Vaccinations - Simi Valley,CA

Good for you on choosing to vaccinate. There is so much in the media today that terrifies parents about vaccinations. I teach special ed and work with children with autism. When it came time to vaccinate both of my children I was sick to my stomach with conflict. My sister is a neonatologist (high risk pediatrician) and I spoke with her extensively about the issue. When she told me most studies are done with 100-200 kids and a vaccination study was done with 3200 kids and found no link, I felt better. Also, I have had many students with autism who have not been vaccinated, so that throws a huge wrench into the equation. The bottom line is, there is far greater risk in not vaccinating. I always think about the guilt I would feel if I didn't vaccinate and one of my babies came down with something that was so preventable. Good luck!

I believe in vaccinations. We would be a disease-ridden socity with many sickly children without them. Vaccinations today normally don't use mercury thiol-based preservatives like they did in the past, so they are safer. Also, my dad had a polio as a kid. Let me say, from personal experience with his continued battle through life and into old age, why suffer? If we can prevent crippling diseases like polio, or ones that risk neural damage like diphtheria, why put ourselves and out children at risk without necessity? I mean medically neccessary reasons like allergic to a vaccine is acceptable, to just be lazy or ignorant of the benefits, not acceptable.

Hi B.,

I am a firm believer in vaccinations for the simple reason that if some children are not vaccinated they can catch viruses and diseases that have otherwise been removed from our society. These viruses can mutate and affect children who have been vaccinated for a previous strain. Vaccinations do not cause autism. There is no proof that vaccinations cause any defects to children, and much study has been done on that issue, with no scientific proof to back up those claims. We as a society need to make these decisions for our children as a whole. I had thought about not getting my son vaccinated for chicken pox, as when we were children, we all just got chicken pox and then we were done with it. But nowadays, if other kids get vaccinations and my son doesn't, where is he going to get chicken pox as a child? Which leaves him suseptible for getting it as an adult, which would be much worse. We opted for the vaccination.

not vaccinating is reckless and stupid and misinformed and endangers not only your own children but others who are too young to be vaccinated or who are from other countries and didn't have the opportunity. Don't let crazy alarmists use one time anecdotal information and made up stories to scare you into being 'trendy' by not vaccinating. If you can prevent your child from being sick why on earth would you not?

My daughter, now 2, had all of her vacinations and has had NO complications from them. I can say that only twice she had a low-grade fever for about 3-4 hours after the shots were given. I am 27 and recieved all my vacinations as a child, my brother, my whole family, and we are all fine! I dont think there is anything wrong with doing the RIGHT thing for your baby. PLUS, vacinations are required for most preschools and elementary schools too. Good luck!

Vaccinate. Thimerosol was the supposed "link" to autism and is no longer in any of the vaccines. I've never heard of this "spacing out the shots" thing. We did all the shots that our son needed when he needed them. In fact, when he was 18 months we did all of the 18 months and 2 years to get it all done before he got to the age where he would remember being a pin cushion. This was recommended by our Kaiser pediatrician, Dr. Starzak. Our son is now four years old and happy and healthy.

The risk of not vaccinating is much much too high. If, we as a society start NOT vaccinating our children, we will slowly slide back into some kind of dark ages where perfectly preventable diseases devastate our beautiful children. Imagine Polio making a comeback. I've had Vietnamese and South East Asian friends my age that walk with leg braces because of Polio. I could not imagine that life for my child.

One poster said its like not putting a seatbelt on your child in the car. That is perhaps the most accurate argument. There can be reactions to vaccines, like anything. If your child is healthy going in, keep them healthy by vaccinating.

Good luck and please make the best choice for all of us.

Hi B.....I know its hard to know what to do, I have a 4 year old girl, and a 3 year old boy. I think the vacs are great...I realize there was a scare a while back about vacs and certain complications, but they have changed the formulas so that it doesn't occur...I strongly feel that the normal reactions from vacs...slight fever, redness, grumpy, are by far less then the problems that can arise from no vacs..measles, mumps, even chicken pox...not to long ago there were cases of measles in San Diego. Why put your child thru that if it can be prevented...and on a more selfish note, it is hard for us mommys to care for sick kids. I know I will probably catch some flak from this, but to each his own, and I want my kids safe from ANYONE who doesn't vaccinate. And by the way...my kids were never really effected by the vacs...

I'll be short and sweet. VACCINATE your children. It is the best thing you can do for them and for all the other children who come in contact with them. I know people will disagree with me but I don't care. People who do not vaccinate their children are SELFISH they put their own UNFOUNDED fears in front of everyone's safety.

Hi B.,
I have three children a girl who is 4 and boy/girl twins that will be two in less than a month. I definitely believe in vaccination. I have a biology degree so I understand how they work and I also understand how deadly and damaging the viruses that vaccines fight off are. Take polio for example. Parents used to live in fear that their child would be struck with this horribly crippling disease. Children with polio would be disfigured, crippled, some were left unable to breathe on their own and then of course many died from it. Small pox was incredibly disfiguring and very deadly until world wide vaccinations actually stamped out the disease. There have been no cases of small pox since the 1970s. German measles (AKA Rubella) would case birth defects to unborn children if their mother was exposed to someone with the disease during her first trimester. Mumps is known to make many boys sterile, rendering them unable to ever be fathers.
People who are afraid of vaccines have the luxury of being from a generation who never had to deal with the illnesses that the vaccines prevent. If there lived through the days when parents prayed that their children would not be struck with these illnesses they would not be so frightened of the vaccines.
Please, do not be afraid of vaccinations. If at any point you start to wonder if they are worth it look up the illness that it is preventing and imagine your child being deathly ill. A little needle stick is worth know your child will never get polio, never get mumps, never get rubella and will never even have to endure chicken pox.
I hope you choose to vaccinate.

Mom of thre healthy kids,
G.

Especially in a state where people come from ALL over, you need to vac. It is MUCH riskier not to vac. The research that hinted toward autism was done with a small control group, the ingredient they didn't like has been out of vac. for over 15yrs......... do some research, talk to moms whose kids have gotten meassels... and see what they say.

I just want to echo what has been said already. I see and hear so often (especially on this site) that vaccinations are at the root of so many health issues and it bothers me so much. This is completely unfounded and research has proven again and again that this rampant fear has no basis in reality.
There is a very minimal risk with vaccines but it is a thousand times smaller than the risk you run with leaving your child unvaccinated.
Of the 18 doctors who wrote the initial report citing a link between vaccines and autism, 17 of them removed their names from the report. I know we are all mothers, trying to do our best for our children, but I fear that a lot of people jump on the "no vaccine" band wagon without doing the proper research and fully informing themselves of the pros and cons.
Unfortunately, diseases we believed to be eradicated are resurfacing because people have stopped vaccinating and that puts everybody at risk including those unvaccinated children.
I would tell you to do your own research on the internet but when I tried that, I only ended up more confused because there is so much controversy. I would encourage you to talk to other people you trust, nurses, doctors and mothers and get their insight.
Also, Parents magazine actually wrote a really good article a couple months back all about the pros and cons of vaccines so if you get a chance to jump online and do a search... I know it put me at ease.

Why is it that you would rely on advise from a bunch of lay people who don't really know what they're talking about to doctors who study this consistently and have read the research? Vaccines are already done the way they are supposed to be and your daughter should already have had several vaccines. I wouldn't stretch them out, don't you think it's better to do as much as you can before they can remember it and run away? There is a much greater risk for NOT getting them. They don't cause anything besides a little sting and perhaps a slight raise in temperature- which lets you know it's working.

We are so blessed to have a ped. that really listens to my concerns with anything having to do with my children. His office generally likes to spread out the vaccinations. So instead of getting 3 or 4 shots at once, he will give 2 shots and then you come back a few weeks later for the other 2. And he always gives us information about each vaccination and what it does and what are the side effects. And if you choose not to do a certain one, he doesn't give you a hard time.

I am always on the fence about doing the vaccinations. But I always do them because I figure that with so many kids these days NOT getting them, in the future there will be a threat of many of these "extinct" diseases coming back in full force and I want my kids protected. There is no real proof of this actually happening, but those are my thoughts on it. Plus, what if my kids decide later in life to travel abroad to places where things like Polio and Measles is prevalent? And with the US being the country of constant immigrants from all walks of life, the chances of them coming into contact with someone who has Hepatitis or other diseases is kind of high in my mind anyways.

But do the research on it and make the decision based on what best for your family.

B., we vaccinated both our boys and everything was fine. I was able to find a dr. that stretched the vaccination schedule out. So instead of giving them all the shots at once or a combination vaccine we only gave them one or two at a time. I know this subjects them to more shots however, they seem so small and I just couldn't see giving them all this stuff in their little bodies at once. But if you do the regular schedule it is usually only one shot and out. Our dr. recommended giving a dose of Tylenol right before the visit to help. Please check with your dr. before you do this because this was a few years ago I got that advice and things may have changed since then. What always helped me get through the vaccine visits was how would I feel if I was bring my baby in for some disease that I could have prevented with a simple vaccine? Make sure you bring a favorite toy or treat for after the shot to take his/her mind off the shot. You and your baby will do great!

I will probably get flamed for this, but with parents who grew up in a 3rd world country, I am a strong believer that vaccinations are an important matter of public health. We can live in relative security knowing that we and our children will not get so many infectious diseases because most people around us in the US are vaccinated. Indeed, a big reason vaccination is voluntary and carries a reduced risk in this country is the fact that most people here vaccinate. So personally I consider it my public duty to get my immunizations and to give my child hers.

I do, however, think that if you have concerns you should definitely talk about them with your doctor, do your research, and come up with an alternative schedule of shots if you see fit. You should also make sure your ped is willing to go that route with you--I know people who have brought up the idea of alternative schedules and have basically been bullied by more conservative/conventional doctors. Ask about thimerosol-free shots, ask about the risks/advantages of delaying some shots.

I love my ped, so I totally trust her judgment.

I'm not 100% anti vaccine, I just want to be educated on what my kids get. They don't need so many shots so early. So, per our Ped. (Dr. Jim Sears) we spread them out and delay some. I do most but not all. I weigh the disease against the side effects. If the side effects of the vaccine are worse than getting the disease then it's a no brainer.

Best wishes,
M.

I vaccinate my children, as scheduled.
If they do not, they can get infections and worse.
There has been a recent article in the news, about a few children getting the HIB virus, and this was in children who did NOT get vaccinated... and this illness is cropping up because more and more kids are not getting vaccinated. This is a new trend... and thereby, the infectious diseases in the world is again, rearing it's ugly head. Diseases that were once "gone" are arising again. For this reason.

And, one day when your child starts school, they may not be able to attend, if not vaccinated. Also, if not vaccinated your child will be more prone & vulnerable to contracting any infectious diseases... a 'risk' as well. So, you will have to be very careful about having your child around other kids... who are sick or have a disease.

I know, there are contraindications for vaccinations, and some parents do not like to vaccinate. But it today's world, and the transmissions of diseases, and the amount of people who travel, and the world is so much more global.... there is tons of 'carriers' and tons of diseases crossing continents.

Here is the link to the "World Heath Organization":
http://www.who.int/en/
http://www.who.int/immunization_safety/en/

My kids have never had any bad reactions to vaccinations, nor gotten sick from any of them.

All the best to you in your decision,
Susan

Hi There,
I'm a mama of 3 and I share your anxiety about the vaccinations. There are so many schools of thought and here's something to mull over in your decision making... Your child needs to be fully up to date for any/all school enrollment. IT's better to get the vaccinations out of the way ( a little at a time) than all at once. They are little enough and giving them Tylenol 1 hour before the vaccination, helps. Thought #2 ... I would HATE to have my child come down with a life threatening condition ( like polio or small pox, hepatitis etc...) just because I had didn't want them vaccinated. Imagine what you would feel like if that occurred? The chances of any other condition arising from vaccinations are very marginal. Best of luck- I hope this was helpful.

Hey B.,
There is a new show called the Doctor. Travis stork ER, Dr Sears Pediation, and two other Dr's debate important subjects. They have done this show a couple of times. And might be able to watch it online. But what it came down is how important it is to vaccinate. But is nice to see the different views of the pro's. I vaccinated both of my boys. I also have a friend whos mother works in an Ergent Care. They have been seeing more exotic things this yr. So I'm glad that I did. Good luck, Jennifer

All of my kids have received all of the recomended vaccinations and none of them have every had side effects. I do know people who have skipped some vaccines that they thought weren't necessary. They changed their minds when their kids got sick! If you're debating vaccines look at how many kids are helped and healthy from vaccines. There are some (like Hep A) that are not required in all states. Ca is a no, but in Nv your kids can't start school without it. Ask if it is a school requirement if you're not sure about a vaccine. You should REALLY trust your pediatrician's opinion, so ask them if you have any concerns.

All three of my kids (age 22, 20 and 15) have been vaccinated and never a problem. Were you vaccinated growing up? Did you have problems? I had vaccinations and no problems there. Because of my work, I had to have the HIB shots. It initially hurt, but that was gone by days end. My daughter has also had the new one for cervical cancer. The only vaccination that I hadn't done is the one for chicken pox. I made sure my boys were exposed when they were little and got it out of the way. The only problem was it was while I was pregnant with my third and the boys didn't get it until I had just had her. I thought that I had the chicken pox as a child and passed my immunity on to her but found out later that it was the one thing I never had. She got chicken pox at 2 wks of age, but only 10 spots. It was enough for her to have immunity as she never got it.

I believe in an altered schedule for vaccinations. Just not so many at one time. For the one year they will want to give the MMR vaccine. This is an important one, but many believe that this is the one that brings on Autism. I'm not saying one way or the other whether this is true or not - what do I know. But to be as conservative as possible with the shots they received, when my kids received this vaccine, I requested (insisted) that the shot be split into separate vaccines - measles, mumps, rubella - 3 separate shots. Their ped. had no problem with this, but I hear that some do. You'll have to be the one to decide what to do if the Dr says "No". I agree that children should be vaccinated, just not as aggressively as the AAP schedule suggests. There are alternatives!

Dear B.,

The long and short of it is that you should vaccinate your children. We've heard all of the stories about autism, but the fact is that the diseases for which you are vaccinating are fatal and contagious and could cause widespread problems. The important thing is to speak with your pediatrician about the types of vaccinations to be received, and when. For example, are they administering the DTP or DTaP. The DTaP is preferred. You have every right to research when to administer the vaccines and which vaccines (brands). I actually waited until certain developmental milestones were reached before vaccination. For example, certain shots were to take place at 18 months, I waited until 22 months. You really don't want your child to get the measles, for example, because even if your child survives it, there are long-term consequences, and certain measles can be deadly in pregnant women, and you never know who you'll be in contact with. I'm not a big fan of grouping a whole bunch of them together at one time, because, as I learned as an adult, those shots really hurt! I couldn't move my arm for a week after a tetanus shot!

Good luck!

Hi B.,
I totally understand your vaccination concerns. My little girl is now a healthy, happy 6 year old and she has had all her vaccinations including the flumist for the last few years. I have spoken at length with my pediatrician abot my fears and she has given me all the statistics. The truth is that our children are much more vulnerable to illness and death if we do NOT vaccinate. The link between autism and vaccinations is purely a timeline issue. The statistics show that the incidence of autism is the same in unvaccinated children and vaccinated children, so the risk is no greater if you vaccinate. If you don't vaccinate your child could develop whooping cough, mumps etc. and could have permanent effects.
Many children died from infectious diseses before vaccinations were available. If people stop vaccinating, many children will die needlessly again.
Thank you for having an open mind. Talk to your pediatrician and get real ststistics.
C. :-)
www.guardiansleeper.com

I have three kids and they were all vaccinated - but we waited until they were 2 to 3 years old. At that age their bodies are much better able to handle the vaccinations. It isnt about whether to vaccinate or not. Vaccinations are important for a multitude of reasons. It is all about the timing. :0)

I have 4 kids, and we followed the vaccination schedule with no problems. The kids are 22, 21, 14, & 10, and all great and healthy.

You might ask your dr. to give them in several visits instead of many at a time. Many people feel that too many at once can overwhelm the body and confuse the immune system. If I were worried, that's what I would do.

I know you already went, but I wanted to share with you that I chose to vaccinate my daughter but decided to space out the shots since after the 1 year, they don't get any until age 4 (I think). Anyway, I've been getting 1 shot a month (or so) since 12 months. She is 18 months now and has 2 left to get which will happen within the next few months. For me, it makes me feel more at ease not doing the "cocktail" shots - less chance of autism, since there appears to be a link - and even if there's not why take a chance.

Try to get them to separate the combos. (MMR is three vaccines, as is DPT, Comvax, etc.) It will be more expensive and your pediatrician won't like it, but it is well worth it for your child's safety. I recently met a pediatrician Mom at a skate park, and she says she only gives measles vaccine (instead of MMR, because mumps is more rare and you don't need protection from Rubella until much later in life), and she says she does not have a single child with Autism in her practice. Also, there is an excellent book by three Physicians, (Smith, Schmidt, and I can't remember the other one) called, "50 or so Ways to Boost Immunity and Avoid Antibiotics", that has a chapter on vaccines. They report that when vaccines were first introduced in a third world country, every other child died from the vaccines! The second dosing, they gave each child 100mg. per month of age of Vitamin C, the day before, the day of, and the day after the vaccine, and that time NO ONE died. It is worth the precaution, once the vaccine is done you can't undo it, so it makes sense to do it as safely as possible. B.

I believe that Dr. Sears has a book published that lays out a saner, better paced vaccination schedule.

hi! It looks like you have a lot of good advice. I am aprehensive to let my little ones around kids that aren't vaccinated! I agree with the moms here that mentioned Dr. Sears method. Dr. Bob Sears is my boys pediatrician and in their The Baby Book has a shots schedule that spreds them out over time not 6 shots at once like some doctors do (CRAZY). My first boy had some delays and went to speach and ocupational therapy as a toddler and because of the delays Dr. Bob decided not to give him his four year old shot as it could possibly bring back his sensory integration issues. He said it isn't going to hurt him and he would only really need it if we were going to be traveling out of the country. Its nice to have a doctor that really cares and listens, that is key. A great resource also is their website www.askdrsears.com. So I think the bottom line is spread them out and do not let the doctor give more then two shots at the very most per visit. =)

Just get them done when you should. All this other stuff is just to scare moms!!! Parents who do not vaccinate should be thanking the ones who do! Dr Sears is the worst office out there, do not know how he holds his medical degree!

Mother of three all vaccinated healthy, beautiful children..THANK GOD!!!

Go for it. I vaccinate my two (2 and 4). My doctor and I have looked carefully at each vaccination before we give it so that I can read up on it and know exactly the source of their vaccines. She is comfortable sharing the information and in return, I trust her judgement.

Don't worry, vaccinations will not give your baby down syndrom! My son is 22 months and he's had every single reccomended shot at the reccomended time. I didn't stretch them out or do selective choosing or anything like that. My son is perfectly happy and healthy and we never had a single problem with any of the shots. I think people make a way bigger deal out of this than it needs to be. The FDA would absolutely NOT approve vaccines that would cause harm to our children. The shots are to protect your child and make sure that they don't die from a completely preventable disease. Get your daughter her shots!
*Almost forgot- the reason so many Dr's are happy to help you 'spread out' the shots is because then you'd have more office visits which means more copays! They make more money by you spreading the shots out. Hmmmm I wonder what they'd reccomend......

It IS scary with babies, and some you can put off til Kindergarten (definitely wait for the chicken pox vacc. til then), but better to be safe than sorry. I really worry about kids who haven't been vaccinated - what if they get a terrible problem that could have been prevented! The only thing I can say is, if you can, space them out a bit more than doctors like to. It's a pain to bring them back to the dr. ofc. to get the shots, but I really hate how they pack so many different vaccines in one day. Most doctors will spread them out if you are up for it.

Vaccinations can be scary for parents....but from my experiences, I strongly believe in vaccinations. When my baby was 8 weeks old, there was a Measles outbreak in our town. It was brought on by a family who didn't believe in vaccinations and took their children abroad where they contracted the disease and then brought it back home infecting numerous children (most of them under one who had not been vaccinated). At the time, I wasn't sure how I felt about vaccinations, but one of our good friends babies (8 months at the time) was exposed and then we had the fear that because we had hung out with them that week that our new baby could have been exposed as well. After dealing with the fear of our newborn having the measles....it angered me that the parents who didn't immunize their children were being irresponsible..not only to their poor kids, but to countless of other families as well. I think it is completely selfish to rely on the fact that most parents in our country vaccinate and these awful diseases have been mostly irradicated in our country thanks to the immunizations. I would hate to see what happen to childhood disease rates in our country if more parents choose to not vaccinate. Anyhow, I have vaccinated my baby with all the reccomended vaccinations. She did have a few reactions....fever, a rash and she was tired for a few days. But overall, she is healthy, strong and smart.

Hey B.

I agree with the other comments ask your doctor to spread out the shots. It can't hurt to spread them out. Research or Google how many kids suffer from the disease of not being vaccination to the amount of kids that are suffering from autism or other related issue. Personal opinion is I rather have my child around then have to put him 6 feet under. I have seen it happen.
Either way you make the best choice for your child. I hope all the opinions help.

The main thing is that you be comfortable with what you decide to do with your children. They are yours to raise not anyone else's. My husband and I were very torn about what to do and were debating from pretty much the second we found out I was pregnant. We did end up vaccinating our daughter but we did hold off on the hepatitis vaccine until we decide 100% that we will not be home-schooling her. She is now 18 months and near the end of her main vaccinations and has not had any side effects from them besides a low grade fever that is completely normal and only lasted 2 hours. We also do not get flu vaccines for her, but again that is a personal choice for us and a compromise we both felt comfortable with.

Good luck with your decision. I know it is a hard one and everyone has strong feelings about what is right and wrong.

I vaccinated my children when the time was due. If you are not on schedule and you do one of them late, sometimes the doctor will do a "series". I would not put my child through that... spread them out and they should be fine.

Ask yourself this question... Do you travel outside the U.S.?, Do you go hiking or camping? Do your kids play on the playground at the park? Do you own a pet? All of these questions should lead you to vaccinate your child. You do not know what is out there that can be passed on to your children.

Vaccinate. The United States has been doing it for years. Our parents did it and turned out fine.

Enjoy your life without the worry...

M..

My husband and I chose to follow an alternative vaccination schedule. I read several books and did extensive research while I was pregnant, so I felt pretty knowledgeable of the reasons why people vaccinate or chose not to, the pros and cons of each type of vaccination, as well as the different brands available to doctors. We decided that Dr. Sears' approach in his recommended alternative schedule fit our needs, wants, expectations and beliefs. Basically, we chose to give most vaccinations over an extended period of time, thus limiting the number of vaccinations and the amount of aluminum given at one time. I can only recommend that you read a lot of information and go with what's best for your family. Since vaccinations are such a heated topic for both sides, we can only be as informed as possible and trust that we know what's best for us, individually. Good luck!

hi B.!
I vaccinated my daughter as scheduled. I figured it was a better idea NOT to stretch them out, so that my daughter wouldn't associate every doctors visit with a shot. She has no fear of needles now (she's 9) and you never know, that might have had something to do with it. Scary, deadly diseases don't go away. They are always around, it's just that the majority is protected because of their vaccinations. My own mother got mumps when she was a toddler and lost hearing in her right ear because of it. She was in the hospital and all sorts of stuff. I agree with the carseat analogy. I personally would never want to chance my daughter getting any of those things that we get vaccinated for. That's my two cents! :)

I do the vaccinations when they are called for. I do a lot of reading, and I don't want my daughter to get any of the diseases that we can prevent. The reason we have vaccinations is because those diseases can cause disabilities, from blindness to deafness to lameness, and death. there is enough out there treatening my daughter, if I can prevent some of it, I will. I personally feel that not getting vaccinated is like putting them in a car without a carseat. sure, you might not be in an accident, but do you really want to chance that? people blame vacines on autism, mostly, but they are not sure what causes autism, and the medical comunity has ruled out the vaccines, which no longer contain mercury, by-the-by.
My best friend has four children. The last one got the vaccine for the rotovirus, and my friend was beyond upset that they didn't have it for the other kids. They got really really sick from that and were almost hospitalized.
it is up to you. I look at it as, five minuets in the doctors office, or five months in the icu, waiting to hear if she will pull through... I can't take that, personally.
Good luck
R.

my daughter just had her one year shots and I don't regret it. I do recommend asking for tylenol prior to the shots. She slept so well after, 3 hr nap! I got to lay on my couch like a lazy person and watch trashy shows on cable, LOL. Just know that there is nothing wrong with shots.

I have two daughters 5 & 3 and they have had all of the required vaccines, Hep A & B and flu shots yearly. When they are old enough they will have Gardasil to prevent cervical cancer. I opted for combination vaccines (fewer needles) when available and my girls never had a problem with them. My mother had cervical cancer and a hysterectomy at 21. I had chicken pox as a child and still have the scars on my torso and chest. Some children get it so bad that they are hospitalized because of the lesions in their throat. How a parent can subject their child to pox intentionally I will NEVER understand when there is a vaccine with 2 seconds of pain to prevent weeks of misery, permanent scarring and possible death. One of my best friends is in his thirties and had mumps as an adolescent and became sterile as a result. He will never have the joy of becoming a Dad because he wasn't vaccinated. These things are preventable and even an allergic reaction can be treated easily and avoided in the future. If this doesn't convince you, co to this website (http://www.vaccineinformation.org/) look at the pictures and read the case studies of the babies and children with the diseases the vaccines prevent. You can be strong enough for your baby.

We have 5 children all who have been vaccinated. I also have also recently been vaccinated (due to new employment and not having proof of it being done before). I won't lie, it hurt like crazy. I know now why the kids scream. I still would vaccinate my kids, even knowing this. They are seeing a reappearance of some of these childhood diseases because people travel more and some places do not vaccinate their children (due to economic circumstances). Although there are slight chances of side effects, I still knowing the other risks, would vaccinate my children.

Get the vaccinations. I've never heard or read anything that definitively proves there are significant risks to them (though some kids have allergies to certain ones; talk to your pediatrician if you suspect this is the case). Look at all the horrible diseases you prevent with these vaccines! I've never met a doctor who recommended skipping the immunizations. Unless your child has a very specific problem with a specific shot, don't skip them. They can save your kid's life (and other children's, too, as having the whole community vaccinated prevents outbreaks). ... oh, I should add -- if your hesitation is that the shots hurt, you have to put it in perspective. A few seconds of pain is far better than weeks or months of coping with a serious illness. Yes, it is difficult to physically hold down a terrified toddler (as a one-year-old, your baby won't expect a shot so the anticipation isn't an issue but later she'll come to dread the doctor, unfortunately). The doctor and the nurses in the office understand this and deal with it all the time. It took two nurses and me to hold my 5-year-old still when he needed multiple shots in a single visit. It was unpleasant -- but as a parent sometimes there are unpleasant things you have to do to get long-term good results. Also, now that my kids are 9 and 6, they deal with shots with relatively little stress. I've always taught them not to think about the shot too much until it's actually time for the needle -- then to look away, let out one big primal scream when they feel it, then it's all over! Sticker and lollipop time! Then give them a lot of love and affection. They can deal with it if you teach them how and if you aren't too freaked out about it yourself. But don't leave them exposed to diseases that can do them far more harm than a needle prick.

You should vaccinate. Most doctors encourage it. When you hear about outbreaks of measles, etc. it's because of people who don't vaccinate. Also, if you intend on sending your child to school, you need to vaccinate. It's rare to get anything from a vaccination.

Hi B.,

I believe in vaccinations. I do not want my child to get measles or whooping cough, both diseases that have seen a comeback in recent years. My mother-in-law is the infection control administrator for a hospital in California, and she cannot believe that anyone chooses not to vaccinate their children. I think the reward of vaccinations strongly outweigh the risk. Thank God for vaccinations--how many cases of polio do we see walking around today?

If you don't vaccinate your child, you can expose them to diseases that they may survive, but with permanent side effects--or worse. People do die from the flu. As my mother-in-law says, it's not IF the world will see another flu pandemic in our lifetime, it's WHEN.

Almost as worse--those who do not vaccinate their children expose others to any disease that their child gets--that includes other children and the elderly and pregnant women. That is irresponsible, in my opinion. I feel badly enough when my son spreads a common cold--I can't imagine how I'd feel if he spread measles to someone else because I did not get him vaccinated!

Another thing I find odd is parents who get their children vaccinated, but do not vaccinate themselves--so your child won't get sick, but you might? And then who will be taking care of you and your children while you are ill??

With all due respect to those who are against vaccinations because of autism--my pediatrician has patients with the syndrome that were vaccinated and also some who were not vaccinated. (She even said that the medical community is starting to think that older fathers may be contributing to the rise in autism--that it might have to do with the "Y" chromosome--why more boys are affected than girls--so men should take a multi-vitamin if they and their wives are trying to conceive).

You can always ask your pediatrician if any of the vaccinations can be spread out or given later, if you are worried about several shots being given at once.

Last thing--if you plan on doing any traveling with your baby--on an airplane, train, etc. or to another country--I'd vaccinate. We're a global community, and not everyone has the luxury of healthcare.

Good luck!
:-) D.
P.S. I just read in my pediatrician's office that your child can be quarantined from school if they have not been vaccinated if there is an outbreak of something (like measles) in their school--even if they do not get the disease. It may not be a big deal when they are little--but do you want them to miss a lot of school when they are bigger?

I do I don't I do I don't! I go back and forth all of the time. Our ped is never dismissive of my fears and we have decided that my son will not get more than one shot per visit. I want my son to be vaccinated and safe. Talk with yor ped and let him know that you have concerns becasue of what you hear and could he please reassure you. My son was always so miserable after so many shots at one time and I didn't want to do that route any more. Many people think it's an all or nothing thing. It really isn't. You can choose what is right for your family. You should also look up the REAL timeframe that these vaccines are required for school purposes. You really don't have to do all of these shots at one time if you are fearful.

You've gotten lots of good advice and encouragement and I agree with the point that it doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision. My oldest had all her vaccinations according to schedule and never had a problem with it (and I wasn't a well-read on the topic at the time). But, I've backed off on my youngest. She was sick for 6 weeks after her two-month round. It didn't feel right to me that such a young infant should be injected with vaccines for SEVEN diseases at one time. Since then, I've read a lot more. I'm still supportive of vaccinating, but in a more sensible way and on a more conservative schedule. My youngest is 15 months and we just did the MMR. I think it's an important vaccine, but it is not as effective if they are too young because they can't adequately produce the antibodies. That is why they won't give it unless they are AT LEAST one year old. My girls are very petite and react to small amounts of medication, so I held off a little. And we are going to wait for awhile to do chicken pox.

Anyway, my point is, use your mother's intuition and think logically. The doctors don't always do that, so that's our job!