Should I Vaccinate?

Don't let yourself be frightened. Do REAL research. I am constantly hearing that vaccines are the cause of autism, but when I actually look into it, pretty much all of the evidence I find is anecdotal. People thought that it was due to the thimerosal in the vaccines, but now they've taken out the thimerosal (even though there wasn't real evidence that it was dangerous) and it doesn't seem to have made a difference in people's opinions.

IMO you're better off protecting your kids from known diseases than making decisions about their health based on essentially random internet polls or secondhand stories. Make sure you have a family doctor, a real MD, that you trust and talk to him or her about it.

Probably the biggest reason why there are so many more kids being diagnosed with autism these days is that far more people RECOGNIZE autism in various forms. A child doesn't have to be Rain Man to be considered autistic anymore.

Feel free to try homeopathic medicine, but I wouldn't replace a regular doctor with it. It may make you feel better, but it isn't real science. Again, see a family MD that you trust and have a serious discussion about your concerns.

Good luck!

Vaccines are why people don't die of diptheria, lock jaw, and terrible bacterial meningitis in this country. In south Florida there are so many immigrants from other countries I would fear that my child will get a life threatening disease. MOST vaccines are killed (not live) and therefore having a life threatening reaction is VERY VERY VERY rare (almost never unheard of). On the note of the MMR causing Autism, it doesn't. Many studies have proven it...do a literature/journal article search. (I can get you some articles if you would like). The vaccine is coincidentally given the same time autism is usually suspected or diagnosed in these children. I will give my daughter ALL of the vaccines offered...how could I not protect my child from these terrible diseases!

I am on the other side of this question.
All the research that I have seen has indicated that the rise in autism has n othing to do with vaccination.
What I do know, is that before vaccinations were available, children died of these 'childhood diseases' at a very high rate. They got diptheria, lockjaw, measles, mumps , german measles, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and died. Take a look in a historically accurate novel to bring home the loss people suffered: there were always little graves in the churchyard...thats one reason people had huge families: they hoped that a couple of their kids would survive.

Have you seen the pictures of the kids in iron lungs from the polio epidemics as recently as my own mother's childhood? (that'd be the 1940s to 50s) They used to close down swimming pools over the summers, because polio could be spread so easily.

Yes, there are sometimes bad reactions: kids who are highly allergic to some component in the vaccine. But the likelihood of that is soooo small compared to the likelihood of a child contracting one of the contagious diseases. And there are side effects to the diseases as well: measles can cause blindness, mumps can cause sterility, scarlet fever can cause heart problems, and the more people who reject vaccines, the more certain it will be that these diseases will have an epidemic comeback, because there will no longer be a population who are resistant.

Nothing is perfect, there are all sorts of dangers in the world, and of course you don't want your little ones to suffer from bad reactions. I'm just saying that emotional responses aren't an adequate way to evaluate the amount of danger. You need to evaluate the actual numbers and risk and benefits, not just the fears that ignorant or willfully anti-science people wave like a red flag.

Hi C.!
I too have struggled with the decision about vaccinating my two girls. I followed a lot of Dr. Stephanie Cave's advice from her informative book on vaccinations(I saw someone else recommend her book- I second that suggestion!)
My Emmy (turning 4 now) had most but not all of her reommended shots. She will receive no more. My gut has told me to stop and I wish I would have sooner. WHat makes me so mad at myself AND what has caused much of my feelings about vaccinations is that I first-handedly WATCHED my daughter have reaction to a vaccination that could have killed her! Her fever the night of the vaccine reached close to 105- (taken under her arm!) she shook, developed a rash... it was horrible! I could kick myself, but believe it or not, I continued to vaccinate- I split up her shots to make myself feel better. Now that she is due for round two of her shots, I am finally putting on the breaks. Here is the way I think about it. Why would I knowingly inject my girls with something that could give them a life-threatening reaction?? I have already seen it happen. Not again! I am haunted! My littlest one (just turned one) has had her first year shots shots spread out accoring to Dr. Cave's suggestions but I am not going to continue with hers either. I feel blessed that our pediatrician is respectful of my decisions

Then there is the debate about Autisim and vaccinations, and it causes me much concern also. For me, there is too much at risk and I cannot continue to give my girls vaccines when I know what is in them (i was shocked when I learned some ingredients!) and I know about the dangerous reactions they can cause (FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE- NOT ANECDOTAL!) Now that I think about it, aside from telling my doctior, I never reported the reactions to the CDC which makes me wonder, how many other children have reactions that we do not know about (ie fever/rach/vomiting)?

I understand your concern that may be shared by those who do not vaccinate about what would happen if diseases the vaccines are supposed to protect against are contracted. Think about this: concider that vaccines are not 100% effective. For example, my daughter was vaccinated against Chicken pox and STILL got a case of it!! It was mild- she was fine and so was another girl we are freinds with who was also vaccinated. Another example is this year's flu vaccine. It hase been largely ineffective (from what I have seen on the news) and it has been a horrible season in many parts of the country.
You have and will receive lots of advice on both sides of this issue.
Bottom line: FOllow your heart, be informed, and do what you feel is best for you and your beautiful children.
I wish you much luck and please know that you are not alone. I really struggled with this issue too.
Warmly,
A.

I attended a workshop entitled "Educate Before You Vaccinate" keynote speaker April Renée, which I found to be very insightful. You can get more information at www.vacinfo.org
She consistently offers free educational workshops in Hollywood, Florida.

The bottom line is that you have to do what you think is right for your children.

That said, I came down on the side of getting my child vaccinated. I found that much of the research people talk about is online, with stories and opinions being read as if they are fact. There has never been any proof whatsoever about a connection between vaccines and autism, and while there are some people who have reacted badly - and I certainly wouldn't want to be one of those parents - I decided that the small risk of a possible adverse reaction was outweighed by the definite, proven deadliness of the diseases the vaccines will protect him from.

My pediatrician says that he's seen a resurgence of some of these illnesses, and he's convinced it's due to the increase in unvaccinated kids.

Hi C.. I really respect that you are listening to your heart ( and logic) on this one. I went through a similar struggle. My daughter is 18 months. I did vaccinate her until she was 6 months old...but I felt terribly wrong about doing so. One of my friends told me to take as much time researching vaccines as I would researching a new car. That seemed like something I couldn't say no to. What initially got me were the terrifying stories of children losing their lives shortly after being vaccinated, only to then be considered cases of sids. Additionally, although there has been much debate, we must look at the fact that the rate of autism has SKYROCKETED in the recent years. It is now stated that one in 90 boys is considered to have autism. there is much debate on the subject...I know when I researched all of this one year ago, the CDC's(center for disease control) statement on the subject was that there was no known connection between autism and vaccines. They have since altered that statement to add that they are doing further research on the subject. In addition to the autism connection, studies have shown vaccines to be linked to severe brain damage and death. Another tidbit of information....there are certain vaccines that actually contain aborted fetal tissue. I think you are truly being a wise and educated parent to be questioning what seems to be forced on our children. I will remind everyone that this is a free country and we have the right to decide what will or will not be injected into our children. It seems that you feel worried about your daughter contracting something. I would suggest that you go directly to the CDC website. Research each disease that your child would be vaccinated against. that was my final step before my husband and I decided vaccines were a big no for our family. Although your daughter is older, I feel I must share some things that i learned pertaining to my infant daughter. Before doing all my research I just felt like..who am I..I don't have a medical background..I need to trust the doctors and let the doctors do what's best. the truth is that whether it be in our government or our medicine, money talks, drug companies make money and offer incentives to doctors to utilize their products. My infant daughter had been vaccinated for polio..which I later learned is non-existent in this country. She was also shot up against hepatitis b...which can only be passed via sex or shared needles.. none of which are happening to my little girl anytime soon. Once I decided to not vaccinate I had to then research and interview pediatricians since many will not see an unvaccinated child. In one interview I played devils advocate and asked the dr if I were to vaccinate which would he strongly urge my daughter to get.. He said absolutely chicken pox. i said..come on..how many kids die of chicken pox. He said..oh gosh..it's the highest death rate from any diseases we vaccinate against. 140 deaths per year in the US. Can I just remind you..one in 90 boys are now deemed autistic. These ratios are dramatically different. I offer my daughter excellent nutrition, and she has not once been sick in her 18 months of life. I think if you take the time to go to the CDC website, you will feel much better knowing the stats on the diseases. You are making a really wise decision. You never know if your daughter will come across any of these illnesses ( and mind you, even vaccines are not a cure all..some that are vaccinated still contract that which they were vaccinated against). What you do know is that if you do vaccinate you are allowing toxins to enter your child's body. I know there are many other moms on mamasource who share my views..I hope they respond to you as well. If you have not already check out Dr. Mercola's website. He is a doctor that is very anti-vaccine..you can get a lot of good info there. Best of luck to you..and although my stance is strong, you are the mama here...and whatever you decide is what is right for you and your family. You can only make the best decision that you can make today..make it out of love and good intent, and stand strong. You can never feel bad in the future if you did your very best to do the right thing.

Good Luck!!
A. C. :)

oh, ps...when I was making this decision myself, I talked to a dad who had an 8 year old unvaccinated son. He was nervous that his sons catholic school would balk at the form you must submit saying that you deny vaccines for religious reasons. They accepted it with no problem..and said the only thing would be that if anything broke out at their school that their son would have to go home immediately and not return until it was gone. Well great!!!! I wouldn't want a vaccinated child there..since vaccines are not a cure all. that seems like a benefit if you ask me!!!!!

C.,
I recommend mercola.com for lots of up to date info on the issues around the vaccinnes. What I will share with you is my experience here in FL with the exemption form and schools, etc.
It doesn't matter what your reasons or if the vaccines have been done partially or not at all; you have to get the state exemption form. You have to state that it is religious reasons even if it isn;t because that is our state law. That form is permanent and once you have it, you keep the original and let the school make a copy for the files. Sometimes, what the school nurse will do is make you sign a form that says that you understand that since your child is not fully vaccinated, she may not be permitted to come to school if there is an outbreak of something. Yes, it is stressful the first time you see this form and you wonder if your child will be ostracized. But my kids went all through school like this and it has never once happened. I have a HS grad, and a HS student and a MS student and we have never had any issues whatsoever.
Good luck to you!
: )

Hi C.,

I live in Boynton Beach as well and stay home with my 2 beautiful and healthy children. Emma, almost 3, and Gabriel, 16 months have never been vaccinated. I began researching this topic when I got pregnant. I thought at the very least, I should put half the amount of time into researching what will go into my TINY baby's body/bloodstream as I did looking into which car I would buy or what model fridge I should get. What I found I almost couldn't believe and so began my independent research (close to 4 years now) and my quest to help other moms make an informed choice. I don't judge or beg moms not to vaccinate, but rather ask that they educate themselves so if they do choose to vaccinate they follow a safer schedule and more importantly they recognize and completely understand all reactions. If you would like to give me your email I can send you some links, but for now I would suggest reading:
What Your Dr. May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations, By Stephanie Cave MD. West Boynton Library has it. She can help you begin to sort through your feelings. I too was very scared that my children might get one of these diseases, but my mothering instinct just kept telling me not to vaccinate. I am so grateful for that instinct. Now, almost 4 years later, I am confident in my decision and know for sure that the risks associated with vaccines far outweigh the risks of getting one of the diseases. I also know that most of the diseases that scare you were almost completely eradicated before the vaccines were created, simply due to healthier living conditions. While the idea of immunization may have been a great one at one time, (1950's 3 shots...2008 75 shots by age 5) Now many doctors and others believe that we are creating a new epidemic of children with neurological impairments, diabetes, learning disabilities, cancer, auto immune disease etc...many which don't manifast until years later. See when they test a new vaccine they only test for a period of days. And why? Could it be that each vaccine nets about a billion dollars a year?

Good luck with your search,
C.