Immunizations - Franklin, TN

Dear L., I don't think vaccines have had thimerosol in them for a couple of years. Ask your doctor for the package insert and look at ingredients. Google them.

Certainly that some vaccines are cultured on chick embryo and monkey kidney and cells from aborted babies (source: Children of God for Life) causes concern for some mothers.

There have been studies that show vaccines do not cause autism. However, from one mom to another, I know much of what passes for scientific research these days is bought and paid for by big pharma and industry who stands to profit from favorable conclusions; while possible connections could be swept under the rug or not explored as fully as they could be.

The National Vaccine Information Center has some good information to help you make an informed choice.

This is a question close to my heart because I selectivly immunize my 4 kids. My cousin was brain-damaged from the OLD DPT shot, and my sister and I had a bad reaction to it. My aunt is the president of the National Vaccine Information Center(www.nvic.org) because of that. That being said, most reactions that you hear about were to the OLD DPT shot, and the OLD vaccines that had mercury in them. Most vaccines nowdays don't have mercury in them anymore, and the DPT shot has been updated to a a-cellular version.

I selectively vaccinate my kids: now, I am a stay-at-home mom, and my kids don't go to daycare. If they did, I might do something different. I have talked with my kids Dr. about my reasons, and she lets me to this b/c of no daycare and also, I plan to homeschool for a few years.

My kids, instead of having their shots at 2,4,6, and 12 months, have them at 3,6,9, and 18 months to give their systems longer to recover from the shots. I also do not give them the DaPT shot, just the DT(which does not protect against whooping cough). Also, I wait to give them the MMR until they are 3 or 4(because I do think that having that shot early does cause some autism), and I don't give them the chicken pox vaccine. This is not really based on any scientific research, just what I do with my kids. All in all, it is YOUR decision, not your Dr's, so do the reasearch and know that whatever you do, you do with your kids health in mind. Good luck! Feel free to msg me if you have any more questions.

Make sure you are seeing a reputable pediatrician. Do not lapse on immunizations-see if you can spread them aout like one every 2-3 days instead of all at once. Maybe that will make you feel more at ease.Find out all you can about mercury in shots. How long does it stay in the babys' system -what percentage of it mercury is in the actual dosage being given. Do your homework get all the facts then decide.

I don't know if you get your child's immunizations on post or not, but they have changed this proceedure and are no longer giving immunizations with mercury preservatives. I have checked. If you are not on post, then you can speak with the attending nurse about this and request non-mercury preserved immunizations. Maybe you could call ahead to see what proceedures your medical office uses about this concern.

I understand your problem with immunizations. Since the 1980s, the medical community has gone from giving 8 shots before the age of three to 32 shots before 2 years old. I don't think our kids are any healthier, and in fact, think most are sicker.

I have a one year old, and we have practiced delayed immunization. My concern, besides the mercury, is the nimber and schedule that immunizations are given. We have waited for her to be a year old. After doing research, I feel that too many immunizations are given at one time. We are eliminating some shots, like the DTP, and will given her only one shot at a time, so we can monitor the effects, and any reactions.

I also won't be giving her chicken pox- when you have it as a child, you have life long immunity, but with the vaccaination, you have keep getting the shots. There have been recent cases of adults getting chick pox, and they are just not as able to fight off the disease.

My ped will not give just one shot at a time, so I have to go to the health department. That said, if your child is only 6 months old, you still should have seen your ped more than you have.

Also, my husband is a stay at home dad, and my child is not in daycare. If she was, I would catch her up- still by doing 1 shot every two weeks.

Finally- sorry to be long winded- you do not have to have your child vaccinated. This is because even the companies that provide vaccinations, and law makers realize there is a small part of the popular that will have severe reactions to immunizations. If you were required by law to have your child vaccinated, and the child died, you would have a great lawsuit on your hands. The best way to circumvent the vaccination issue with your ped is to sign the wavier saying you object for religious reasons.

The shots are safe. The greater risk if if your child gets one of the awful diseases that could have been prevented with the immunizations. Please have your child immunized!

There are some studies that suggest tv watching may be to blame for autism (including videos and movies). Do you watch tv when your child is in the room? Do you let her watch educational shows or videos?

There are also some studies that suggest that plastics are harmful to our children. Do you use plastic bowls, forks, spoons, baby bottles, teething toys, etc.

There will always be speculation as to what causes different illnesses. We will never have all the answers. If we try to protect our kids from every poossible thing that MIGHT cause autism, cancer, diabetes, heart problems, etc. then you might as will live in a bubble. I know you want to protect your kids but just about everything MIGHT cause something else. You will drive yourself crazy.

Please have your child immunized. It is safer than what will happen if she gets one of those preventable illnesses. Not being immunized could lead to blindness, hearing impairment, brain damage, or death. Hope this helps.

If you choose not to have your daughter immunized with shots that contain mercury, try to find a pediatrician who will see her anyway. It is important for her to have a regular physician regardless of her immunization status and you will want her to have regular visits to check on her overall health, wellness, and development. Some doctors may not be willing to take her on as a patient if she isn't immunized, but call around and I'm sure you'll find someone. Good luck!

Hi, L.:

I can definitely understand your uneasiness about the immunizations because of the risks involved. I remember reading (somewhere) that it's the COMBINATION of the types of immunizations that increases the risk. In other words, they give three immunizations at once, however, from what I understand, they don't have to do it that way. They could maybe split them up. I have read that this decreases the risk. Of course, I have no medical evidence to back that up, it's just something I remember seeing. It wouldn't hurt to ask your baby's pediatrician about that.

Have a good Memorial Day!
D. M.

First of all the tiniest amounts of mercury that the shots have in them are such a small amount it's near impossible for them to cause any effects in your child. Second you are risking your childs life by not giving immunizations!! If you have ever heard any cases in which these shots have caused disease or what not because the the amount of mercury, it's probaby because they failed to mention that the child was also exposed to other sources of mercury hence overexposure. However if you are this concerned you should seek another doctor to get the mercury-free shots. But if it came down to autism (which is a disease that they condem on any hyper child these days) or polio, which would you choose you child to suffer from?

One alternative is to not get any vaccinations, period. My daughter is a happy, healthy 9 month old, who has never been sick a day in her life! She has never had any vaccinations and the last time I checked Rubella was not making a comeback! As a mother I know you want what's best for your child, and it's great that you're doing your own research and not just listening to what the doctors tell you. There is plenty of evidence from sources not funded by the FDA and big drug companies to show that the highest risk of SIDS is within a week of a vaccination. It's also amazing how perfectly healthy babies suddenly start showing signs of autism after a round of vaccinations. Each child will handle the mercury differently. There is no way of knowing what it will do to your child. I agree with the other mother, that if you want your daughter to go to public school, you should wait until she's a year old and only give one shot at a time. You can also homeschool, or sign the wiaver saying you're not vaccinating for religious reasons. Do some research and then do what's right for your family, not what anyone else believes. Good luck!!!

We didn't get our daughter immunized until she was 2 for that very reason. She is now a very healthy 5 year old. Because I stayed at home with her, it was not a problem as far as child care goes. We did however have to find a new doctor because our doctor wouldn't see her anymore if we did not immunize. Good luck.

there is a ton of info on the net regarding vax. My first two were vaxed on schedule, but I decided to go with delayed vax with my daughter. From what I've read, much of the problem with reactions is when they mix them together (like DTaP) You can ask your dr about single vax that aren't mixed. The drawback to that is more shots for the child. I'd do some research on them and see if you can find something you're comfortable with. Then, start with your pedi and see what they say. Some are very strict about vax, others are more relaxed. You can always get shots at the health dept. as well.

I don't understand. your worried about immunizations, yet your daughter is 6 mo's old and you've only had to a pediatrician one time. By the time my daughter was 6 mo's old she had at least 5 well visits. I am first time mom, and I worry about everything, but I work very closley with my pediatician. I think you need to list the pro's and con's and look closely. you'll find the pro's definatley out way the cons.

I have two sons (age 3 and 7) who have never been immunized. They are happy and extremely healthy! I researched vax when they were infants for the same reasons that you write about and decided that it was not a good choice for their health. My children receive regular chiropractic care and go to their annual wellness check-up with our pediatrician. They have never had an ear infection, colic, allergies, asthma or any other "common" childhood illness. I believe the decision not to immunize was one of the best I have made. You are not legally required to vaccinate your children and they cannot prevent them from entering public school just because you have made a choice to skip immunizations. You just need to sign a religious waiver when they are enrolled. Just keep up to date on research and do what you believe is best for your daughter! PS-Did you know that a child's immune system is not fully developed until the age of 2? Why vaccinate before then if they don't have an immune system that can handle it?!

Yes, I go to Peerless Pediatrics in Cleveland and none of the immunizations contain mercury. Did you ask your pediatrician this? I wouldn't have known this if I didn't ask. You really need to take your daughter to the doctor and get her caught up on everything -at least a check up on everything else if you decide against the shots.