For Moms Who Are Against Vaccinations Only!

I work in the medical field, as a podiatrist, and I have seen an alarming rise in the amount of children who are paralyzed and crippled from polio, a preventable disease. These kids cannot walk, or lead a normal life, sometimes they die.
I can't for the life of my work out why people don't vaccinate their children.
I know you probably didn't want to hear that, so I am sorry. Not trying to be a "smart alec," although I am pretty smart lol.

Whooping cough is on the rise.
Measles is on the rise.
The diseases scare me more than the vaccines.

We vaccinate. I cannot imagine NOT vaccinating....why not vaccinate against deadly disease? Makes no sense.

You will never win a debate if you only look at information from your point of view.

My kids were vaccinated and other than once with pink eye, none of the four have ever been sick with anything but a cold. Now what you will see happen here is those that did not vaccinate who have a worse record than mine will not post, those that have a great record will post and you will present this as data to your husband. He will not buy it because it is flawed data. You will get mad probably post again.

Why don't you just google it. As hot a topic as this is I am sure there is some reliable data out there on the subject.

It is really not in the best interest of the American government, nor our FDA to go around poisoning it's own children.

A little common sense please.

After you decide to not vaccinate your children due to some conspiracy theory about them being unsafe, you'll likely see UFOs over NYC and discover the Yeti in the woods behind your house.

:(

Instead of puting it in your So What Happened I would change your title to fit your needs.... Your title is screaming for attention from both sides of the fence on this one.

As far as your question goes - I vaccinate and would have to agree with your husband.

Good luck!

I do vaccinate my son on schedule and will do the same for my daughter who's due in Feb. I have to agree abou asking drs, ask ones who are for and ones who are against. A friend of mine did choose not to vaccinate her youngest child and payed the ultamite price when her baby got whooping cough, and died. Something that could have been prevented by a vaccine. Personally I wouldn't risk my child's life on a small % of side effects that usally aren't harmful. But that's your and your husbands decision to make just make sure you do research for both sides.

I'm sorry but how can you make a wise informed decision if you are only getting one sided opinions. I suggest you do real research from real medical professionals so that you can make an informed decision not just getting opinion from a bunch of strangers on the Internet (many with no medical background) I'd even go as far as to speak with a few doctors on the matter a good pediatrician will not push one or the other but will give you real facts. Remember a lot of things you read on the internet isn't real facts!

I would just urge you to research the downfall of herd immunity due to the rise of unvaccinating, and the cost of lower herd immunity among the community, particularly around the elderly, newborns, infants and people with compromised immune systems. :)

As for pros.... not sure aside from kids not getting possible side effects such as slight fevers or sore muscles of injection sites of vaccines since the autism link has been debunked. Cons outweigh them in a big way, but I won't go there, respectfully. One good thing people are choosing to do is delay vaccines, that is a good alternative to getting so many at once. Or to not get some lesser vaccs, such as the chicken pox. If a child does have severe allergic reactions, than obviously vaccinating probably isn't for them.

I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other, but it is such a big decision, it only makes since to research BOTH sides. Pros and Cons. research medical journals, including those which encourage natural medicine - not just the internet & do research also on the diseases each vaccination prevents. You might decide that you're good with not vaccinating for chicken pox, but polio is serious enough, you'd prefer the vaccination.

Hi,

My advice to you is to not come on this site and ask for ONLY moms who believe in non-vaccinating! You have opened a big can of worms. Instead, search the web for pros/cons--you will find plenty of sites with that information. If you ask here, it is more respectful to be open to hearing all sides because that is what you will get! Then pick and choose what is right for your family. But, I would agree with your husband. Vaccines have helped save tons of kids from horrible illnesses and diseases. They don't cause autism!

This site is not for one-sided answers. Do your own research if you ONLY want the side that supports yours. This site is for asking questions and getting advice on both sides of the fence. Your kids, your choice for vaccinating them or not, but don't expect to not get rude remarks if you want only supporting opinions.

I just have to warn you that virtually none of the information that you're getting here from anti-vaxing moms is accurate. They may think it's true but it's not. A 7 lb baby does NOT get the same dosage for a vaccine, such as flu, as an adult. That's a blatant lie. [Recommended dosage is not the same thing as a pediatrician ordering measured dosages for newborns/infants/children. There are dosage size differences for children versus adults.]

There are too many falsehoods to go through here but you MUST speak with your pediatrician about this rather than randomly poll strangers who say they're anti-vaxing. You won't get the truth that way.

(EDIT: I'm pro-vaccine with reasons for my choices, and for the record I do think there's a diff between non-vaccinating and anti-vaccinating. Anti-vaccing is fear-mongering with false information while non-vaccing is typically well thought out with solid medical reasons behind it.)

**The preservatives mentioned by another poster were removed in the mid-90's... read the CURRENT medical and legal literature**

We vaccinate our child... but please read Bug's response with genuine sincerity. Do your homework. You will get all kinds of answers on this site b/c this is such a polarized topic.

I will tell you this... this is a research interest for me (part of my former job) and while I firmly believe there is NO scientific evidence to support the Autism argument and vaccines are generally successful and maintain a healthy life for HEALTHY children, you should know that they can have serious implications for children with different chronic health issues and illnesses. We lost our nephew (age 2) to a vaccine complication- actually pediatrician's negligence which according to the attorney representing the FDA and the drug company is very common (they sued the doctor, not us).

Again... this was a part of my job for a period of time and I still freaked out vaccinating my child. We interviewed 6 pediatricians before I found one that was well-read and realistic on the topic. I didn't want someone who just did it because it was on the "chart"- I wanted someone who would talk with us about each vaccine and administer those that were necessary, but talked to us about the others.

Your husband has as much a say in this as you do. If you want to show your husband PROS of not vaccinating, fine, go do your research. But if think using this forum to prove your point will sway him, then you need to re-evaluate your plan. I vaccinated my kids. I felt it was the responsible thing to do. I will say this, I did not vaccinate my son with chicken pox vaccine. It had just come on the market when he was a toddler and I wasn't sure how effective it would be. As you know, if a man gets the chicken pox it can cause steralization. He had the chicken pox when he was a kiddo as did my other child.

I felt that it was important for you to hear the other side as well.

Just have to respond. This is an issue in my family too. I have always vacinated and will keep up with required shots. You don't hear of any of the illnesses that they get vacinations for very often but what if. Look back years ago when those illnesses came through and how many young, middle age and old died. Thinking though that those skeptical ones who don't give shots actually are harming the ones who do want to prevent as they will keep the illness hanging around. Think twice as likeliness of having a reaction or medical issue from the vaccination is very slim.

Agree with Erin L's post completely. And also love Karen's- very informative and right on spot! Also like momofmany along with many others- I am also on the non-vaccinating side, but don't have any more info to add that hasn't already been posted. Just thought I'd add that one thing I was not really expecting when I decided to not vaccinate the kids is how remarkably healthy they have been- We have been for maybe 2 sick visits total with both children ages 4&2 and both ended up being seasonal allegries (hay fever)- Never had any ear infections or anything and never had antibiotics- I was "prepared" by other mama's to spend the majority of the time in the doc office with little ones, but to my surprise- that's not the case. I can't help but think there must be a correlation. I absolutely LOVE our pediatrician and feel so blessed to have found her- the first ped we went to (with our first born) was horrible to me over not vaccinating. I cried the whole way home, b/c I was so embarrassed- Needless to say I spent many many many hours researching this debate and have stuck by my decision embarrassment free! Good luck in your decision I know this can be a difficult thing to decide. God Bless!

Herd Immunity is false. And just remember that 2/3 of the people who got whooping cough last year were fully vaccinated. Vaccination does not equal Immunization. Please go to Dr. Tenpenny's page on facebook. You will learn everything you need to know about the dangers of vaccines. Post this same question, and you'll get the answers you need. I'm so sorry you've been attacked. You are a great mom for caring so much about your child to do your own research. Don't back down to anyone because they are coming at you left and right telling you that you are wrong and that you are neglecting you child. It's hard for anyone to go against the norm and to do the opposite of what we've been doing for so long now. The best thing you can do is learn about the diseases and know how to treat them if you child should get it. Also, get a naturopathic doctor for your kids. There is no need to have a pediatrician if you don't vaccinate. This kind of doctor will be on your side and help you with your fears. Good luck!

Oh my I bet this is not the type of reaction you were hoping for! This is such a big debate, tomorrow you should post about circumcision and pitbulls, lol.

Without getting into my opinion on vaccinations, I think the most important thing is for you to make a decision that you and your husband both feel right about, and feel good enough about it that you don't care what other people think. I don't totally understand why you even need to get advice from other people about the pros of not vaccinating, if you need to come on here to be filled in, then what have you based your decision on so far? If you're already choosing not to vaccinate then I'm assuming you probably have some darn good reasons already! You need to do what you feel is right, and make a decision you can stand by.

Every disease is different. Every vaccine is different. Every child is different. Every family situation is different. You will have to weigh all of these factors yourself and do your own research. It's difficult because there is very little good solid science on either side of this debate. Almost all the the studies are severely biased, too short, too small, or asking the wrong questions. Good science in this area tends to be politically infeasible, astronomically expensive, unethical, or impractical.

So we pretty much have to take the data we have, make the best guesses we can, and live with the consequences.

When doing your own research, always take into account the bias of the source. Counter-bias information is most likely to be valid. If you see anti-vaccine information from a pro-vaccine source (like the CDC), it's probably valid. If you see pro-vaccine information from an anti-vaccine source, it's probably valid.

I always recommend starting with vaccine inserts (which are available on the web) and the doctor's side of the CDC website. These are strongly pro-vaccine sources. If you find anything that worries you, it's likely to be valid.

Most pro-vaccine information that is aimed directly at parents is so oversimplified as to be propaganda. Read the stuff aimed at doctors. It is much more nuanced.

It is good to understand something about how vaccines are licensed.
Step 1: Research, development, etc.
Step 2: FDA approves the vaccine as "effective and safe" This is the exact same approval process that all other drugs go through. As we have seen with other drugs, the FDA has been known to be wrong. However, CDC and doctors will assume that *any* vaccine licensed by the FDA is "effective and safe" and proceed accordingly. As far as I know, there is no established definition of "effective". Some vaccines are over 90% effective. Some vaccines are less than 70% effective. But they are all classified the same way by the FDA.
Step 3: The CDC makes a recommendation for use. If they put it on the vaccine schedule, manufacturers will make it, insurers will cover it, doctors will offer it, and parents can choose it. If they don't, the vaccine may not be available for anyone. For this reason, the CDC is under incredible pressure to put as many vaccines on the schedule as early as possible. It is the earliest possible schedule that lines up with existing well-baby checks. To repeat, the CDC schedule is driven by a lot of non-medical considerations.

In your research. keep in mind that correlation does not mean causation. People with white hair tend to have fewer years left to live than people with brown hair. This does not mean hair dye will extend your life. Hair color and life expectancy are both correlated with a third factor, which is age.

I am convinced that vaccines do not cause autism. However, I have observed that a hugely disproportionate number of autistic children have a history of vaccine injury. I personally suspect that whatever factor causes autism also leaves children much more vulnerable to vaccine injury. I also suspect that whatever factor is driving up autoimmune disorders is also driving up negative vaccine reactions. As far as I know, no one has researched this.

Finally, research the diseases themselves, their treatment, and appropriate quarantine. Remember that many people are immuno-compromised, and the increasing use of steroid medication makes this number even higher. Whether you vaccinate or not, practice quarantine when you are ill.

Please make sure you understand a disease even if you decide to vaccinate!!!!! Sometimes vaccines fail. One of my major beefs with the pro-vaccine crowd is vaccinated people walking around in the community with an obvious and very contagious case of pertussis. The pertussis vaccine has a high failure rate and wears off quickly. The vaccine reduces the risk significantly, but for the purposes of public health everyone should assume they are not immune and behave accordingly. If you have a cough of any type, stay away from newborns!!!! And if your newborn has a cough of any type, get them tested for pertussis.

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me privately if you want my data on specific vaccines.

What are we doing? We're doing an alternate vaccine schedule, with vaccines spaced out. My son has been hospitalized twice for asthma and has various sensory problems, my daughter is pretty healthy. My son had one problematic vaccine reaction, my daughter has had no problems. Since we did delayed and spaced-out vaccination, I can say without hesitation that my son's health problems were *not* caused by vaccination. They existed before he got his first vaccine.

We do not vaccinate. My children are incredibly healthy. Their immune systems have not been compromised by the poisons found in the vaccines. Two of my children have only ever seen a doctor for structural issues (broken arm, swallowed a button battery, that sort of thing). Most of my children have never been on antibiotics ever. We do see a chiropractor for structural health, which flows to the rest of their well-being. While I think that the American medical system has its place, and is useful for some situations, I also think that it is WAY overused. As for vaccines, when you have a system that is set up to protect big pharma from being sued (you cannot sue for vaccine damage), and instead has a huge slush fund to pay off victims of vaccine damage using taxpayers dollars (the average payoff is over $500,000 per person), you should have some red flags going off.
People say that whooping cough is coming back. Yes, these diseases have always been cyclical. However, most of the people who actually are getting it were fully vaccinated, or too young to be vaccinated. You will rarely see someone old enough who was not vaccinated against it getting it. Odd, but there you go. The charts and graphs you usually see to "prove" vaccine efficacy only show a sliver of the truth. If you take the dates back further than right before the vaccine was introduced, you see a consistent decrease in the incidence of the diseases. It didn't just happen because of the vaccine, although that is what they are trying to get you to believe by their graphs. Things like hygiene and an understanding of germs play a much larger factor in it all.
Many vaccines are made using aborted fetal cell lines. It sounds crazy and insane, but it is true. You can read about it on the package inserts for the vaccines. Many doctors do not even know this. Here is a list of vaccines made with aborted babies: http://www.bellyhood.com/forum/Hot-Topics/Vaccination/Vac...
The fetal cell lines include: MRC-5, WI-38, PER-C6, RA-273, HEK-293 The vaccines include: MMR (the rubella component), Chickenpox, shingles, Hep A & B, Polio, Rabies, avian flu, HIV, and more. You can read about the particular abortions here: http://www.cogforlife.org/farnsworthvaccines.pdf
This was the beginning of my journey in researching vaccines. I wonder if we are seeing so many health and mental issues (ADD, ODD, etc) because we are willingly injecting them with aborted fetal cell lines. Are we reaping what we have sown? I know that most people are ignorant of this detail, but we allow such atrocities to be committed by the choices we make. We chose to be ignorant and just trust others to think for us. This is just the tip of the iceburg. You need to research, research, research. Study, read, figure out what the ingredients are and what they do to a body. Do you want formaldahyde injected into your baby? Why or why not? It is in the vaccines. It has recently been named a major carcinogen. What about anti-freeze? It's in there. Research. You alone (with your husband) are responsible for the medical decisions you make for your children. While the doctors may pressure you into a decision, they don't have to live with it. I also want to encourage you to be pro-active in your health decisions, to include your diet, suppliments, other ways to treat disease. We use homeopathy, herbal, and essential oil treatments. We don't do pharma. I'm not saying we never would, but for most things, it is not needed. It may be for something that comes up one day, but it isn't the first thing we go to. It is a last resort for us. Feel free to send me a message if you have any specific questions. You have to make this decision. You are responsible for the consequences. I know. Huge, huh? But, you are way ahead of most people in that you are even asking, looking, researching, *thinking* about it. Most are too lazy and ignorant to do so. I'm not saying that everyone will come to the same conclusion, so I am not making a sweeping statement that anyone who does things differently than I do in this area is ingorant or lazy. Just that most people really are when it comes to healthcare. I used to be, and I know it. My eyes were opened, by the mercy of God.
ETA: I just saw Allison's post about polio being on the rise. Where are you seeing this, Allison? What country? Many countries are forcing oral polio vaccinations. In the US, the only recent cases of polio have been from the oral polio vaccination because it carried a live strain fo polio and people would get it from changing the diaper of a baby with the vaccine. Countries like Nigeria are getting it, but I have not heard of it in the US so much since they are no longer using the oral vaccine. Just curious.

LOL, you must be fairly new to this site ;) You're going to get every side of an issue under the moon here, and that's the way it should be. Decisions on the health of our children should be weighed carefully and all sides explored and researched. THAT is the only way we make the very best decision.

ETA: I'd like to add that the whooping cough vaccine is thought to last 3 years now, hence the outbreak amongst children who had already had the vaccine. I imagine they will be tweaking the booster recommendations soon:
http://news.yahoo.com/study-whooping-cough-vaccination-fa...

My daughter (age 4) has gotten every vaccine out there and she is fine. She's proof that a child can get their full schedule of vaccines, AND be fed formula instead of breast milk and be perfectly okay. She gets her share of colds and coughs, especially now being in preschool and other activities around other kids, but no more so than I would consider normal. She really didn't get sick much as a toddler and for the most part it wasn't anything we couldn't handle at home. Only once has she had an ear infection that she needed to be on antibiotics for, that's been it. I also could not breast-feed her because of medication I was on and so she was given formula until she was 1. She is also very bright and very social. I think there are so many other factors that play into how healthy a child is or how strong of an immune system they have that we can't just chalk it up only to vaccine use or breastfeeding vs. formula.

We vaccinate on our own schedule, nothing before 12 mos, and no MMR until after age 3 (and have it split, not all together), and no chicken pox, no Hep A, and never ever any flu shots.

My sons are 9 and 6 and neither has ever had to take antibiotics until last Winter, all three of my kids got Strep from school. Awesome, but point being that waiting until your childs system is more mature, the blood brain barrier is closed, etc before giving vaccinations is safest, and only allowing one at a time instead of stabbing your baby with a chemical cocktail of 4-6 vaccines just makes sense.

My daughter came to us from Ukraine vaccinated up to date for a Ukrainian 3yr old. She was in an orphanage with 120+ kids for 3yrs, and they doled out the flu shot every Fall for the kids. It makes sense.... over 100 kids and if one gets sick, they all do because of the close quarters. So far she's been very healthy in the year she has been home, but we haven't given her any vaccinations here and won't for at least another year.

Just do your research, read books on the subject, talk to different doctors but be warned, you will be pushed by any medical professional to vaccinate on schedule. Just go with your gut. Getting 4-6 injections in my 1mo olds leg just didnt' feel right, so we didn't, and I'm glad. We waited and let them mature a little before introducing that much foreign material into their little bodies.

well, from my experience...
i don't vaccinate my son. he got his 2 month shots and that is it. he's almost 15 months.
he's had 1 cold, 1 ear infection. that's it.

i don't care what other people say, because i know this is true. my little sister got some shots and the next couple days the once talkative, responsive kid became non-verbal and withdrawn. it became worse over the years. she's 19 now...and mentally like a 2 year old. do i wish she had never been vaxxed? hell yes. just to see, but i'm almost positive that was it. we have absolutely no history of it whatsoever in the family...so, yeah.

as for some vaccines, they don't offer you 100%... and some are ridiculous..like chicken pox? you're itchy for a week and then better...the flu? there are way too many strands to even begin and usually it makes you sick anyway.

What Cheryl O said. Recent parenting.com magazine addresses this. Stories about experiences are not evidence. Be the best parent you can and don't just ask for the input from people that share the same opinions that you do. Because opinions, feelings and beliefs aren't facts.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vaccines/CC00014

All I will say is that by NOT vaccinating you are 'protecting' your child from the miniscule chance that they could have a reaction to the shot but to me you are not taking the time to think what if my child contracts measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, polio, etc. Most of which are back because parents think its the shot that will do harm and not the disease that its protecting from so they dont vaccinate their child(ren) making everyone else more vulnerable
It really is a personal choice - its your child BUT I agree with the other posters here that said you really shouldnt come on here and post a question stating that you dont want to hear from the pro vaccine team
I think if anything this should help to give you some perspective on the topic as a whole and not just to side with everything that you think about it - you need to allow your husband to have a say in this matter too
Good Luck

I am not against vaccinations per se...However, with my 2 boys I delayed them...And it has been painfully slow catching up with the vaccine schedule but too bad! With all the controversy I have leaned on the side of caution. One shot at a time and no combos....My daughter was 5 before she got the chicken pox vaccine. My first son was 3 before he got his first MMR shot. My kids are very healthy praise God. The only reason I do vaccinate is because so many people now are choosing not to and with all the international travel and tourists coming over here not to mention all of the immigration you never know what diseases are being brought over here. I get concerned about what the kids may be exposed to. However, I support your decision. It is a tough one and no loving or concerned parent wants to make a bad choice for their children. If I were you I would get one at a time so if your son has a reaction you know which vaccine caused it.

I also recommend the book "What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations" by Stephanie Cave, MD. She gives an objective opinion. Congrats to you for researching the issue. The PROS of not vaccinating are that your kids are not subject to the risk of getting the vaccination! Each vaccine has a product insert, just google to the name of the shot you are supposed to give your child and "product insert" and you will get information from the drug company that makes the vaccine about the adverse effects from the shot and the probability of it happening. Go to your dr's office and show them the insert if they give you a hard time. I am a momma of a child with autism, and my son regressed after each routine vaccination visit. No more vaccines for our family. If you decide to vaccinate, do them one at a time, and don't get the totally unncessary ones like Hep B (which is transmitted thru sexual contact and blood, just like HIV). Is your baby going to be participating in the behaviors? I think not! Stick to your guns!

I don't vaccinate with my first daughter. Every vaccination she ever had gave her a horrible reactions and a fogginess of her natural personality. It scared the living hell out of me. I selectively vaccinate my second daughter. All the information on it makes my head spin. Both sides should really be heard.

I wish people would stop taking one side over the other and realize that vaccinations are both useful AND dangerous. We have to figure out why.

ETA.my kids are the picture of health......i take their health VERY seriously

I was so put off with a doctor who told me I was "stupid" when I asked questions at a 1 month visitation that I went no vaccinations for Alex until he was 3. When preschool was imminent I did my research and we slowly started some vaccinations. We stretched them out and he did not get very many at a time. I did say a firm no on a few and did have to fill out paperwork so he could attend without all of their required vaccinations.
Alex has been extremely healthy. He has only been on two antibiotics in his 4 years. He has had very few colds, he does suffer from eczema and that is the worst we have had to deal with and I consider that more a "condition" than an illness. Alex was in preschool for 6 months last year and just started full time this past August. So he has definitely been exposed to illnesses.

I think vaccines can be helpful, yet we need to make it safer. What I told my husband when I was in your position was this...
They give a 7 pound baby the EXACT same dosage of a vaccine that they will give a 250 pound man!
This is crazy to me. We don't even give the same dosage of tylenol, but we give the same shot? I also don't think we should give anyone, especially babies, more than 1 shot at a time. What if they have an allergic reaction? You have no way of determining what shot caused it.
I read alot on this topic, and chose to follow the dr. sears schedule, with a few modifications. I discussed all of this with my pediatrician and she was completely supportive, although she reccomended my son getting the polio shot sooner than dr sears suggested. I have also chosen to not give him the MMR until I can give it as 3 seperate shots, and we will not give him hep b or chickenpox right now.
You can find research that supports both sides. You also need to do your own research. I can tell you that my son is extremely healthy and has never even so much as vomitted. I also breastfed him for 11 months, which I think is a must, especially if you are choosing to not vax.
I think we all should remember that this site is here for questions and feedback, not to bash one another. We all do what we think is best for our children. Good luck with your decision. Feel free to pm me if you have more questions.

Hi--
I agree with what Karen below said. I have two boys, and neither one has ever been vaccinated. My degree is in developmental and neurological psychology, so I had experience with vaccine injury before having my own children, and that made me cautious. I was planning on waiting for at least a year before vaccinating, then switched it to two because the immune system is not fully formed until that age. It turns out that my child was incredibly sensitive to his environment and would have had a severe reaction to the vaccines. Same with my second son. We do not vaccinate for medical reasons.

There is a premiere researcher in brain and autistic disorders---Dr. Amy Yasko. Her research and treatment has been 98% effective in reversing autistic symptoms. Her opinion on vaccinations is not that they necessarily cause Autism, but throw the bodies just enough out of balance for the symptoms to appear. It is no secret that vaccinations have heavy metals in them. Conventional wisdom says these metals are in such small amounts as to be negligible. However, research says that heavy metal concentrations in the body are definitely related to autistic symptoms. Children who are born with a higher heavy metal concentration in their blood ( due to what was in Mom's body, how much pollution they are around, whether or not they are on well water, etc) will be more likely to have a severe reaction to a vaccine. My kids have negative reactions to pretty much any chemical (including msg, dyes, perfumes, etc.) and egg whites, which they make the vaccinations in. If allergies of any type run in your family then there's a good chance your children, like mine, will be more sensitive to the environment and have a tougher times with vaccines. If you do decide to give them you can work with a natural doctor to make sure you can chelate the heavy metals as you go, and I wouldn't start until the immune system is mature (see Karen's post). Those are my thoughts :-)
J.

My children both got just the dt shot after age three and we do not plan on getting any others at this time. Research changes, and especially if they make "green" vaccines without all the preservatives and nasty ingredients I'm open to changing my mind. My kids eat healthy and are seen regularly by a chiropractor. They and other children I know do seem to be healthier, less sick, and less sick when they are than other children that are fully vaccinated. They were directly exposed to pertussis last year and both got a very high fever for a day then were fine.

My favorite book that gives a lot of research options, ingredients, side effects, likelihood of diseases, etc. is called The Sanctity of Human Blood, his website is www.thedoctorwithin.com. Many of my friends who also don't vaccinate are doctors and highly educated people who have done hours upon hours of independent research. Good luck with your decision, only you can decide what is best for you and your family! As far as school goes, we just needed to sign a personal/philosophical exemption form that the ped signed no problem! I don't know a single person who didn't vaccinate because of autism fears.

My first daughter I blindly said yes to all vaccinations. I also breastfed her until she self weaned at 4.5 years. She was not only extremely healthy and active, but very smart and uber social.

My newborn son... I refused the Hep B, Vit K and Eye ointment... he ended up getting the Vit K against my wishes anyways. I am doing a delayed schedule with him, now since I feel I know more. What ANY Dr who is for minimal or delayed (not a single MD would recommend NO vaccinating) vaccine schedules will tell you to be prepared to breastfeed at LEAST 3 years. Breastmilk will give the majority of immune fighting antibodies from the Mom, enough to cover them for the first 6 months.

At my son's 2 month check up, he got the DTaP and Rotavirus vaccines, next month will be the HIB and Pc vaccines.

A great resource is Dr Sear's The Vaccine Book - most likely at your local library.

Hep B and MMR are the two I'm most 'against'. As a Nurse, I know that the majority of diseases we vaccinate for are still around - some more rare than others. Some aren't 'severe' to get as children, but we've come to learn many diseases lay dormant in the body's system and will re-erupt as a more painful episode at a later age... so why set your child up for painful issues as an adult?

We looked at each shot and weighed the risks with the benefits. Doing so we have gotten most of the regular shots, but well spread out, and never more than 2 at a time (or one mixed shot). We will not be getting the HPV shot, and we never get the flu shot. You really need to just research each shot on your own (everyone has their own opinion on here, and both sides can back it up, so better to do your own research IMO), and the diseases they are supposed to protect against, and make the choices that feel right for your family.

"Children under 3 years should receive a 0.25ml dose of inactivated flu vaccine. Children over 3 years and adults should receive a dose of 0.5ml."

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/immunizations/a/flu_shots.htm

So my 40 pound 4 year old and my 200 pound husband do receive the same amount of vaccine. I was curious if the dose WAS the same or not for a 7 pound baby vs a 250 pound man.