Mmr - Midlothian,TX

My ped DOES split them up. my oldest is 19 months and his ped says that he does not need to have it until 24 months...he doesn't have strong language skills. She said if he was not speaking 20 words clearly and articutlately, she would wait and not do it until that language develops. Autism usually affects that area of the brain, so why push it was her response. I am thoroughly pleased with her. I have another friend who has her little girl on an alt. schedule w/ the same ped and they are waiting til she is 3 to do the shot (mom was raised in UK)...so, I was VERY relieved that she was not willing to take a chance even though they say there is no intrinsic link to Autism. She says the 3 in 1 shot tends to wreck the immune system too. Her name is Dr. Bain and is in Frisco. www.healthykidspediatrics.com

Hi N., I had mumps as a child and wouldn't wish that pain on anybody. I highly recommend the vaccine!

Dear N.,

I too feel that vaccines are very important and talked to my pediatrician extensively about the concerns regarding autism and vaccinations. After speaking at length with her we went ahead with the MMR and the only side effect she experienced was a fever for a couple of days. Six months later is 19 months old and doing GREAT.

Good luck and I hope you find the answer you are comfortable with.

You can get your pedi to order it from American Medicine separated I believe. I do know Dr. Bain in Frisco will ONLY administer it split up.....
www.healthykidspediatrics.com

American Medicine

Bridgette: ###-###-####

Can get MMR separated from Merck

Steps:
Physician fax order for child
“separated MMR for Samantha”
with state license

Fax: ###-###-####

Ships to doctor’s office

Measles $31.64
Rubella $35.23
Mumps $40.90
All three: $113 roughly

You would pay for the shots and the shots would be sent to the doctors office for storage and scheduling of administering it.....

I just want to mention that as a teacher of students who had special needs I worked with several diagnosed with autism. I know for sure a few of them never had the MMR at all. I also know that MOST of the kids in regular education did have the MMR, so for me the coincidence that autism begins to show at the age that kids get the MMR is nothing more than a coincidence. (Note- autism affects ability to communicate and age one is when that begins to shine in kids- so if a child has autism it is likely to start showing up at that time, which happens to be when the shot is normally given)

We did get a small outbreak of mumps in our school while I was pregnant and it caused a huge scare. If those kids had been immunized it would have saved trouble for them and me! I have also heard of children dying from mumps and measles, or having lifelong effects. This is a scientific known fact- autism from MMR is just a guess with no science behind it.

Because of this I had no fear when I got my daughters vaccines on time and she is healthy and smart and communicates terrifically! All that said, you have to follow your heart as a mom. My fears of well known disease was greater than my fear of a coincidence of autism. Your fears may lead you to other choices for your angel.

Here is an article I found informative on the issue:
http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/AdviceFromDoctors...

It's a very personal decision and a hard one to make as a parent. I have chosen not to vaccinate my son at all, but that's with 16 years of research behind me and I have all the studies in my head to combat the pedi's that try to bully me. They leave me alone after I cite the studies!! My son has been under chiropractic care since he was 2 hours old, has never had an ear infection or ever even given any medication for anything, including antibiotics...he's almost 4. How many parents can say that these days?? Vaccines do not build a healthy immune system, it makes the body chronically infected to create the antibodies to combat whatever virus or bacteria it's meant to. It does not immunize your child, it vaccinates them. The difference? Immunize means immune for life, vaccinate is only during the time the vaccine is meant to be active within the body. That's why you get boosters. Mark my words. Soon we will have adults getting the chicken pox which can render them sterile and in the hospital. Childhood diseases are there to give a childs immune system a workout to make it stronger and respond to it's evironment in a natural way. The reason why we have so many allergies today? OUr children's immune system is overloaded with viruses and bacteria and it's on the defense over-reacting to it's environment. We have effectively traded the chickenpox for cancer and serious allergic reactions. Sound harsh? Well, I have the research to back it up. It's sounds scary and it should. Be viligent. Be informed. And most of all ask the hard questions. A good place to start for sound research is: www.909shot.com. I cannot tell you what decision to make, but you have the right to question and it seems like there is something in your gut that is telling you to do so. Listen to your mommy instincts, they are powerful and never wrong. I have met many moms that wished they would have listened to those instincts, some had tragic consequences. Dr. Sherry Tenpenny is a D.O. who has done extensive research regarding this subject and has combed through the CDC documents and found that there are more children harmed by vaccines than those that get sick from the actual disease. Her website is: http://www.sayingnotovaccines.com/. I hope this gives you somewhere to start on your journey of knowledge on the subject. It's a lot to go thru. Remember, it's OK to delay as many countries now are not even starting to vaccinate, as a rule, until the age of 2, like when I was a child. You have time to research. If your pedi says they won't see your child anymore because you don't vaccinate when they say to, get a new pedi. Stay strong. Your a mom on a mission to do the very best for your child and you deserve to have all the most up to date, correct information to make a very important decision in the future of your child's health. Remember, it's your decision, as an informed couple, and if vaccinating is something you feel you should do, then you have made the right decision for you and your family. Being informed on the consequences for either vaccinating or not should always be known before the decision is made. Even though we have decided against it, I would never condemn anyone for making a different decision as I would never want someone to do that to us. Godspeed, Mother Warrior!

http://www.harmonyfamilyhealth.com/ PLEASE go see Dr. Chartrand! You will love him. I actually found him on Dr. Sears website. No hurry, go for his 18 month. This is a very confusing issue and no matter how much you research it you will probably still walk away with more questions than answers, but it helps to have a doctor who supports your decision either way.

I have a son who is vaccine injured. I AM NOT anti vaccine but I do believe the schedule is insane. AND I DO believe it is harmful to give your child 3 diseases in shot. I research this on a daily basis and have lived the nightmare for 7 years. My son was completely fine until his DPaT and MMR vaccine. A week later he lost all language and reverted inside himself. I cannot tell you how much I wish everyone would listen to the moms instead of their pediatricians over this. It is not only the diseases in the shots but also the ingredients. I went to Washington to rally and ask them to clean up the ingredients and make it safer for our children. There wew 8500 other women there with the same story. You can call Hopewell Pharmacy in New Jersey to see if they have the seperated shots. YOu are amazing that you even read about it and ask questions! Your baby is lucky to have you. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS go with YOUR gut . I wish I had done that! Dr. Sears is awesome and you bought the right book. If you want to email me ____@____.com I can try to find a doc who will do this for you. I have a yahoo group and these women will do anything to help! I can ask around for you. There is NO harm in delaying until you find out more information!!!!!!!!!!!
L.

This is a tough question, and one on which reasonable people can differ. All I can share are my thoughts. 1) LOTS and LOTS of studies have been done looking for an autism link and it hasn't been found. Now, people still say that it hasn't been proven safe, and that is true. Its relatively easy to demonstrate that something isn't safe, but hard to show it is. Is testing 100,000 people enough? 500,000? when do you decide its enough? 2) There's a lot of misinformation out there, and it makes me sick. Whole books have been written to show a link to autism using flawed statistical design. I have a Ph.D. in biology and a lot of statistical experience, so I can see through it, but without training, most people wouldn't be able to. 3) Yes, some moms believe the vaccine caused their child's illness. One should keep in mind that the symptoms of autism become apparent at around the same age as the vaccines are given, and that people have a natural and understandable tendency to look for an explanation for tragedies 4) The vaccine schedule promoted by most doctors is designed more for convenience and making sure that no one slips through the cracks, not necessarily because kids need all those vaccines that young. Most doctors will agree that a responsible parent who will keep track of their kids vaccinations can follow alternative schedules without any harm to the child. 5) There is a concept of "herd immunity" which is that as long as a certain % of people are immunized, there won't be a major outbreak of that disease. That's one reason we don't see many cases of these diseases anymore. However, as more and more people choose not to get immunized (or can't, for rare specific health reasons) that protection will fall away.

So, in light of all of that, my personal decision has been to get vaccines, but to get them on a delayed schedule, and to get just 1 or 2 at a time. Dr. John Bailey at Precision Family Medicine in Carrollton will support a delayed schedule and separation of the MMR shots (though I don't know what his current supply is).

Good luck! Its one of many hard parenting decisions!

Hi N.! I was very confused when my son was that age b/c of all of the info. we receive contradicts. My husband and I are both health professionals. He would rather not give have any vaccines done at all while I do feel they're important but we give babies WAY too many. My son will be 2 in April and he hasn't had any of his 12-15 month vaccines. Now, he had a stomach virus at 12 months and we fought strept throat for 4 months on/off after that and I refused to give vaccines while he was not 100%. It's funny b/c when I asked our pediatrician about finishing his 4th round of the HIB/Pneumoccal vaccine she said there is a shortage and he's fine. We might get his 4th round of DTAP and 2 but I am holding off MMR for quite awhile - maybe like 5 or 6. I wish I was more help. I know how you feel. I read Dr. Sears' book and another titled 'What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You About Vaccines' and I cried and couldn't sleep at night thinking I could of harmed my child with something the doctors recommend. I know if I have another child I will definitely spread things out over 3-4 years. I personally feel that although the MMR may not cause autism it is definitely a contributing factor in those children at risk. Best of luck!

There is no harm in waiting...especially since he's fully vaccinated otherwise. My son just turned two and I'm going to wait until he starts school to give the MMR and Chickenpox. I do reccommend breaking them up one at a time. We go to Dr. Bain in Frisco. She will break them up (preservative free) and is supportive if you choose to wait for any of the vaccines. She is a fabulous pediatrician. She definitely thinks outside the box.

N., I totally know what you're going through! When my first son (who is now 2) was due for his MMR, I absolutely agonized over what to do. You're right that it is hard to find a Dr. to break up the shot. At first I thought that Dr.s were just being stubborn or something. But after asking some questions I realized that doctors don't want un-immunized kids in their waiting rooms! After lengthy research and asking everyone's advice I decided that I agreed with my doctor that immunizations and organ transplants are the greatest medical developments of our time.
I literally cried all the way to the doctor's office, in the car, in the waiting room, in the exam room, and while the shot was being administered. It was crazy! My son barely even cried while getting the shot, but I cried the whole day. I was just convinced that "a light in his eyes" would just "turn off" like I had read in Jenny Mc Carthy's book. Well, it never happened! As days and weeks went by I kept waiting for something horrible to happen and it never did.
In the end, I'm a huge believer in vaccines, but it is so hard to make that decision when all around you are conflicting opinions and you're terrified of hurting your child. Pray about it and think logically and listen to your mother's instinct!
good luck!

My oldest son had no problems - I started his shots at 6 months (including that Hep B they like to give newborn babies). He got MMR at two. By four, he was completely on track and immunized.

My younger son has problems - suffice to say he was extremely developmentally delayed until a month after his second birthday, when for some reason he suddenly started catching up triple time... I got his Polio shot and his DTAP shot on time, the rest didn't start until he started talking right before his second birthday. His pediatrician says, "It must have been some kind of virus holding him back". Come on? A virus that lasts from 2 months (when he first started falling behind - to 25 months (when he started talking and walking and sitting upright)?

He turned 3 this month. He is now completely immunized and doing absolutely fabulously. I waited to get his shots because somewhere, in the back of my mind, I was worried that they would increase his problems.

His pediatrician and I butted heads repeatedly over my timing - but you know what? I am the one that has to accept the consequences of my child getting sick - either because he did, or because he did not, get any particular shot. If I have to accept the consequences, then ultimately it is my decision to make.

The state of Texas backs parents up on this - you can get a waiver from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services in Austin for daycare and school.

Good luck, with whatever decision you make.

S.

I saw a doctor on t.v. saying that the real culprit is the preservatives in the serums and not the serums. Allergies to perservatives can be pretested with a skin test. If you are really concerned, you could suggest this to your doctor.

Good luck. Hope your little one is okay.

D. Kimbriel
Grandma to 2 beautiful boys

Hi N., I wanted to say we love Dr. Bain in Frisco as well. (I see several moms have found her!)She's doing her own research study on autism. She knows the risk factors and will see some children who she can tell right away would be autistic if they got the MMR. So she tells those parents to wait even longer to get the split up shots. She recommends splitting up the shots for everyone and will do whatever you feel is best. She'll even recommend a schedule that is safest.

I didn't find her until my son turned 3. I had gone to Dr. Alvis when he was born(who didn't properly treat my son's umbilical area issue and confused me about the first shots he received when he said a fever of 100.3 was an emergency--and the shots caused a fever--which worried me, of course, and the nurse wondered why he told me that because she said the shots almost always cause fever), switched to Dr. Burton, then switched to Dr.Cook. So you can see I'm picky about pediatricians!!!!

I found Dr. Bain when my daughter was born, and it is SUCH a relief to find a Dr. who will truthfully face the issue that is there and most Dr.'s won't admit it exists. When my son had his MMR, there was DEFINITELY a huge reaction and major symptoms and it scared me to death. I had mentioned it to a Dr. at Dr. Burton's office a few days later and she said the shot had nothing to do w/ his symptoms. (Hence, I then switched to Raintree Pediatrics and later found them to be the same as the rest)

The Dr.'s at Raintree and Dr. Burton's office will probably split up shots if you request it, but they won't encourage it or be as vocal about it as Dr. Bain. I'm just so glad my daughter will not have to go through what my son did when he was pumped through his little body w/ 3 or more shots every time we went to the Dr. I'm convinced it hurt his immune system and although I don't see autism in him, I just wish we would have found Dr. Bain sooner.

Off my soapbox. Just be careful and let the mainstream parents go to the mainstream Dr.'s who get the perks from the drug companies and let the rest go to Dr's like Dr. Bain. Better safe than sorry.

Hi,

My daughter and son-in-law did mega research about immunizations. They do believe there is a link between immunizations and autism and other conditions. They started searching for a pediatrician that would do an altered schedule...delay the shots at such an early age and space the shots out over time. It was quite a tedious task. Most doctors would not even talk with them. They have 2 children and go to Dr. Hasell in Dallas, near Presbyterian Hospital. She seems to be working out well.

Be your own best advocate in your research and working with the doctors. My best to you.

I had the same fear and went with my intuition to not vaccinate my infant until his immune system was more developed. The mercury (Thermisol) in vaccines is what critics have pointed to as a possible link to autism. Your doctor will push you to have this vaccine, but it is your decision. If you decide to go ahead and vaccinate at this time, insist that the vaccine is thermisol free (ask to see the actual packaging), and ask that the vaccine be broken into the 3 different vaccines so if there is an adverse reaction you will know which vaccine was the cause. Also check out the government's vaccine injury compensation fund to see the reported adverse effects for this combo of vaccines. And, a good source for learning about vaccines is Mothering magazine. Search through the archives to find relevant vaccine articles. Best of luck and always trust your motherly intuition.

We had no problems with the scheduled vaccinations at all, but if I had it to do over again, I would split them up. Absolutely. My former pediatrician was a stickler about giving lots and lots of shots, and when she retired and we went to our current pediatrician, she tactfully suggested that with a child who stayed home and was not in daycare, she doesn't do quite as many shots. That was when I first realized that reasonable minds can differ, and that even doctors take different approaches. I have an autistic niece and I can honestly say that she seemed "autistic" from the get-go, even as an infant, so the shots don't seem to have been the culprit in her case. However, since there may be a genetic component, I would be much more careful with those early vaccinations if I had another child.

I firmly believe in getting the vaccinations, by the way. My child has no right to put another child at higher risk for these terrible childhood diseases. I just think the shots can be broken out separately and spread out a bit so as not to overwhelm the immune system.

Well I suppose this is a very unpopular opinion, but I believe strongly in following the recommended schedule. Of course there are sometimes reasons to differ, but in general I think we should trust our health professionals. I assume you chose your pedi because you trust him or her completely, so why second guess that medical opinion? If you don't trust them, then for goodness sake get a different pedi anyway! They spend years studying and learning what is best for children. To say they don't care about what is best and rather do things for convenience is ridiculous. They dedicate their lives to caring for our kids. Now, I do completely understand where you are coming from, and I see why you ask this question. It is very valid considering everything that is out there. I don't blame you for asking or being concerned. I just don't understand why people with no medical training whatsoever, even with reading up a lot, can feel they know better than the majority of pediatricians. I'll probably get some "hate mail" or "bad parent mail" for this opinion. I usually get a few every time I post this opinion. People tell me it is my responsibility to learn how to best care for my kids and that I shouldn't leave it up to the pediatrician. Well if that's true, remind me not to call the fire station if my house is on fire because it's my responsibility anyway! We'll drive ourselves crazy if we try to learn everything we need by ourselves. It is literally impossible. Trust your professionals. Moms on mamasource do not know better than your pediatrician. God bless you in your decision.

Dear N.,
You are a good mommy to be thinking about this and checking out all your information before making a decision about your child's health. Just be sure to find out factual and correct information. The vaccine scare started from ONE report by a British Doctor in 1998. Since then, there have been dozens of studies, NONE of which can conclusively corroborate his findings. In other words, one doctor had a theory back in 98, reported it and scared the bejeeses out of everyone, and no one can duplicate the results since. That is counterintuitive of scientific method, which says that for a hypothesis to be proven, the method has to be performed and REPEATED.

However, if you are concerned, I think delaying the shots would be fine. I wouldn't miss your sons shots just so that you could split them up into the measles, mumps, and rubella shots separately. If it takes too long to find a doc to do that, just get the MMR shot at 18 months. Of course, if you are REALLY concerned, you can skip the shot. But just go into it realizing that the likelihood of getting Measles, Mumps, or Rubella is higher than the likelihood of getting autism. Like I said, just check the factual numbers. And trust your instincts. In the end, if you're right or wrong, you only have to live with yourself. So make a decision that you can live with, no matter what anyone else says.

This is a tough issue, with, as you've noticed, a lot of really strong opinions on both sides. I did a lot of research on this before by DD's 18 mo checkup, after sitting next to a mom at a dinner who attributed her son's autism to the mmr. After all I read, here is the conclusion that I reached: for children with a genetic predisposition for autism, certain shots (including the mmr) can trigger the onset of autism. If your kid doesn't have the gene, he'll be fine. Unfortunately, there is not currently widespread genetic testing for this, so we don't usually know beforehand if our individual child is at risk. The folks who claim absolutely that vaccines don't cause autism are, technically, right--a vaccine can be an autism trigger, but so can certain illnesses (including getting measles itself), so if you skip the vaccines, and your kid has the gene, he still might end up autistic. If you have the gene, you don't necessarily end up autistic, but exposure to certain things will trigger the gene (its analagous to the gene for type two diabetes this way--I know I have the gene for that, and take health measures to try to avoid letting that gene express itself). If you don't have the gene, you won't end up autistic, regardless of which or how many shots you get.

The ethical difficulty of both sides of the argument goes like this: if you look population-wide (epidemiologically is the technical term), it is better for us, as a nation, to immunize all of our kids, since the number of kids who end up with immunization-triggered autism who would not have otherwise ended up autistic through another trigger is SMALLER THAN the number of kids who would be seriously adversely affected by the diseases immunized against. That is to say, it's better to have a few autistic kids than a lot of kids die of measles, mumps, and rubela. So statistically, the CDC should recommend vaccinations, and it does. The question, however, feels very different when you're a mom--what if your kid is the one who might end up autistic in order to save other kids from measles? That's really, really tough. Particularly since MOST kids get immunized, which then reduces the population-wide incidence of measles, even if your kid isn't vaccinated.

After a lot of thought and prayer, I chose to fully vaccinate my child on the traditional schedule. But it was a tough decision, and I don't think I'd have complete peace either way. You're right to ask questions, and you'll need to do what seems right to you, in the end, regardless of what others may choose. GL!

I have an autistic son but he did not regress after the MMR. The MMR is live viruses. Other vaccines still have mercury in them and a lot more aluminum too - neither which is good for our children. So you give them all those vaccinations up to the 12 months old then inject them with live viruses and this is often when parents see the regression. Autistic kids immune systems, GI systems, and methylation cycles are not functioning properly - it shows up in their blood, urine, and stool testing. I stopped vaccinating when I realized and told my pediatrcian that my son is autistic at 18mo. I haven't vaccinated either of my children since then. I have a friend who waited until 2 yrs old to get the MMR for her son and that is when he regressed into autism. The CDC says 1 in 150 kids has autism but those are old statistics, the prevalence is much higher. Boys are 4 times more likely to have autism. Not all kids regress into autism after vaccinating but a heck of a lot do. The MMR isn't the only problematic vaccine either. Do your own research-read both sides of this very contenious issue, talk to your doctor (pro-vaccine), look online www.generationrescue.org(anti-vaccine) and make your own decisions. I don't think vaccines cause autism but I definately think they are a contributing factor. This is a tough decision and I wish you well. N.

we followed the recommended schedule to the t with both boys and have zero issues. doctors are educated. but sure do the research. i did mine and i always sided more with pro vaccine side. if you want to delay a bit, fine, but vaccines save lifes. do the right thing! vaccinate!

Please call me anytime and I will be glad to help you with what I know. T. O'Connor ###-###-####

I felt the same way you do but I decided to leave it in Gods hands. I trust that my son will be safe. My son already had the MMR 3 times before his 12 month check up so if it was going to do something to him I would figure it would have one of the 1st three times. We were going to have our Pedi change the schedule but decided not to. He has been fine so far. He is 16 months now. I do believe it is important to vaccinate though. Especially with all of the people that sneak into this country and they are not vaccinated. We have to protect our children. I know all of the moms on Mamasource will have different opinions. I have asked questions on here before and it just confused me even more! lol Good luck. Just talk to your Pedi and let them know of your concerns.

Listen to your gut, if you are anxious, dont do it... wait... there is no rush right now... Wait until he is older. You can wait until he is 5 and starts school if you want. its up to you. I waited until my 4 year old started public PPDC special needs school and had to have it to enter school other wise I would have waited until he started kindergarten.
What ever you do, dont give more than 4 shots at a time split them up into 2 visits. the Dr's at willowbend pediactricts let you split them up into a couple of visits but I think you have to pay a copay for each visit.

I wish I had never given my 1st son his MMR shot because he started having terrible problems and autistic like symptoms after he got it and now still has problems. I think some kids are predisposed to having problems and the shot given that young and so many at once are just too much for that particular childs brain development and it just causes those problems. I think Vaccines are important but there needs to be a change in the way they are given and the schedule is to many shots too soon and too many given at once and some kids can't handle it physcially.

Good luck
A. J

FOLLOW YOUR GUT INSTINCT! I had my son's set up and totally freaked out the night before and cancelled it the morning of. Then I researched like crazy, read almost everything I could find on it (pro and con) and even bought Dr. Sharon Tenpenney's DVD on vaccines. Once I truly understood the risks/benefits/and the diseases themselves (for instance I didn't know rubella only affects pregnant women) I felt MUCH better about not giving him that particular vaccine (there are others that I opted out of once I researched as well). I firmly believe the hundreds (if not thousands) of parents that feel their children were affected by the vaccine are sincere and know what they are talking about...but medical science will never confirm one way or another because there's so much at stake. Anyways, you're awesome for questioning it and researching it. Once you research enough you will find the answer you want. Use the research and your motherly instinct to help guide you in your decision. It's definitely a VERY difficult decision to make and I don't believe there's one right answer.

HI N.,
I 100% agree with Jennifer T.'s response. She took the words right out of my mouth. I would really inform myself first then decide if it is right for you. I say no. For example, when there is a chicken pox outbreak where do you think it comes from??? The vaccinated children. Look it up, WE are essentially responsible for the well being of our own children. Do your research. I have done mine and I say no.

I agree that you should split them up and space them out. I think it is worth waiting for the individual vaccines to come in. The reason there is a backlog of requests, is that a lot of parents are asking for---for good reasons!

Some children turn out just fine following the recomeded schedule and others don't for us it just is not a risk that we are willing to toy with. Unless you child is in daycare I don't see a reason to have any of the vaccines until they are headed off to school. I belive that vaccines can and do save lives so they are very important. The MMR shot in particular I would wait until they are 4 or 5. I also do not let my children have more that one vaccine at a time. then if you have some kind of reaction you are able to pin point exactly what the cause is.

I was totally freaked out about the MMR. I delayed it, and after being assured by my doctor that my son did not exhibit any signs of autism or slow development, I got it administered all by itself. I didn't want to be in a situation where if there was some kind of reaction I wouldn't know if it was the MMR or... It was after he was 1. I too called around to try to get the MMR split, left msgs (for Bridgette, 2nd post), etc. to no avail. I did want my son to have the vaccine be/c there still are measles outbreaks and measles could possibly leave him sterile. On another note, I did also get him polio later too b/c it is still active in other countries and commercial flights have people from all over on them these days. We do fly at least once a year.
Hope this helps!

I would wait. I am the mother of a child who digressed after his MMR shot at 15 months and is autistic. He was my third child and followed the exact age and vaccine dosage requirements. If I had to do it over, I would spread them out and only get ONE at a time. The reasons they list “as to the reason why you should vaccinate for measles” I think affected my son…………. Well, what do you think is in the vaccine, the measles virus, the mumps virus, and the rubella virus.
You are the only advocate for your child. Demand one at time and spread them out.

My boys got vacinated with MMR on schedule and have been fine for the most part but one of them did get a VERY high fever about a week or so afterwards. If i have any more kids I will get the vaccines split up or wait a little longer to get them a 104 fever on Christmas Eve is not much fun.

those doubting the thimerosal (mercury preservative in vaccines) relationship to neurological issues needs to research thoroughly because there is an abundance of evidence (why would the gov't recommend it not be used???). yes, we adults rec'd thimerosal-containing vaccines as kids, but the vaccine schedule was much different- in 1983, the CDC recommended 10 vaccines for our children; in 2008, the CDC recommends 36- an increase of 260%! (see comparison here: http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/cdc_comparison.pdf).
if you have a child who was not negatively affected by thimerosal-containing shots, count your blessings! in my opinion and many others', all other parents should be concerned and proactive in protecting their kids. most autism parents aren't anti-vaccine; we're pro-GREEN vaccine and pro-alternative schedule.

1) http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/yasko.pdf (dr amy was interviewed in Discover Magazine re: autism-
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/apr/autism-it2019s-not-j...
and her book is one of two that Generation Rescue recommends to understand what's going on in children's bodies who have autism- go to http://www.generationrescue.org and click on Begin Recovery; book is linked mid-page)

2) alernative vaccine schedule-
http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/11/the-only-thimer.html

N.-I definitely would not do it unless the shot is split up. I got the MMR shot for my second son when he was about 18 months old and in the days following he had a HIGH fever-104 and developed a rash. I know it was from the shot-I took him back to the doctor and they told me it was unrelated and just a coincidence, but I don't think so. Now, with my third, I am doing it differently. I have only been getting her one vaccine at a time, and am planning on waiting to start the split up doses of the MMR until she is at least two, maybe longer. I changed doctors and now see Dr Dennis in Arlington...they will split up the MMR shot and that is the #1 reason I go to her. Hope this helps!

I have done alot of reseach in England & in the States & you couldn't pay me give it to my children.

Wow, amazing how many of you are so skeptical of the MMR. I, like to Special Ed teacher, also work regularly with Autistic childen since I'm a Speech Therapist and they never had the MMR shot either. But most notable should be the recent news on CNN and all news stations within the last few months where the doctor who originially stated a possible link between the vaccine and Autism has totallly DETRACTED his statement and I believe his license has been threatened. So, all of this anxiety you're having should have NOTHING to do with this paranoia over a link between the vaccine and Autism since THERE IS NO RESEARCH to back up such an accusation. I've been to many conferences over the years discussing the brain, and I've studied Autism extensively and the damage has NOTHING to do with a vaccine. If your child is autistic, he or she was like that before the vaccine. I'm not saying you should get the MMR vaccine. I'm simply saying NOT to base your decision on a flawed article which has since been destracted and renounced.

I am very concerned as well. My doc said she could not find the mmr in seperate shots. if she did they came from overseas and she didn't trust that. she did undersand my concern and did not put any pressure on me to vaccinate. I opted out of the flu and chicken pox vaccine for now. his mmr is coming up this next week. which he has an ear infection and on antibiotics. vaccines are a no no during this time... I will cancel and wait for the mmr till he is 2. I am not against vaccinations but i do believe there is a link between autism and the shots. if you ever speak with people who have an autistic child 9 times out of 10 they are certain it was that shot. when your child goes from being one way to something completely different. you know...always go with your gut.

There's a reason you're feeling anxious about it- GO WITH YOUR GUT. I know it's a ver controversial subject and some doctors and other people think vaccines are the best thing ever. But until you've been FULLY informed, you shouldn't proceed with any vaccines- especially a multiple dose vaccine like the MMR. Look up Mary Tocco's website. I bought her DVD and it is VERY informative and I think every parent should watch it before making their final decision. If you'd like to borrow my copy, I'd be more than happy to loan it out. But don't ignore your GUT. Email me anytime and I can tell you everything I've researched or just ask me for the DVD. Either way, a week is not enough time to get informed- cancel that appointment. It doesn't hurt to hold off on shots. He can always get it later if you decide. Actually, most shots, if given, should be given later, not when a child has a tiny immune system- but that's a whole other topic.

this is your child... you are the parent as well as the payer... demand to get the treatment you think is best for your child. you'll eventually find a doctor singing your tune. good luck. by the way read jenny mccarthy's book about her son's autism. really an eye opener.

I completely agree with the other Mom's. I think vaccines are important, but don't believe they've got to be given in a strict timeframe. We use Doctor Bain in Frisco. My twins are 17 months, and I won't be giving the MMR's anytime soon. When the time does come, they will definitely be split up. I don't believe vaccines have been proven to NOT be linked to autism, therefore I chose to hold off.

We had the shot on schedule and had no problems. I feel that the benefits far outweigh any implied risks. Have you talked seriously with your pediatrician about your fears and about the option of the MMR separate.? If not maybe you should.

It's one thing to talk about averages when it comes to vaccinations affecting children, and quite another when it is YOUR child. I have a friend whose child was affected, so all in my family have taken the safe side and waited until their children were older to take the MMR. My daughter even changed pediatricians because his nurse gave her such a hard time about breaking the shots into separate doses. You are your child's ONLY defense. My youngest granddaughter is 5, will start to K next fall. She's just now getting her vaccinations. She's healthy as a horse!

Hi Nicole,
I'm not going to throw my two cents in worth, because it sounds as if you got alot of good responses, but here is some of the research I found. It is from a very reputable source: The Mayo Clinic. Do what you think is right? If you want to research, research, research, then do that, if you want to wait, do that. It is your choice and your child. There is also a good article in TIME. Just remember, the TIME article talks about a very specific case of a little girl that had a mitochondrial disorder, she was not perfectly healthy. Just please look at both sides of the argument before making your decision. We have an 18month old child and I did lots of research and talked very openly with our pediatrician, who by the way has a 2 and 4 year old of his own. We made the decision that was right for us and what we believed was right for our child.

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

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,###-###-##...

Hi N.. I struggled with it too. My daughter had it right on time, but my son had some minor developmental delays (all caught up now) and I was very worried. I ended up putting it off 3 months so that he would have a little more meat on his bones. He is absolutely fine, no problems whatsoever. I would never discount the stories of all the mothers who insist their babies were fine, then vaccinated, then autistic. obviously it is worth researching and asking a lot of questions. However, I do believe that if the MMR were the sole reason for autism, every baby that was ever vaccinated would be autistic. My kids are fine, so are my 6 neices and nephews, who have all been vaccinated right on time. I hope this helps you some. God bless you, and good for you for being a concerned mom who doesn't just jump because the doctor says "jump!"

I have a daughter and a son, and both were vaccinated on schedule (they received the MMR at 15 mos). Both have turned out just fine; no side effects from the shots whatsoever.
However, if you're concerned with it, then hold off. Many parents are delaying vaccinations nowadays, so you won't be an unusual case by any means. There is no proven medical link between vaccinations and autism, but so many mothers have a gut instinct that says vaccinations cause problems in younger children. Never discount a mother's intuition! =)

I read the book "A Shot in the Dark" about 25 years ago before having my first child. It told the story of a Red Cross Immunization Team that went through the outback of Australia immunizing children in all the small villages. A wave of SIDS deaths followed them. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is where seemingly healthy babies just stop breathing while sleeping in their cribs.

Back when my kids were babies, a mercury-compound was used as a preservative in all vaccines. Too much mercury leads to mercury poisoning and possibly brain swelling.

I firmly stood my ground with all my children's doctors and delayed vaccines until ages 4, 5, and even 6. My 4th child is still missing some of the recommended shots. I just keep requesting the proper forms from the TX State Dept. of Health every 2 years for a conscientious excemption and keep those papers on file at his school. And with my older kids, I never did more than one shot at a time and I made sure they were HEALTHY with a good, strong IMMUNE system when I scheduled appointments.

The huge pharmaceutical companies have said the mercury caused no harm. Now, they are removing it from their products. Why? . . if indeed it causes no harm, why?

My best advice is that if you don't feel at peace with giving your child the MMR now/all together/at all, then don't do it. Trust your mommy instinct. While certainly there are a lot of parents who have fully vaxed their children on schedule with no problems, there are also a lot of parents who don't vax/delayed vax their children; and there are doctors in the metroplex who support each approach, so you won't be alone in either case.

Another thing to look at is the incidence of each disease. You can find statistics from the CDC or the Texas or county department of health. For instance, Polio is a very serious disease, but there has not been a case of wild Polio in the US in over 30 years. Tetanus is really scary, but there are only one or two cases a year in Texas. There were no cases of Measles or Rubella in Texas in 2006, the most current year for which statistics are available. On the other hand, diseases like Chicken Pox are much more common (over 11,000 cases in Texas in 2006), but tend to be less serious. So you want to look not only at the risk of harm from a disease vs. the risk of harm from a vaccination, but also the likelihood that your child will contract a particular disease in the first place. I know that is a lot of information, but I hope it gives you a different way to think about immunizations.

Hi Nicole,
Not sure if you have already made a decision. Dr Anne Georgulas of Childgrove pediatrics in Coppell provides Split MMR vaccines. They are very flexible and give separate Measles, Mumps and Rubella at our choice. My daughter had two shots so far and we need to give her Rubella. She is 3 yrs old now and we are planning to take her next couple of months. Good Luck.

Here is her address
Dr Anne Georgulas
Childgrove pediatrics
150 south Denton Tap Road, St 116
Coppell, Texas 75019

DH and I already told our daughter's pediatrician at her first visit that we plan on going with the alternate schedule AND that we will split the MMR. Pedi said that the office didn't have that available at that time, but said that by the time our daughter is due for that shot, they will.

I don't care if they don't have it available; I will find a doctor who DOES offer the split MMR vaccine for my daughter. I do believe vaccines are important, but I don't believe that we as parents need to follow someone else's recommended schedule.

Go with your gut! Good luck to you :)

Hi,

I too have these concerns. In fact, my cousin's son started having austic symptoms after hims MMR shot. He was later diagnosed with Aspergers. What I am doing (because I feel this is an important shot) is to wait and do it at his 18 month checkup. This is the latest time to wait. Also, I'm not doing any other shots at this time. The research I've done indicates its the way the babies' body metabolize the shots that can be potentially harmful. I understand your concern, and I feel like its a catch 22 situation.
Good luck to you!

WAIT on that shot! Wait wait wait wait wait! My stepson and two of my nephews suffered irreversible damage after they had theirs. Your child will not suffer if this vaccination is delayed, and you won't be causing an epidemic.

N.,

Seems like you have gotten lots of responses from mom's who have adverse reactions with their child and the vaccinations. I just wanted to let you know that I have 4 kids and followed the recommended immunization schedule and my children turned out real fine. My daughter has a coach who said that her child's 4 month shots is what made her child's "light go out". Perhaps you can find one of the doctors that the other posts talk about and get the vaccine split up. Good luck and I know this is a very scary decision to make.
C.

Hi N., I'm right with you as I too have a 14 month old son. I read Dr. Sears book and was very impressed with how unbiased it was in comparisson to the usual opposing extremes of the vaccine issue. I'm one of the mom's that believes in the value of vaccinating but am not sure about the chickenpox and MMR vaccines. I thought I would just let you know that there is a new study that Dr. Sears discusses on his website regarding the MMR and he has somewhat revised his suggestions with regard to this vaccine. I won't try and paraphrase what he has written, just a suggestion that you check his website. My husband and I are still trying to decide what is best in light of the new study. To me this is a frustrating issue because I think we should be able to have more faith in the medical experts that we do on this issue. Good luck and if you don't mind I would be interested to know what you decide.