactions)...
I am not anti-vaccine, but I also think the AAP schedule for children is way too aggressive these days. It has them getting multiple shots at 2,4, and 6 months of age, then again at 1, and then a bunch more before school starts. In my humble opinion, it is a one size fits all schedule most concerned about providing herd immunity. It does not take into account each child's personal family/medical history.
My older son is very close to be up to date with his vacs. He has handled his shots ok in the past, but we also never allowed him to get more than 2 in a visit and we spaced them out WAY more than the recommended schedule. Now we are finally confronted with the one that terrifies me the most: MMR. And I am terrified of giving it to him (or to my younger one eventually).
For those who follow these kinds of debates, you know the Wakefield study was discredited. That, however, does not make me feel reassured or better. I have done a lot of research, and MMR is known to be one of the more (if not the MOST) reactive shots on the schedule. If you google "MMR and autoimmune", there are several links between this vaccine (and others) and autoimmune reactions. Even autism is being investigated as possibly having an autoimmune etiology.
I know that reading the list of side effects or anectdotal stories of vaccine injuries is akin to reading anectdotal stories or side effects of prescription drugs...it varies by individual and is generally not the best thing to base your decision on in terms of whether or not to take something.
HOWEVER, the fallback reassurance from medical professionals and/or scientists is always: "WEEELLLL, things like this happen only in genetically suspectible individuals...." WELL, I would absolutely consider my sons to fall into the "genetically susceptible" category, given that I have sjogrens, as does my mom, and my sister (their grandmother and aunt).
So I am trying to decide whether the benefit of giving this vaccine outweighs the risks. I have heard that measles is quite a nasty virus, and mumps is obviously bad for boys to catch as adults. But I am so utterly terrified of them not handling this particular vaccine well. It is a live virus vaccine (albeit "attenuated" viruses)....If viruses can trigger autoimmune disease, then surely a vaccine with 3 live viruses in it has the potential to do the same. Especially when exposure bypasses the body's normal defense mechanisms (mucus membranes) as in the case of vaccines.
So I guess I am just asking you guys because I put so much faith in your opinions and experiences (given that we all suffer from this same crappy disease)....Would you give this shot to your children? Did you? What are your experiences with this particular shot? Or any others for that matter?
I just want to protect my children from EVERYTHING. The measles, mumps, rubella AND autoimmune disease (that's a very very big AND). The whole thing seriously makes me want to cry and keeps me awake some nights. Help!
I have no solution for you. I have one daughter in Canada that does not believe in vaccines. The daughter in the states gets her boys every shot. The diseases are very challenging. It is a hard decision to make. A lot of vaccines have other harmful compounds in them. I had polio vax and I am glad that I did. I have had flu and several other vax that I am glad I did also.
We feel very much as you do about vaccines - autoimmune disease runs in both sides of my family (Lupus, Sjogrens, APS, Raynaud's, Pernicious anemia, Rheumatoid arthritis); my husband's family is rife with mild-to-severe allergies, food sensitivities, and at least one case of autism.
SO - with our daughter (now 14) we decided to follow a pretty careful program - she is now up to date on all her vaccinations, but we also delayed them and chose not to group them - and agonized over every shot. She breast-fed exclusively for 6 months, we introduced foods very slowly and carefully, and she continued supplemental breast feeding until she was about 2.
I know she's only a case study of one, but I am happy to report that at 14, she is one of the most OBNOXIOUSLY healthy people you've ever met, LOL...
She is sensitive to gluten, so eats 99% GF, and if she eats a whole lot of dairy (large milkshake, for instance), she often feels pretty nauseous. But no severe allergies, and so far no autoimmune diseases.
When we made our decisions, we looked at CDC disease incidence maps to determine what viruses were endemic to our area as well as places we travel frequently (grandparents' houses, etc). We also factored in the fact that she was not in daycare, etc. Also her preschool did not have a high number of recent immigrants (often a factor in the spread of viruses, because immigrant communities often have different vaccination rates from the general US population). We tried to reasonably calculate the chances of her contracting a given disease, considering our location and lifestyle.
Then we looked at each disease, and considered the chances of her being seriously ill or dying from them. Some of the diseases - chicken pox, for instance - we decided not to vaccinate for, because we felt that she was healthy enough to deal well with the virus. Since birth, she's always fought off colds and flus very quickly with no complications (knock on wood!). When she was about 4, she did indeed contract chicken pox - and did just fine with it - maybe two dozen sores, and only about 4 days of moderate flu-like symptoms that Tylenol took care of. Now, if my husband and I had a family history of horrible chicken pox reactions, we probably would have vaccinated her - but we didn't.
Whooping cough rates for our area are unusually high, so that's one we did pretty much on schedule. Also, there's no question that tetanus is a huge risk, and a terrifying disease. So the DTaP (or TDap or whatever they call it these days) felt like a no-brainer and well worth the risk. We did get the thimerosol-free version, though - paid a bit more for it, but it made us feel better. For some vaccines, you can also ask for a more gradual schedule if you feel it's worth it - a less-concentrated dose over a longer period of time. It means more shots, but less of a shock to the system...though I am not convinced that a longer-term, lower-dose exposure is any better than getting it over with quickly.
I really worried about the MMR as well...I think she was something like 10 or 11 when we got that one, and we watched her closely. During the time before and after, we we re careful to make sure her diet was very clean (strict no gluten, no dairy, no eggs, no soy, etc) - trying to minimize any other strains on her system while it dealt with the vaccine. Dunno if it helped, but it made US feel better.... :P
Also remember that even if you don't vaccinate, the viruses themselves (if the kids get any of them) can trigger autoimmune reactions - so you are taking that risk either way.
Anyway - I am sure you have thought of all this.
Now she's 14, we're having to decide about the HPV shot. Not sure about that yet....information is always changing! These decisions are never easy. :o
Vaccines have been extensively studied.
The only thing we can rely upon is major controlled studies to know what our 'odds' are. Odds are not guarantees. Just as measles didn't kill me when I had them (born long before MMR) nor did chickenpox, but both have killed and disabled thousands of children.
With the vaccines our odds are all in favor of receiving the vaccines. They are safe for the vast vast majority of people.
That said, each of us is NOT necessarily one of the vast vast majority. So we may have the one in a million response to anything, including near death from even the odor of nuts, or a bee sting.
Neither is each of us like our neighbor next door or a a friend. Which is why anecdotes about what happened to someone else are even more unreliable for making decisions about our own health.
That said, I would opt in favor of vaccination.
Just my two cents.
Hugs
Elaine
If the vaccine can cause an autoimmune response I would suspect getting the full blown infection could do the same.
In the past separate shots for each could be given. I'm not sure if this option is still available, but you could ask. Many people look into the possible side effects of the immunization but forget to look into the possible side effects of the actual infection.
A Look at Each Vaccine: MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: http://www.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/a-look-at-each-vaccine/mmr-measles-mumps-and-rubella-vaccine.html
Thank you to everyone who responded. I am still as torn as ever. I guess we will get them the MMR, but just be sure it is the only shot they get that day, and that we don't get any others for 6 months before or after.
I don't know. I will be a mess with worry until it's done with. :(
You can the the MMR separate but it is hard to find, that is what I was told anyway. My kids are healthy for the most part but I like you worry. I had to get my daughter vaccinated due to daycare. When we lived in FL they were strict.
Now, my daughter does have autism. Do I think it was the vaccine? No. I think that the combination of my husbands autism family members and my family's autoimmune disease histories had everything to do with it.....we hit the genetic jackpot :)
Would I do anything different knowing what I know now? No, I would still vaccinate and still have my crazy genetic gene pool.
The point is, try not to stress....what will be will be.
Hope this helps.
Hooty
Hooty, have you been listening to Doris Day music? "What will be, will be." or deal with things as they happen. I agree. Stress is an enemy to our health.
Joe,
I love Doris day, but no. I have just had a hard lesson that I had to learn. Now I try really hard to just let things be what they may. It's not healthy for me to worry about things I can't change.
I do not believe it is healthy for anyone to worry about things that they can not change. Serenity is what we often need the most.
It's a very tough decision to make as a parent. I'm a speech therapist who works with kids in an outpatient rehab hospital and most of the kids I see also follow a delayed or spaced out vaccination schedule due to their various health issues. The big thing we as providers hear about the most is whooping cough becoming more prevalent. Not to preach but as a health care provider I prefer he kids to be vaccinated at some point because of my health and the health risks it can pose to the babies we see and others who aren't vaccinated. Best of luck to you and your family.
Call your pediatrician & ask about a delayed schedule. I know many who have done this. Their kids get vaccines but not as many and so young. I believe in vaccines but not so many at such a young age. At least the vaccines have had some of the "bad" stuff removed.
Good luck & try not to stress, it's not good for you or your kids (easier said than done, I know)
Thank you everyone for responding to me on this. So the update is that I did end up getting my oldest (3.5 yrs) the MMR last Tuesday, and am currently regretting it. On Saturday evening he came down with a super high fever of 104, and we've been fighting to keep it down ever since. Since the fever first kicked in, we have only managed to get it down to 101. I am calling our pediatrician first thing this morning to get an appointment.
I am trying to remain calm about it, but having a hard time. We have had him and his brother on a delayed vax schedule and so we got lucky that neither of them has had a negative reaction until now.
Ugh. I swear, people with normal immune systems have no idea how lucky they are. When you have a screwed up immune system, all you ever do is worry about to keep yourself and your kids safe from themselves. I guess maybe this is what they would call a "normal" reaction to this particular vaccine. I don't know. But I am worried sick.
So sorry to hear about the fever, that's so scary! Sending positive healing thoughts and prayers your way.
Also remember it COULD well be a coincidence...just being in the doctor's office would have exposed him to the flu and all sorts of other viruses, so it's not NECESSARILY the vaccine. And even if it is, perhaps his body is doing the right thing and mounting a response. Try to be positive about it....
We do our best to protect them, but no matter what, there are risks. The good thing is that kids are pretty tough, and they usually come through stuff just fine. Their bodies are much more adaptable than ours, and heal faster.
Let us know how things go....
MMR vaccines have been extensively studied - like someone said. You are without a doubt doing the right thing. It is very common to get flu or cold like symptoms after the shots. My son has had them after every single vaccination he has had. It will last a couple of days and then he is absolutely fine again, so please don't worry.
In my country (highly developed european country) measles has been erradicated for decades, but we now start to see epidemics again due to people not getting vaccinated.
A friend of a friend of mine lost her 1-year old daughter to measles. What people seem to forget is that measles etc. is NOT harmless children diseases. They are deadly and dangerous diseases.
You are not getting you kids vaccinated to protect your children. You are getting them vaccinated to protect all the people around them - that for some reason are not vaccinated and cannot tolerate a measles infection: infants, elderly or sick people.
My daughter had the MMR shot. No issues at all. Again she is just one child but she has an autoimmune and did fine. I agree with making sure its the only shot they get that day. MMR is the shot that most people see a reaction from. As far as my kids they were more irritable after this one but thats all. Dont stress!
Crys