Need advice on childhood immunizations...

[lolo1979]

My 3 month old son starts daycare tomorrow, and of course they have to have his immunization records.  My husband and I have always been leary of vaccinations, and particularly the aggressive schedule the CDC mandates now.  They require 8 immunizations at 2 months, another 8 vaccines at 4 months, then another 8 at 6 months, and so on.  This goes on basically until they're 2, at which point they get a "reprieve" for a while until boosters at 5. My question to you is this - with me having an autoimmune disease, do you think it's a good idea to get our son vaccinated??  There are many toxins in the vaccines, not to mention the fact that they start giving them at such a young age - way before the child's blood brain barrier has closed, and before their gut has "matured".  Then there are all the problems various vaccines have had that haven't been uncovered until after millions of children were vaccinated.

Obviously my son will already be predisposed to a malfunctioning immen une system...I feel like I would be playing russian rhoulette with his health.  Thoughts? I'm torn on whether to selectively vaccinate and space them out, or just not vaccinate at all.  Just want some opinions from my fellow sjogren's sufferers!

[Joe S.]

This is a question that I can not answer. My oldest daughter has taken the position of no vaccines. My youngest has taken the other side. In the USA most vaccines are required before children can attend Public school.

[Jellyb]

Hi Lolo,
My daughter is 27 and the vaccine schedule was not as aggressive as it is now, and I understand your consern. There is some very scary stuff in those shots.

I am very allergic to thimerosol and i cant take a flu shot because of that. I guess you have to decide if the potential risk fir the disease is worse than the potential risks of the vaccine.

I wish you luck with your decision, and I hope someone else will post some better insight.

[namakb]

Some doctors offer a more relaxed immunization schedule. They still get most of the same shots but at a slower rate, not so many so soon. And too many combined into one shot.
I would try to find a doctor who uses that type of schedule.

[Danielle28]

In California, if you choose not to vaccinate you can sign a waiver for religious/philisophical beliefs. That is what I have opted to do. I've also spaced out vaccines that my children do have... 

[amberjolie1]

Definitely explain your concerns with the doctor, because as others have said, you might be able to do just some of the vaccines instead of all of them; maybe pick the ones that are for the most serious illnesses.  My kids have had all the immunizations, but I hadn't really thought about my auto-immune problems (plus most of the immunizations were done before I knew I had anything), so I'll just have to see what happens in their case.  So far, so good (although my oldest is only 10).

Good luck deciding what you think is best for your son.

[irish]

I am grandma to 2 children who have not been immunized. I take that back as the oldest in that family ended up getting some vaccinations after being born and my DIL and Son were not aware of all they shots they were to get. Seems like the baby didn't get all of them but he did get the first tetanus shot. He has not had any since and he is 3 1/2 years old. His brother is 17 months and hasn't had any.

I am, of course, concerned. I do not agree with all the shots they are giving these days. It is an outrage to think that they are bombarding these kids immune systems with all those shots at such a young age. This son and his wife have a pediatrician who is talking with them and working with them concerning this. However, the doc did tell them that if his children contracted measles from their kids he would not be happy. That is the thing that everyone needs to think about.

I guess there are a few shots that I think they should have and the DPT is one of them.  We can't protect our kids from everything in life. Giving all these shots may help in some cases, but there are a ton of diseases coming down the pike that will have to be addressed as the new threat to our kids. I think that families are going to have to pick and choose.

I must say that their kids have been quite healthy and neither one of them have had an infection and I don't think either of them have had to have antibiotics either. Irish

[eyeamdry]

Hard Decisions.  It might help to remember POLIO.  Many on here are too young to remember the iron lung and the crippling effects of polio.  I guess a good pro/con conversation would be helpful.  There will always be some people who choose not to vacinate their kids.  They then have to live with the reality of their choice and it's maybe a good choice and their kids are fine.  Good luck to all with kids.  Lucy

[Danielle28]

Irish,

I opted to spread out the vaccines my kids have and to not do two different vaccinations. I have had people say the same to me, "Well if my kids gets measles from your kid..." Then it dawned on me, well, if your kids are vaccinated, getting the measles is not likely.

I've had a similar experience healthwise... My boys have both been very healthy. My 9 year old has been on antibiotics once and my 4 year old has only been on them twice.  When I took him to get the DTap and another at his last visit, a few weeks ago... and he got really sick afterwards. He didn't have a great reaction to them.

There's a lot of information for both sides, and each parents does have to make their own decision.  I did have a doctor tell me that the reason I was sick soooo much when I was a child was probably due to the fact that I spent the first two weeks of my life in the hospital, getting pumped full of antibiotics, and they vaccinated me while I was sick- so my body never built up the natural immune system it was supposed to have.  I was born with strep infection - I wonder if it has anything to do with my current health issues as well.

I also did some additional reseach after my last pediatrician visit, and him trying to convince me to give my son the two vaccines I opt not to do-  and found out that 1:3000 kids have seizures from it.  And coma, and brain damage are also possible side effects, and that was from the CDC.  It just isn't worth it to me, for something that is treatable.

[Luna]

Immunizations are scary enough. But throw in that a parent has an auto immune disease, and you really get worried. I understand your concerns. All I can tell you is what I experianced.  My children were all immunized. I have a 20 year old,19 year old and a 7 year old. Their doctors and I chose to do the vaccinations slowly. I already had Sjogrens when my son was born. But we didn't know that was what was wrong with me. So that was not a question I had. He got his vaccinations and is fine. My older kids are fine too. Im not saying you should do the same. Im just letting you know that my kids are fine so far. Let us know what you find out and decide to do. Im interested to know. It is so scary and there are risks either way you decide.
I wish you and your children well.

Luna

[lolo1979]

Thanks all for responding. It sounds like the consensus is be selective and space them out, which is what we did with my first son and what we were thinking about doing that with our new little guy too. I mean many of the vaccines are for things that are not life altering or life threatening. Polio, yes. we'll get that. Dtap, yes, we'll get that too. But MMR...probably wait on that one. Measles would suck but it's not life altering or deadly. Potentially triggering an autoimmune disease for a vaccine against an illness that is not life altering or deadly...NOT WORTH IT! So I guess that's the way we'll have to look at it.

[irish]

My son and DIL have done a lot of reading on the vaccinations and because of a history of neurological issues in her family and all the autoimmune on our side they are just moving very slowly.

I don't know what they will do about school cause I would think they need to have a couple of the vaccines. I know that whooping cough is going around more now and polio is showing up more now because so many people are avoiding the vaccinations.

I am just astounded at the number of vaccinations they want to pump into these kids bodies. I think HepB vaccination after birth is just ridiculous. I had the series and it made me feel lousy!!!! Irish

[meow]

Measles would suck but it's not life altering or deadly

You are wrong about that. Measles are life threatening in children under 6, and they are as contagious as strep throat. They can cause blindness and deafness, as well.

I live right on the border with Mexico. We see cases of these childhood diseases--and also tuberculosis!!!-- more often than the rest of the country, especially with so many fleeing the violence across the border in Juarez. There is a reason why these vaccinations are required. They can be deadly and they spread through the school-age population like wildfire.

Thimerosal has not been used in vaccinations for over 10 years, so those of you who are worried about that can relax.

There is no epidemiological study linking vaccinations to autoimmune diseases.

I think that going with the minimum number of shots, as spread out as possible is the way to go. But don't forgo them and put your children in jeopardy because of unsupported claims and dubious studies. Remember the "vaccinations cause autism" panic that never had ANY basis in fact, and the one doctor who claimed to have found a link and wrote his million-dollar bestseller, eventually confessed to fabricating his data and went to PRISON.

[mshistory]

Both of my children receive their vaccines on schedule. I am not in the least bit concerned about the safety of vaccines and believe strongly enough in their efficacy and safety that last year, I had my egg allergic daughter tested to see if she could tolerate the flu vaccine. She could and did just fine with it.

It is a personal decision, but I completely agree with meow that it's one that should be based on actual scientific data, and not internet or media hype and scare tactics.

[aussie mum]

It is important to understand that being immunised does not guarantee that you won't catch the disease, it's just that when everyone is immunised you have far less chance of catching it.

These days, because of immunisation programs, you don't hear often about children dying from these terrible diseases, but the fact is, as the immunisation rate goes down, more people are catching these diseases such as whooping cough - with tragic consequences.

My husband caught Whooping Cough in is 40's (immunisations don't cover you for life). He passed out twice and broke ribs due to the coughing. He was extremely ill and the cough lasts for about 3mths. No wonder babies can die.

I am glad that all my kids (23, 21 & 19) were immunised.

However, my daughter who was diagnosed with SJS at 17, did have a reaction when she received the Cancer of the Cervix vaccinations at 16. She went into what we would now class as a flare for about a week after each needle (3 needles - 2 to 3mths apart from memory). At the time we did consider not getting the 3rd needle, but in the end went ahead with it.

No one can say whether the immunisations caused her SJS, but having relatives that have died from Cancer of the Cervix, I am glad she has added protection against that.