Opinions on MMR Vaccine for 1 Year Old Boys

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I had both of my children vaccinated when they were supposed to. My daughter is a heathy active 4 year old and my son has Asbergers which is a form of autism. I dont think that if I have another child that I will do that vaccine again. I dont know if this will help you or not but thats my opinion. It is really hard raising an autisic child and I think it may have been the vaccine because this doesnt run in my family.

I wouldn't do it at all, but if you are, have them seperate them out so they are one at a time and wait till he is older and have them spaced 6 months apart. Best of luck!

Hang on tight, you have touched upon a very hot topic. You are about to get everyone's story and opinion. There are scary stories from both sides. Just make sure you research this from reputable sources and not some fanatic source. Start with your pediatrician. They are up to date on the latest research. Also, not all research is good research, so make sure you consider the source. Here are some links from recent measle & mumps outbreaks.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentMeaslesMumpsOutbreaks.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/us/21vaccine.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/us/10brfs-MUMPSOUTBREA_...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/18/earlyshow/healt...

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/07/07/hlsb0707.htm

My story in a quick nutshell...
If you think that contracting any of these infectious diseases cannot happen to you or your child think again. It happened to my 2 month old son & he was hospitalized with whooping cough and trust me, you do not want to have to live with that. Someone who did not have their vaccines or booster gave it to him and almost killed him. Not cool.

Just make sure you discuss vaccines with your pediatrician and s/he will be able to give you a lot of great insight.

The only thing you need to know about this issue is that the "research" linking autism and the MMR has been absolutely and completely discredited. The doctor, Andrew Wakefield, who is behind it all, had financial incentives for starting this and is currently on trial before the General Medical Council in the UK for gross professional misconduct.
I have no agenda here - I am simply a concerned parent - but I am so saddened by the way in which one person has had the ability to create such a pointless scare, and that as a result the incidence of what can be a very serious illness is now on the increase.
Please don't listen to all the unfounded speculation, and look only at proper, scientific research.

A pandora's box topic. I bet you get many responses pro and con.
For myself: I vaccinated both my children after reading the scientific (and pseudoscientific) studies on the corrolation between autism and vaccines. There is a great deal of careful and serious research out there that debunks what I believe is a myth of a strong connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. A look at the serious reprocussions of the diseases it prevents was the clincher for me. Nothing in life is risk free and imho the benefits far outweigh the risks. Every measles epidemic only confirms my belief that I did the right thing.

But you will have to decide for yourself.

Within the past month, the doctor who did the study linking MMR to autism admitted to manipulating the data. All the children in the study did actually display symptoms before the MMR was administered, not to mention the fact that he was working on an alternate vaccine and had a financial stake in the "results".

People still do get measles, and mumps, and rubella. If you want your child to go to school in CT they must have MMR before they can start school. And daycare, too, for that matter.

Do what you feel is right in your heart. My daughter is 22 months old and has never been vaccinated. That is controversal to some, but in my heart I know that is the right thing for us. I have spoken to several dr.s and chiropractors about the subject and if you feel like you want to vaccinate your children their little bodies really have a better chance of handling all the "JUNK" that is in the vaccines when they are at least 5 yrs old. Good luck.

P.S. Regardless of what people say, It is NOT required for your children to be vaccinated in order for your child to attend school. In NJ there is a medical and a religious exemption. And No you don't have to belong to a church to claim religious exemption. Learn your laws, learn what is actually in the vaccines, and then think about putting that into your babies body. And when people say your child is a risk for their children your response can be, "well if your child is vaccinated what are you worried about, aren't THEY protected????" I know 10, yes 10 children who are NOT vaccinated and attend a few different schools all over NJ.
To avoid all the BS, you just don't discuss it w/ people.
Again good luck.

It should be the parents choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate thier children. Not a law.

The State of New Jersey has mandated approximately 37 shots for children to receive by the age of six years old. This includes the Flu shot.

There is lots of information in the following link:

http://www.njvaccinationchoice.org/

Hope this helps in your decision :-)

My heart goes out to every mother who has a child with autism and the struggles that may bring.
I personally believe the vaccine is very important to your child's health and the health of any child that may be around your's.
If you plan on home schooling your child then maybe you can refuse this vaccine.
I'm not sure you can refuse one unless there is a religious reason or your home schooling. I don't see how you can pass it up legally.
There are so many things my daughter does extra-curricular where she needs proof of her vaccines and have all of them be up to date.
When I had my second son he was in the NICU for 10 days and before she could even see him I had to provide a copy of her vaccines and she had to have all of them. She also had to have them all to be in girl scouts and some of the girl scout field trips she goes on I have to provide proof. She also had to have them for soccer.

There is a lot of fear concerning vaccines and there seems to be links to autism with this one in paticular but if your child is on track with development now and there isn't a family link for you then I think the vaccine is essential.
I had extreme anxiety with my first child when it came time for her vaccines but now I am satisfied she had them and I think if there isn't underlying issues then you shouldn't worry. It is very important for her and society for every child to get them.
This is what we have and it is what has put a complete halt to some very deadly diseases.
I know this is a tough one but good luck with your decision.

There is So much WRONG information to be found on the Internet. So if you are going to delay or not vaccinate (not a good idea in my opinion), please do your research. Honestly, this forum (which I love) is best for tips and basic advice. Not for something this serious. Please speak to your doctor and get advice and ask where to look for more information. Also, speak to a holistic doctor about what not vaccinating will mean in regards to your baby's health and education. If you choose not to vaccinate, you may want to go with a practitioner who supports your choice fully. Get informed, do your research and make a decision. And good luck to you. Also, keep in mind that you will be up for a fight against the state education system in the future. It's a tough fight now and will only get toughter as people choose to delay and not vaccinate.

Do research on Measles..the first M in the MMR vaccine. Measles can KILL and if it doesnt the high fever can result in permanent brain damage, as in profoundly retarded or comatose. The second M is for mumps which can render a male sterile for life. I am old and had measles as a child and can still remember how I suffered. I also remember a friend of mine that was never the same after she got it.
There is 'speculation' that the shots might cause autism. In my opinion too many children are being diagnosed with autism SPECTRUM disorder. Kid is shy..he has Asbergers. Doesnt want to be hugged..Autism. Runs around the room..ADHD. Thats all doctors do today is pigeon hole kids with one disorder or another. Bill Gates would have been diagnosed with autism today and I would not be typing on my computer right now.

Ok Im jumping off my soapbox, but please get your son immunized. And adults can get all 3 diseases, so I dont know what whoevere told you after 4 is talking about. The chicken pox vaccine is not necessary, all chicken pox does is maybe leave tiny scars.

Apparently there is no longer an option of splitting the shot into three parts...

http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/labels/Vaccine%2...

This is the website for the Dr. Sears Vaccine Book, which I highly recommend you read.

And I wouldn't believe that thre's NO LINk between the MMR vaccine and autism. Yeah, they also said for years that there was no problem with putting mercury in vaccines!!! As a child, I had a neighbor who died as a result of the DTP shot, which was deemed "safe" at the time. It wasn't until kids starting taking seizure after seizure that the medical establishment realized the shot wasn't safe. Too late for my neighbor.

I'm not telling you not to get the shot, but just to not panic--you have time. My ped actually said it's best to wait for all shots til age 2, when the nervous system is more fully developed. As for not needing it past age 4, I'm not sure. The Dr. Sears book does address such issues (I just can't remember off the top of my head).

Good luck, whatever you decide, and good for you for asking the questions.

There absolutely is a neeed for this vaccine. Your child can not attend school without it! I know that pharmacies were making the seperate forms of the vaccine so that you could break it up, but now they are not making them. My cousin just went through this where she had two parts of the vaccine given to her son and then they stopped making the third so she had to have him fully vaccinated with the MMR anyway. The choice is yours to make, just think about his future and schooling and diseases out there. There is no absolute link to vaccines and autism.
good luck!

If you feel uncomfortable giving this to your child you can wait until he is four. You are the Mom and YOU know your child BETTER than the doctor! Mommy instinct is huge! Don't ever not listen to it. I did and one of my children had to suffer with a broken arm for a night because I let the doctor tell me my beautiful 18month old girl did not have a broken arm! I knew she did and I didn't demand an x-ray. (of course that was 7 years ago and she is fine now) You are his mom. Go with your heart and your "gut".
God bless!

I had no idea you could wait until they were 4 years old for the MMR, I would definitely double-check that. I am pro-vaccination since there hasn't been any concrete evidence tying the vaccinations to autism, and they don't believe there ever will be. (and trust me I did loads of research as well because we do have autism in our family.) My son is 20 mos and we've followed his vaccination schedule perfectly and I'm happy that we did. The last thing I want is him getting some type of deadly disease.
Just do some serious thinking before you postpone them for that long. There are so many other things out there that can harm them if they're not vaccinated at such a young age.
Good luck!
Lynsey

Dear E.,
Cool, name. No offense to you or any other mothers on this forum, but I never bought the link between the MMR and autism story. My concern about the vaccines, all of them, was with over vaccinating my daughter as a newborn baby and taxing her little new developing immune system with so many vaccines that it would cause her to have auto-immune deficiencies either now or later on in life. An auto-immune deficiency is where the body has so many anti-bodies in it that it starts to attack itself. Instead of giving her all of the shots at once, I had her get the most important being the MMR, first. I skipped the flu and chicken pox vaccine altogether and had the others done at a later date. That way her body would have time to get rid of all the excess anti-bodies her body produced from the viruses either dead or alive. It was my choice to do it this way. I know people with children who are a lot more sensitive then mine and would definitely delay getting them all done at once. But not to have the vaccines at all could be more harmful and riskier than any of the risks of recieving the vaccines altogether.
This is a very controverisial topic and one that needs to be well thought out because the issue at hand is the overall health of your child(ren). For a healthy child to recieve these vaccines would help thier bodies recognize and fight these illnesses if they were to come in contact with them. Unless you shelter your child and plan on home-schooling, I would be more concerned about your child(ren) contracting these easily preventable, early childhood illnesses that would cause more potential harm to them than if they were to recieve these vaccines. May God bless you and any decision you make.

I don't know if you have heard the most recent news, but the study that orginally connected the MMR vaccine to autism has been officially debunked. There is no link. And, I don't know where you got the info that there is no need for the MMR beyond 4 years old, but that is completely false. Depending on where you live, you aren't required to have your child vaccinated, but remember there are risks to not vaccinating. Before the MMR vaccine, people did get very sick and even died from these diseases.

I agree with Amy J as well. Talk to your doctor. They have the latest information. YES, measels, mumps and rubella are still around. That's why we still vacinate. I asked our pediatrician about thimerisol. He said the vacines from his office did not carry them any longer. Our son was vacinated on schedule for all his shots. He is now 3 and not autistic. My question is (and I'm not being sarcastic, I truly wonder this and don't know the answer) If vacines (the mercury in them) cause autism, then why isn't every child that's vacinated get autism? There must be other factors. Ultimately, you need to do what you are comfortable with. You're the mommy and you need to decide what's best for your children. Best of luck with your decision.

I agree with Amy completely. Also I just wanted to add that the recommendation is to split the shot. However the mumps portion of the vaccine is unavailable and almost impossible to find. If you do choose to split the shot I think you will get a prescription from you doctor and it will become your responsibility to locate the shots. I own a preschool and have had so many parents not wanting to immunize, so I completely understand your worry. I have also read so much research on the subject. They did a study with children in NJ and children in a mid western state (not sure which one) they immunized the children from both states with the MMR and the children in NJ had a much much higher incidence of autism. The study is now linking environment, not the shot to autism. Since NJ has much more environmental concerns the study does make sense. I think you have to trust your pediatrician and discuss your concerns with him or her. Good luck!!!

gosh you opened a can of worms...we all went through this one at one point in time. my advice is wait until after 2 years old. you'll feel better about giving it to him.
i feel bad for moms who have autistic children and my heart goes out to them. i feel bad for doctors who are up in arms saying there is no link. sure. now. no link. what about 10 years from now. in fact i asked my children't ped. to sign a form saying he guarantees my kids will not suffer anything from getting the shot. of course, he refused signing it but he did get off my back preaching about importance of shots. if they're not willing to put their career and money as a guarantee why do we, as moms, trust them? i am not saying don't get it. i am saying wait, there's no hurry. he won't go to school until he's 5.

E.,
Personally I will not vaccinate my kids, however, this is a very personal and serious decision for you to make. I have found the best unbiased information in The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert W. Sears. In it he outlines what the disease is, how the vaccine is made, what the possible reations are, and why some parents choose to or not to get that particular vaccine. He also gives his own medical opinion, but like I said, it is written in an unbiased way and the information is current- not outdated. I hope this helps you.

There has been several studies to prove that vaccines do not cause autism. I wouls follow what your Doctor recommends.

I didn't get it done until my kids were 2years old. My youngest will be due in a few weeks. I've always just spread out all their vaccines, not really based on research but on my instinct. Some call me crazy but they've been healthy thus far.

My almost 2 yr old will be getting it in a few weeks. I know its a hard decision to make becuz there is a lot of back and forth with it.

Your the mom, do what you feel is right! I just pray that God will give me the strength to do what's right to keep my kids healthy!

E.,

I have three kids that have gone through all of the vaccines at the time when they were all due. My oldest is 10...no problems daughter will be 7...no problems, youngest will be 6...no problems. NO side effects, no issues. I just don't think that vaccines are linked to Autism. That's just my opinion.

Hi. I think you should wait if you can. Is your baby in daycare? I have a 9 month old and we delayed her vaccines until she was 6 months old, and we only do 1 or 2 at a time, and only 1 aluminium containing shot during each visit, no more. We're not going to get the MMR vaccine until maybe she's 2 yrs old or later, and maybe we'll split it into three, I'm not yet sure. There's going to be a lot of people telling you there's no link, including the recent study that came out, but I wouldn't believe it so quick. Link or not, it is a decision that you'll have to live with for the rest of your life (and so will your child) and god forbid your child did end up with problems after the shot, you'll regret not waiting. So if you can postpone it, I would. Also, keep in mind, the chances of boys getting autims are 4 times higher than girls, so it's something to consider since you have a son. Oh, and if your doctor objects to waiting, go to a different one. Good luck!

I did delay this vaccine with my 2nd child - at a year because my mom was undergoing chemo and couldn't be exposed to a kid who had a live vaccine and she needed our help, and then the 2nd round at age 4 was delayed because I was undergoing chemo.
You need to check with your school district what is "mandatory" if you are not homeschooling. You can decline vaccines in any state for religious exemptions and some states offer philosophical exemptions to the "school mandated" vaccines - but it means that you must decline and be opposed to all vaccines, not to pick and choose.
The big issue with vaccines is the mercury/thimerosal used to preserve them. You can order mercury-free vaccines which you will need to pay for and pick up at your pharmacy to bring to your doctor to administer. This is a good option if you are concerned about the effects of the mercury in vaccines. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are pretty much the same as the symptoms of autism.

Hi E.,

I did not know this, my son is 19 months old now and received many of his vaccines. He seems to be fine, I do not like these vaccines but what can I do. However, I would lisen to your instincts and wait.

E.-

A couple of things from personal experience. I too was very vary about giving the MMR shot to my son as I work with autistic children and have attended many course where the parents attribute the MMR shot as the trigger to their son/daughter's autism. All the medical research shows that there is no link b/w autism and the MMR shot. However, I chose to break my son's shot up into 3 shots and was not told that there was a potential shortage of the mumps shot (now there is a shortage of both mumps and rubella). So my son has only had 2 shots, which is fine, unless he needs to go to daycare or school. But he is also not immunized from mumps at this time. They have no idea when/if these shots will become available, so I could potentially be in a situation where I would have to double immunize him if he needed it for school or daycare. Just something to think about! Hope this helps :) Also, never give your son any shots if he has a weakened immune system for any reason (i.e., on antibiotics, cold, etc) as this weakens their body's ability to rid the system of the vaccine.

One other consideration with any vaccination question -- many schools (both public and private) won't admit kids who haven't received certain immunizations before school starts. And I'm surprised to hear that after 4 it doesn't matter; I'm sure I've heard of outbreaks in older kids, and when I was pregnant, I discovered that I had never been immunized againt Rubella, which was a tremendous cause for concern as I worked at a preschool (which fortunately for me required that all kids receive their MMR, so the risk of exposure was minimal). I was then vaccinated after my daughter was born.

I separated the MMR into three separate shots for both of my boys just to be on the safe side.

I am in the same position as my son is turning 1 in 2 weeks too. I have done lots of research on autism and vaccinations as our nephew on my husband's side has classic autism. My doctor has assured us that no child's vaccine contains thimeresol and has not for many years. Yet, the rate of autism is still rising. The initial study that linked the MMR to autism has been refuted by larger and more credible studies. I do believe that some children, especially in the past when thimeresol was a key ingredient in immunizations may have been "poisoned" but I really don't understand why people continue to believe that immunizations trigger autism when the offending ingredient has been removed for many years. From what I understand, there is a theory that the MMR "overloads" the immune system but then again, that is a flawed theory as the immune system is bombarded daily by thousands of bacteria and microorganisms. Am I planning to give him the MMR in 2 weeks. No, I have asked the doctor to hold off until 18 months. Why take the chance, however remote. But I will vaccinate him.

There is no scientific or research-supported evidence that the MMR vaccine causes Autism. If Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD) runs in your family or other Autism Spectrum Disorders, discuss this concern with your doctor. Otherwise, you are putting your son and other children at risk by electing not get the vaccine. I have worked with Autistic children for 10 years and you can usually find a genetic "link" after speaking with their parents- the father, an uncle, grandfather, cousin etc who also demonstrates similar behavior patterns.

"Links" b/w Autism and vaccines are correlational at best meaning that they happen at the same time, but one does not cause the other. Signs of Autism appear around the same time vaccines are administered. Autism existed before vaccines and was likely called childhood schizophrenia. Children were institutionalized for the entirety of their lives and not considered part of the population. The vast majority of vaccinated children do not develop Autism.

Many children today are diagnosed with PDD or Asperger's. Asperger's is NOT the same thing as Autism (as referenced by a mom on this response page). In fact they are opposites. Children with Autism have no interest in social connections and minimal language skills. Children with Asperger's are eloquent and are described as "Little Professors". They want to have friends, but do not understand social language and social cues which makes peer interactions a severe challenge. This is a great chat room, but be careful of the information that people put out there.

If your child is healthy and not considered at-risk due to a family pattern of neurological or cardiac conditions, the risk is low for complications. Talk with your doctor and don't surf the web too much. It is not regulated- people can post anything and call it "research"!

We held the MMR. I plan on getting it at the 2 1/2 time frame. You can split it to 3 shots and do 1 a month, instead of injecting 3 live viruses at once. When we do give it we are splitting it. I just discussed it with my Dr last week at his 2 year check up. Good Luck and do what you think is right.

Hi
What are their chances of getting Mumps today?
What are the chances of having a complication from the MMR?
I have not read them lately, but weigh the odds with your MD's advice. Also make sure your child is healthy and strong when they get the vaccine, and not deficient. Seems that I read in an alternative med. site that the chances are greater if something is low. Check it out, on line or with your health store alternative med people.
As for me and mine--- we did the MMR. I know lots of home schoolers that don't. Most states require them for school.
Don't listen to scare tactics or stories, they are just as varied as Mom's telling their birthing stories while you are pregnant with your first. Please avoid them.
God bless you and your decisions

K. SAHM --- married 38 years == adult children 37,33, & twins 18.

My husband has 1 close friend and a boss that have autistic children and they swear that it was caused by MMR vaccination.

We just asked to wait awhile and at 18-20 months felt better about it and had no problems.

Good luck with your decision

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that my son was not speaking yet at all when his was due (he was closer to 15 months if I recall) and I delayed it until he was 2 years old. Although the pediatrician assured me there were no signs of autism present with my son (he made lots of eye contact, he showed interest in things, etc.) it was fine to delay the immunization. If there is not a "breakout" of measles, mumps or rubella in your area at this time, and he is not in school or daycare that requires it be done at his 1 year check, then you have every right to delay it - there is no harm in doing so, IMO. I have researched it as well, and as of late there have been studies that show absolutely no link to the MMR and autism, but as a Mom I totally understand and believe we should do whatever we can to make sure our kids grow up strong & healthy with the best chances possible.
HOpe that helps!

Hi,

The decision to vax or not to vax is a huge one, but I believe a major one to make and I commend you for taking the time to think it through. I have a 3.6 year old daughter whom I've never vaccinated. She is absolutely healthy and vibrant -for which I'm most grateful! I did lots of research prior to making my choice. I also had the same concern as you. Here're some links I found helpful and also a book which I thought was wonderfully written, the layout is easy and very informative - you can go directly to the chapter on MMR and read about the pros and cons and the ingredients in these vaccines. The doctor/author also offers alternatives and states all the parent's choices. It's important to know that YOU DO HAVE CHOICE in the matter. I'm glad to hear you've been informed that you can delay the vax, if you choose to do it at all, in general it is best to delay so that the child's immune system is stronger and more mature. Hope this helps, feel free to email me off-list for more info.
Best - J.

links on vaccinations. also, book i told you about.

Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and
Adults- by Randall Neustaedter (you can buy it on Amazon or check the Queens libraries - that's where I first got mine then I bought it).

http://www.knowvaccines.com/index.htm
check out their book references/recommendations

http://www.909shot.com/

http://www.vaclib.org/links/nutri.htm

http://www.vacinfo.org/

Peace,
J.