Help About Vaccines

I recommend reading The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears - it's easy to read and there's even a summary chapter toward the back. You can also take the vaccine seminar at Day One in Palo Alto and ask lots of questions. I am personally pro-vaccine, but we're doing the spread out alternative vaccine in the book. It's a very personal decision.

The best book I've found on this subject is: "The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults" by Randall Neustaedter

I am doing the Dr. Sears alternative vaccine schedule. I had a friend with a child who has autism and so I did a lot of research before my son was born and felt Sears was the best way to go. You can't find the schedule online but the book is on Amazon. Its just called The Vaccine Book. The hard part is what you will hear from doctors. Most don't agree with doing it any other way but what is regularly done but some will do it anyway. Good luck.

Real Facts about Vaccines:

Vaccinating For Profit - From Cradle to Coffin:
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00087/vacci...

Vaccine/Autism Conflicts of Interest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Hw-Q23S_s

Vaccine Conflict of Interest quotes:
http://www.whale.to/m/quotes9.html

Robert Kennedy on the Vaccine Autism Coverup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrIM2hwrLoc&feature=re...

CDC Chief Admits that Vaccines Trigger Autism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-nkD5LSIg&feature=re...

Unbelievable Correspondence With CDC About Vaccine Safety:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1...

Chemical Dumbing Down of America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLYrSfnsqb0&feature=Pl...

Mercury In Vaccines Causes Brain Cell Damage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5WNLOjmAiw

FOXNews Anchor Makes Dangerous Assertion on Measles Vaccine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEy8x-uVE2c

MMR Vaccine Exposed: Think Twice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gRfl0zzbDE

Tolerance Lost DVD Volume 1 Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjkbLtHIUDI

Vaccines Cause Micro-Vascular Strokes:
http://newsblaze.com/story/20080927170755tsop.nb/topstory...

Study Shows Increase Is Real, Not Just Due to Changes in Diagnosis Criteria:
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20090108/autism-ca...

Court rules in favor of family in MMR case... VIDEO:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/video/?clipId=2973672&top...

Measles deaths quotes:
http://www.whale.to/v/measles_deaths.html
Measles death rate from 1901/2 (averaged) declined by 99.4% before vaccination in 1968, so no evidence vaccination did anything. Now the MMR vaccine is killing (See MMR deaths:http://www.whale.to/vaccine/mmr2.html)way more than measles would be doing with or without the vaccine, for a disease that is safe under proper management (See:Homeopathy, Naturopathy & Nutritional medicine)"Under normal conditions, healthy children do not die from or become disabled from the complications of measles and if they do, questions should be asked about their management..."

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport

I recommend Dr. Sears alternative schedule. I have a 10 month old and that is what we have used. It is in his book - The Vaccine Book. I understand your paralysis - it is a huge issue for me too. With the alternative schedule they are still fully vaccinated but they have few shots at a time. I feel good about my decision.
Good luck!

R.,

Go ahead and vaccinate. Just ask to spread the vaccines out (ie, not getting 4 shots on the same day). Dr Sears says he advocates this and is willing to work with parents on vaccination schedules, even though he does not believe that vaccines causes autism.

I believe it is more dangerous NOT to vaccinate at all.

A study (quoted by Dr Sears) showed that the percentage of children with autism was the SAME in both groups of vaccinated and un-vaccinated children.

The reason Dr Sears suggests spreading vaccines out is not because of mercury (it is no longer in vaccines anyway) but because of the amount and combination of things in the vaccine that, although naturally present in the body in small amount, is not as easy for small bodies to absorb in greater-than-normal amounts. Hence, the number of vaccines all at once is probably not a good idea. One or two at a time, the body can absorb and filter out and isn't a problem. No proof but common sense if you want to be careful.

Hello, Congrats on the new baby!
So as contraversal as this is, its a personal decision.
The risks are lower than a lot people state, although not absolved.
Think of it this way:
Pro to Vaccination:
- you help not to make your child vulenrable to the disease, which in turn helps keep other kids from getting it. you know, dominos effect.
- you will not have problems with schools and after school programs that make a fuss about it and give you a hard time
- your kids are more likely not to get the disease
- the likely hood of there being side effects is small
Con to vaccination:
- there can be temporary side effects, like a fever, fussiness afterwards, etc
- the possible chance for something serious to happen, like the fear that your child has a disability due to fact of vaccination, but again that is more than likely not to happen if you look at the odds (there are many factors that go into things like that)

Also, remember, that you can choose to refuse some vaccinations if the research that you do compels you to think that its better not to get those shots. Whereas there are some shots that you should have always.
That sounds like it is the best compromise to me.

Hope that helps.

Hi R.,

I used to vaccinate. I do not anymore.

My third child was born with thrush.I had it too. (systemic yeast) It was treated but, her bloated belly never really went down, which showed it was still lingering. I beleive she still has some yeast,( she is now 6.)
She had a vaccine at 5 months, I thought her system was compromised by thrush,(although the white tounge was gone I knew thrush wasn't easy to get rid of) but i didnt think it would be an issue. immediatelty after the vaccine she became very ill with a cold or virus for a month. She then had recurrent ear infections, weird rashes, etc. But one thing particularly that I noticed, is that she didn't babble at 7 months like my other two did. She didnt hold her head up as soon as my other two, and she never tried to hold her bottle. I never noticed any milestone problems with her until around that time. She is delayed for sure, I don't know for sure what the cause is. But I have a good idea.

Candida is a yeast that gives off a nasty toxin. And shots also have a toxin thermasol(mercury). After looking at all the data I could conjure up, here's my thoughts: If a baby has any health issues, viruses, or any toxins in the body, and you vaccinate on top of that, you have the potential to do major damage to their brains. It's too much toxins, it depresses the immune system every time you vaccinate.

Multiple pregnancies cause hormones and yeast to build up in mothers. and hi carb/sugar diets cause candida to build up in mothers. They can pass it to their babies.So 3rd, 4th and 5th babies, etc are more prone to be born with candida.These are the babies that end up with reccurent ear infections and the like.

I would not vaccinate any baby unless they were the picture of health and the mother was the same when delivering. If a mother had health issues during pregnancy or ate a lot of sweets, I would not vaccinate.If the baby shows distress (much crying, food alregies, GERD )I would not vaccinate. If I could do it all over again, I would wait until the child is older if I felt like I had to vaccinate.

My 6 and 8 yr old are due for shots and I am declining them. I'm done. I homeschool anyway, so it is not like they are mixing into the crowds all day. They also want to vaccinate my 11 yr old daughter for a virus you get when you are sexually promiscuos.There is talk that it has deliberate substances in it to reduce fertilization and ability to concieve. How sick is that.

Dr. Mercola,(you can find his websites on the net) has some great info on vaccines. Just type it into the search bar on his site. His data shows that in 1983 when vaccines were very low, autism was one in 10,000. Today it is 1 in 150.

Hey there, I'll bet you get well over 500 responses to your question, there are a lot of very strong opinions. Here's my two cents...if you are breastfeeding, your baby is already immune to the diseases that you are immune to through your breast milk. You could wait until you wean to vaccinate without much risk that your baby will get one of the deadly diseases, since you were likely vaccinated when you were a child. Since you homeschool, your kids aren't likely to be around dozens of sneezing, coughing, sick little kids at daycare or pre-school, so again, your baby's risk of contracting a disease is low. If I were in your shoes, with your kids' risk so low, I would wait until your baby's development is well-established and clearly not on the autism spectrum, and then slowly introduce the vaccines when she is around two years old, and it will be clearly obvious whether she has any autistic tendencies. Maybe hold off on the MMR even longer, as that one seems to harm more children than the others (Polio, DPT, etc.) The other thing to consider is that a few of the vaccines that our kids get starting at 2 months old are to prevent diseases that are only spread through sex, sharing needles, etc., so why not hold off on those ones until the child is approaching their teen years and could possibly experiment with sex or drugs. I have an autistic child who was 100% normal and ahead of schedule on his development for the first 11 months of his life (walked at 9 months, etc.), and then something happened...I do not know whether vaccines "caused" his autism, but I think the evidence that they played some part in it is pretty obvious. Not vaccinating at all seems much too dangerous to me, but I would absolutely not do the 20+ shots in the first 12 months routine if I had it to do over again. Were I to have another child I would breastfeed for the first year or two, then assuming development was proceeding normally at age 2, I would introduce maybe one vaccine every 6 months to a year, and not do the hepatitis ones at all until maybe age 12 at the soonest. The other thing I would do is to make sure that my child hadn't had any illnesses, fevers, or been exposed to any sick people for a few weeks prior to getting the vaccines, so their immune system would be at it's strongest when those toxins get introduced into them. If the baby had a reaction (fever, lethargy, illness, whatever) to any of the shots, I would probably rethink the plan and possibly not continue with any more of that particular vaccine, or at least put it off until they were a few years older. Good luck in making a decision, and whatever you decide to do I hope you will be able to have peace about it and not let it worry you too much.
Best wishes,
A.

From The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears:

Alternative Vaccine Schedule:

2 months: DTaP, Rotavirus (Rotavirus can be skipped)
3 months: Pc, HIB
4 months: DTaP, Rotavirus (Rotavirus can be skipped)
5 months: Pc, HIB
6 months: DTaP, Rotavirus (Rotavirus can be skipped)
7 months: Pc, HIB
9 months: Polio, Flu (2 doses)

(*note on the flu vaccine: Flu vaccine would start between 6 and 12 month if nearing flu season, the yearly thereafter up to age 5, as flu season approaches. Try to use only a mercury-free shot. If it's not available, don't get it that year - or get the nasal spray.)

12 months: Mumps. Polio
15 months: Pc, HIB
18 months: DTaP, Chickepox
21 months: Flu

(*note: the flu shot is given at separate visits in October or November at ages 3, 4 and 5)

2 years: Rubella, Polio
2.5 years: Hep B, Hep A

(*note: start the Hep B vaccine at birth if either the Mom or Dad or close family members are carriers)

3 years: Hep B, Measles, Flu
3.5 years: Hep B, Hep A
4 years: DTaP, Polio, Flu
5 years: MMR, Flu
6 years: Chickenpox
12 years: Tdap, HPV
12 years 2 months: HPV
13 years: HPV, Meningcoccal

(*note about the MMR: to be given separately the first time, but it may be OK to group them together into the traditional MMR for the booster because the older child may handle it better. An alternative choice would be to give the M, M, and R boosters separately over a few years again, starting at age 5.)

Hope this helps!
~ K.

Hi R.,
I didn't do tons of research on this, but did have a few personal experiences that helped me make my decision. When I was in college, I worked at the campus child care center. Many professors' kids went there and it was very trendy at the time not to vaccinate babies. Well, there was an outbreak of Whooping Cough. Every single child who hadn't been vaccinated came down with it, and in a young child, it can be fatal. It was agonizing to sit with these poor, sick kids while they couldn't catch a breath, coughed so hard they threw up and then aspirated the vomit, etc etc. Several times we had to call an ambulance. The kids were allowed to continue coming to day care because of course most kids had been vaccinated and so were not at risk.

Then, a year or two later, my cousin had a baby whom she decided not to vaccinate. Ironically, her un-vaccinated child turned out to be autistic. She ended up vaccinating him, since her reason for not vaccinating was that it might cause autism. I guess that pretty much sealed the deal for me - vaccines don't cause autism, and not vaccinating puts your children at risk of death. It's that simple.

I ended up vaccinating both of my girls on schedule. Although I have many friends who vaccinated on a delayed schedule and that seems to have worked well for them (they all stay at home with their kids; if you go to day care, I think your only choice is to vaccinate on schedule, personally). Good luck with your decision!

i have done a lot of research. "the vaccine book" by dr. sears will help you in your decision. it is unbiased and presents both sides. i don't think it is socially irresponsible not to vaccinate. i think that it is irresponsible not to do the research and find out what is best for your child.

Most people familiar with this website know how strongly I feel about this topic - however, I refuse to feed into the urge to get on my high horse and will say only this (regardless of my personal beliefs):

Pneumococcal Disease, diphtheria,tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B, rotavirus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella will ALL KILL YOUR BABY if contracted.
Autism will not. Learning disabilities will not. A fever will not.

I strongly suggest you read Dr. Sears "The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for you Child".

Hi R.,
You've probably received more "advice" on this topic than you bargained for, so I'm just going to tell you about my decision process.
I asked Moms I trusted when my daughter was very young and got mixed responses. Some of the things I heard that influenced me to vaccinate my daughter were that
1. Vaccines for infants/children are no longer preserved with mercury.
2. Families who decide not to vaccinate their children are relying on others who do vaccinate to keep horrible diseases out of the general population.
3. The evidence linking developmental disabilities and vaccines is inconclusive. It seems more likely that a combination of environmental factors are responsible for the rise in developmental issues.

I had my daughter vaccinated, BUT I waited until she was 4 months old to start, rather than the recommended 2 months old. I felt she was stronger adn that her system was more capable of assimilating the vaccines without as much disruption or trauma at that point. I insisted that adults in close contact with her had their pertussus vaccination up to date (Dtap). I also was at home with her, she wasn't in daycare exposed to many other children.
If I have a second child, I'll be more likely to vaccinate on schedule because my daughter will end up exposing the new baby to more earlier.

I hope this helps. Good luck in making a decision.
A.

This is a touchy question, and I understand how tough this decision can be, especially with all of the information (and disinformation) out there. My daughter is 14 mos, and I decided to do all of her vaccinations on schedule. I was reassured by the fact that no study has been able to link vaccines with autism or other learning disabilities. The main concern with vaccines and autism was the level of mercury contained in a preservative called Thimerosal used in many vaccines since the 1930's. However, since 2001 Thimerosal has not been used in regularly recommended childhood vaccines (with the exception of the flu shot). You can get more information from the CDC website: www.cdc.gov. My pediatrician assured me that vaccines are safe and effective, and she trusted their use with her own children. I had all my childhood vaccines with no ill effects, and mine even had Thimerosal in them! So far, my daughter has had no side effects from her vaccines, though she hasn't yet had her MMR vaccine, which seems to have a greater occurance of side effects. However, I still feel the risks associated with having measles, mumps or rubella greatly outweigh the small risk of side effects (mostly mild) with the vaccine.

The other deciding factor for me was my responsibility for the health of other children. Vaccines are very effective, but there is always a small percentage of children whose immune systems don't respond to a particular vaccine: meaning a small percentage may not be protected from a disease, even if they've had the vaccine. Thus, if I don't immunize my child, and my child develops a disease, my child can spread that disease to other children (vaccinated or not) who may be crippled or die from the exposure. I read an account of a woman who had her child vaccinated, but he contracted a disease from a child who was not vaccinated, and became severely handicapped. If the other child's parent had chosen to vaccinate, her child would have been better protected. The idea is that a large vaccinated population can protect that small percentage within the population who are succeptable to disease, while a non-vaccinated population cannot, leading to greater possibility of crippling or death for that succeptable minority.

That was my thought process, but I understand it's highly personal when it comes to protecting your children. Good luck and God Bless!

R.,
I have recently read that ADD, ADHD are inherited. My son also inherited his processing disorder from his father. He learns visually only, as does my husband, who is dyslexic. So, at times life for me can be frusterating. All of our kids have been vaccinated. Even for the new HPV virus. (girls only of course) The chances of them getting to sick to recover from the illnesses that are out there is to great for me to not have them vacinated against these horrible diseases.
I actually got shingles one time because a woman brought her kids into the store with chicken pox, and it compromised my system. I freak out when someone does that now, because I don't want that pain again. Write down the pros and cons. In my opinion if you did one, then do them all. That way they are all even, and it is less for you to remember.
W.

The research has shown that vaccines do not cause learning problems, despite what some might say. Don't blame the vaccines for your daughter's learning problems, it will only make you feel guilty that you vaccinated her.

If it's really going to freak you out, then at least give your child the vaccines against the life-threatening diseases. Research the possible effects of the diseases you are vaccinating against.

R., I'm going to be very blunt, and quite impolitic here, but this is very important.

The people who believe vaccines are causing pervasive developmental disorders such as autism are simply WRONG and are doing a huge disservice to the rest of society by not having their children vaccinated.

I am a Masters-level autism expert. My son has autism. Knowing that, I had my daughter vaccinated, because I know that it is SAFE.

Autism, learning disorders, ADD, etc. are GENETIC, They are NOT caused soley by environmental factors, and the phony science that has popped up recently is nothing more IGNORANT and ILL-INFORMED than the Snake Oil salesman of 100 years ago. It is simply BAD SCIENCE.

There have been several instances around the country where pockets of parents have chosen not to get their children immunized -- this has caused outbreaks of illnesses that were once unheard of. Children are dying, R., because they are not getting immunized.

Get your children vaccinated!!!

J.

I agonized over this issue with my 16 month old daughter. I found The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears to be invaluable. I found it to be the only place to find relatively unbiased information on the safety and need of all of the different vaxes and while we didn't use his recommended "alternative" schedule, we came up with something slightly different with our pediatrician (who is supportive of delayed and selective vaccinations).

It's hard, and people have very strong opinions. Best of luck.

Hi R.,

I wanted to share my story with you, but before I do I want to share my advice.

Do what feels best for you and your family. The best thing that you can do is get all of the information you need to make these important decisions, then make an INFORMED DECISION that YOU feel comfortable with. Whether you choose to follow the full vaccination schedule, an alternative vaccination schedule, or skip vaccinations altogether, the decision is yours to make and ONLY YOU can make the best choices for YOUR children.

With that being said, my first son was immunized on the regular schedule through 12 months. Four days after the MMR and other shots he received at his 12 month visit he came down with hives all over his body. The hives would come and go for about 2 weeks. I knew that this reaction had something to do with the shots, but the Dr. said it was unlikely since it started 4 days after. But it hasn't happened again and I have not changed anything in his diet or environment since. He always seemed different as a baby, sometimes just going off into space and having a glazed over look.

Just before this episode, he had started saying mama and ball, but after the shots he stopped speaking altogether. He has been in Early Intervention Speech Therapy for a year and is just now starting to string 2 word sentences together. He will be 3 in March.

I also have a 13 month-old son that I decided not to vaccinate and the differences between him and his brother are very noticeable. My youngest seems so much more advanced at this age than my oldest did. And he also has been much healthier. It seemed like within a week after every time my oldest got his shots we were going back to the Dr. because he was really sick.

My personal belief is that my oldest was beginning to develop autism and if I had kept with the vaccination schedule, he would be on the autistic spectrum. Now I'm not saying that I think vaccines alone cause autism, but I think combined with many other factors they play a significant role.

The bottom line is NOBODY REALLY KNOWS because INDEPENDENT studies aren't being done. And to me it doesn't look like we will ever really know the truth. I feel comfortable in the decisions that I've made for my sons and that is all that matters to me.

One recommendation I have is to watch Dr. Sherri Tenpenny's video "Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal".

If you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message. I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Dear R.,
I vaccinated my children without fail. They couldn't even get into school without proof of their immunizations.
They never had any ill affects. If your eldest daughter has learning/deficit issues, I would not be quick to judge it on the shots.
Every single kid of my generation got shots. They came to the school to do it. None of us were harmed in any way.
It's a personal decision. Do research. Don't be undecided by fear. Be educated by fear.
This is the way I always looked at it.....
Would I want my children to get polio or would they be better off getting immunized against it?
Having an aunt that suffered the symptoms of polio damage to her legs all her life, the decision was pretty easy for me.

everyone has to make their own choice, but personally i chose to vaccinate my daughter. by not vaccinating we risk reintroducing deadly diseases that can harm not only our own kids but other people as well. to me it's socially irresponsible not to vaccinate.

hello R., i to was worried about all the "static" i had heard on vaccince, i have 3 boys 25, 22, & 2 when the 1st 2 boys were growing up you never heard any of the scary stuff on childrens vaccines but when i got pregnant i was working at a quick cut hairsalon there were alot of people/children going thru a day i saw 11 different levels of autisum, most of the mothers (not all) but most of them were convinced it was the vaccinations that caused there childrens condition. i'm not a doc nor did i see these children at birth but when i went to my babys 1st vaccination appt. i was mortafied when they apporrached me with 4 shots at 1 x i was completely agaisnt giving my baby 4 shots all at once i don't know about you but it seems to me a sweet baby just coming into this world still adjusting to life on the outside doesn't or couldn't possiably handle all those chemicals, why they feel its necessary to do this to a newborn has me dumbfounded. children have gotten along fine for many years without the added chemicals. and to see the rise in stastics in autisum is frighting 60% in just a few short yrs! now that alone should raise a few eyebrows & many mothers standing up to this situation. so when i refused the 4shots the doc wasn't believing me & i had to stand firm on my believe. they tried to tell me it would set him back & screw things up & he will hurt worse as he got older & remember that the docs was a place of pain & he would fear them, ect ect. believe me the whole time he was getting his shots they made a big fuss about how i was really confusing the series of his shots...OH WELL! also at that time they 'shared' with me there was 40 new childrens vacines being tried out by the FDA! HELL NO! it sickens me to think they will continue to use our babies as exsperamental rats. SO RITA if you have any uneasy feelings about the vacines listen to your heart we have to do them regardless before they enter school but we don't have to let them do 4 in 1 day for god sakes anyone who has a brain would think that could be harmful to a infant & the rise in autisum has been caused by something. what else could it be? good luck & be careful we are still in charge of what happens to our children. mother of 3 healthy boys, T. K

To vaccinate or not is such a hot topic right now so I suspect you're gonna plenty more advice from people. I know you said one of your kids is being tested for a learning disability but chances are, that's not from the vaccines. Think of it this way, you vaccinated your other 3 w/o problems & one as recent as 3 yr s ago so why not vaccinate the last one? Most peds. are open to an alternate schedule of vaccinating so tell he/she your cocnerns & see if that's an option. This really is a personal choice so I suggest you & your husband do the research yourselves in order to get the info first hand & then make your decision. Best of luck!

One book you could read thats nice and succinct is "Are vaccines really safe and effective?" Best to you in your decision. You get a lot of pressure from both sides, but make the decision based on your educating yourself. Because there are many educated people who argue both sides.

I was just in the same situation you are now. I have a 3 year old who is fully vaccinated and a 9 month old who is on Dr. Sears "Alternative" schedule. I would definitely recommend you get the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears and find the best fit for you and your child. He has 2 different schedules in the back of the book. Good luck!

Hi R., Good luck to you in this weighty decision. I just want to point out that the medical community has been wrong many times, and policies or guidelines often change. Whats true today may not be true tomorrow. Vaccines should be safe, they are not. Do you remember this fiasco:

Between 1954 and 1963, close to 98 million Americans received polio vaccinations contaminated with a carcinogenic monkey virus, now known as SV40. A concerted government effort downplayed the incident, and it was generally accepted that although oncogenic to laboratory animals, SV40 was harmless to humans. But now SV40 in showing up in human cancers.

Thats just to show you that there's a history of problems with vaccines, and its not limited to the autism debate.

Research the ingredients in vaccines. Peds have such a guarded diet for your baby, introducing certain foods later and later, but look what goes into a newborn baby's body from a vaccine! Unfortunately, due diligence has not been put into what is really safe re vaccine ingredients. Ultimately, its a numbers game. There are risks with giving vaccines, and risks without. either way, you're rolling the dice. Sad that it has to be that way.

Best wishes to you!
L.

As a footnote, autism is environmentally triggered. Anyone who thinks its purely genetic is grossly misinformed. They should check out UCDavis' most recent research findings.

R., glancing over the responses, I wouldn't be surprised if you were more uncertain than before you asked this question. Obviously people have very strong opinions on this topic. I think the important thing is to do your homework and not rely on opinions masquerading as science. Science has shown absolutely no link, none whatsoever, between vaccines and the incidence of learning disorders or autism. There are some children who have negative reactions to vaccines, and for kids with a pre-existing condition, a vaccine may bring it to the fore or exacerbate it. Balanced against that, however, is the fact that the diseases that vaccines protect against are real, that vaccines do provide protection, and that those diseases (esp. measles) can be deadly. I wouldn't dream of letting my child be exposed to known, real risks based on the minuscule chance of a negative reaction to a vaccine.

Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't be asking my peers this question. I would ask medical professionals whom I trust.

Good luck to you, and I hope that the early testing and intervention process benefits your daughter.

R.,

I feel for you. Have you thought about doing an alternative vaccination schedule?(google Dr. Sears) That way if there are any reactions, you see them right away and you know what vaccine caused it? Or choose the vaccines that you absolutely can't do without and just do those? I feel the same way as you-- its hard to know what is the right decision. But whatever you do, go with your gut reaction. If you feel it is best to not vaccinate, then don't or do it on your own terms. I know a few families that have had detrimental results from vaccines and I also know families that did just fine. You just have to make the best decision for your family and your new baby. Good luck with your decision.

Molly

I was worried about vaccines also but in the end we have vaccinated our son. For us it came down to the fact that the risks of not vaccinating him were greater. We live in a global society where people from other countries who have different disease populations come and go and there is no way to see which germs are where. I think it is especially important for you since you have older children who are in school. They may bring home germs that don't make them sick since they are vaccinated but could create a horrible illness for your child who is not. Hope this helps.

This is a hot topic for lots of people. In reading through your responses, I was not surprised to see how many people feel license to tell you what to do.

To date, I have chosen not to vaccinate my daughter. She is 1 1/2 (and gorgeous, brilliant and healthy) and we may yet make a different decision. In my experience, lots of people use tactics to convince us that we are wrong. They use lots of blanket statements. They use fear. Because you are asking the question, you have done enough thinking to know that there is fear to be felt on both sides of this argument. The best advice I ever got as I was doing this research was to follow my gut and trust myself as a mother over the opinions and advice of others.

I read "The Vaccine Book" and didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to. I also read Aviva Romm's "Vaccinations: A thoughtful parent's guide." I liked this one much more. It is dense, but very thorough.

Good luck in your journey.

Hi R.,
I see you have a lot of response so far but I just wanted to add a story to your research.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/0...

I too was kind of stuck until I researched for hours upon hours. I am not kidding probably months of evenings on the computer. I just had to get comfortable with a choice. I put it down to odds. Odds are my son has the best chance of getting autism over anything else. So, since it has been confirmed that it has to do with an environment cause then I figured I would avoid as many chemicals as possible. We eat naturally and organically, no vaccines, chemical free cleaning products, etc. It was a long road to make the change but it was so worth it. I have eliminated my migraines. Who knew it was all those crazy chemicals. I would rather have nature take my son away from me then some chemically packed shot. Good luck with all your research!

R. V You do not want horror stories about what can, does, might, happen because of baby shots. Stop being fearful and act, what is best for your kids, talk with a doctor (or several). The vaccines have been redone to make less problems BUT if problems have already occured you may have to stop them completely. The pertussus -whooping cough- seems to have had the worse rap sheet, but could also be others. Once you have shown problems because of the baby shots ---that is permanent and can NOT be corrected. L.

Hi R., I would like to talk to you.Plese call me.
###-###-####. A. Bofinger.

Check out this book! It was all i needed to say NO to vaccines. The Sanctity of Human Blood by Dr. Tim O'Shea. You can also look at www.thinktwice.com. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. If you are brave enough and want the truth that your doctors aren't going to EVER tell you... get your hands on a copy of the PDR and check out the side effects of each vaccine. Each one has something along the lines of paralysis or death listed.

I was/am the same way about my kids. When I had my second, I was terrified of the MMR shot and Autism. I read a few places that giving your child that shot can cause you child to have Autism. Talking with my doctor, he said, if it makes me feel any better, I can wait to give him that shot until he is two years old (he will get those shots in a few weeks). Many many doctors have assured me that it is completely safe to give your child shots.

i would just do a alternative schedule. vaccinations are good for the whole...not so good for the individual. but since we live in a society i think we need to think more on that scale. so i say pick and choose your vaccinations because not all of them or necessary. then do one at a time or what feels right to you. that is what i did and i can stand by my decision and i feel like i am protecting my son and the community. if it was soley up to me and we lived on an island where no one came or went obviously i would not vaccinate my son. but that is not the case. for instance i did not give my son hep b, chicken pox, flu shots, and some of the newer shots and i am holding off on the MMR. i do have to say what i don't like about vaccincations is they give the same shot to a 200lb man that they give to a 1 year old person. that is where things need to change. i could go on and on and this message is scattered, sorry about that. good luck!

As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I encourage you to read the following information:

http://www.southbaytotalhealth.com/Vaccinations.htm

The most important to know is this: It doesn't have to be all or nothing! The key to empowerment & making the choices that best work for you is EDUCATION. Read up on each of the INDIVIDUAL vaccines that are offered and make a choice about each one individually (for example, there is no basis for giving a newborn the Hep B vaccine but you may choose to give the tetanus vaccine to your 3 year old.).
Other important key points:
-NEVER give a vaccine to a sick child, even a slight cold
-If you do choose to vaccinate, request individual vaccinations when available. (i.e. request just the tetanus seperate from the DPT)
-and ALWAYS request THIMERSOL FREE vaccines- ask what they're preserved and don't be afraid to request to see the box/vial that the vaccine is coming from. DON'T BE AFRAID TO QUESTION YOUR DOCTOR! If you doc becomes defensive, fire him/her & find someone who is willing to speak to your concerns.

If you're in the state of CA you can find a licensed ND at calnd.org. If not in CA, go to Naturopathic.gov to find someone in your state.

And kudos to you for questioning standard vaccinations.

p.s. as far as your child with the learning problems, I would again encourage you to find a licensed ND- promoting liver detoxification and measuring neurotransmitters can make all the difference for her.

All the best,
Dr. T. Fleck
Santa Cruz, CA

Hi R.,

FYI...the following website has some information regarding the use of Thimerasol in vaccines, which is the mercury perservative that was raising concerns about vaccines and autism/neurological problems. According to this website thimerasol is no longer used in vaccines with the exception of trace amounts in a few flu vaccines. Also, another concern is the amount of vaccines that are on the schedule today as opposed to 20 years ago. That's why many people choose to still vaccinate, but to adjust the schedule a bit so they're not giving multiple vaccines at a time. Personally, I think this is the safest approach because there are risks no matter how you look at it.

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

Good luck with your decision.

A.

Go to DR.MERCOLA.com. He had an article just last week on vaccines and the schedule and what was a safe thing to do if you do give your kids the vaccines. Also interesting facts about them.

My husbands aunt scared me when we had a our first child and mentioned to him about autism being linked with vaccines. The best person to talk with is your pediatrician. I have continued both of my children (2 and 1) on all their vaccines. We have never had any problems. I have read the articles and comments of other moms about the link between the two and chose that it was best for my children to be vaccinated then not. Good luck to you!

I think the reccomendations to read Dr. Sear's the Vaccine Book are good also if you can find it there was a good article in Mothering Magazine Jan/Feb 08 also by Dr. Sears. I know you can get it throught the Marin County Library. There is also a good book by Aviva Jill Romm. Instead of making the decision to vaccinate or not, we make the decision with each child at each stage. For example we don't vaccinate at the regular schedule and don't start until after 6 months. My kids stay home and are not part of large group settings. My youngest, our one year old has an autoimmune disease so we are waiting until age 2 for further vaccines and will not give her any live virus vaccines even though her siblings do get MMR (just later than normal). I will have her tested as a preteen for antibodies to Rubella and Chicken Pox because they can cause serious complications if contracted during certain stages of pregnancy. Keep reading on both sides of the issue and waiting a little while is just fine. One reccomendation or pediatrician did make was to keep our infants out of church nursries and other places with shared toys, no shopping carts (carry her on our body in stores) and away from anyone who was coughing until about 6-12 months. This is a big decision as is all parts of parenting. I would continue to research until you feel good in your decision. I have friends on both sides of the issue and I love to hear why they chose thier standpoint. I can learn a lot from them and how they made thier choices.

Hi R.! I understand your worry and concern and that you want the best, safest treatment for your children. There is no medical research that suggests vaccinations cause disorders such as autism. It is much safer for you to vaccinate your child againsts life threatening diseases than to choose to not have them vaccinated. There is also no need to space out the vaccines. Talk to your pediatrician and follow their usual protocal. Good luck and take care.

Vaccinating your child is very important. Vaccines have eraticated lots of diseases that are making a comeback due to parent's not vaccinating their children. Now having said that, I believe that giving a child multiple vaccines at one time is not a good thing. Spread them out and/or separate them. Any Dr. can do this they just have to order the vaccine's separated. Vaccine's are not a bad thing, just the way in which we give them. With the mmr, my son was still vaccinated, but I waited til he was older (2 yrs)and then gave it to him by itself with no other vaccine. Do your research, decide what is best for your child. Remember that a child that is not vaccinated can still catch whooping cough, etc from a child that is vaccinated if he/she is carrying. It is just one mom's opinion. Good luck and God bless.

Dear R.,

Get your children vaccinated. If you don't trust your present pediatrician, find a new one that you do trust. The risk of NOT having your children protected is far greater. This question has come up before and as I recall, there were many, many opinions for and against. This is very emotional topic for parents, most of whom are NOT trained physicians or scientists.

Blessings…..

I know how completely overwhelming the info can be, after all these responses you'll probably be even more overwhelmed!! People's views are very strong on both sides of the issue. Just reading a few of the responses I'm getting fired up but it really has to be your decision. Look at Dr. Jay Gordon's site. I believe it's drjaygordon.com , he's somewhere in the middle and has an alternative schedule. Have you tried homeopathy for your daughter? I have read about a vaccination detox remedy, it may still help her detox some possible metals in her system.

R.,
there are some great books out there that can give you a lot more information that I can write here. 'The Sanctity of Human Blood" by Tim O'Shea and "Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective" by Neil Z. Miller. We chose not to vaccinate at all. I went to the CDC website and compares the vaccines on the schedule from when I was born in 1969 to today. There are SO many more but no one I grew up with had any of these diseases except chicken pox (and we got them on purpose to have true life long immunity). Our sanitation and hygiene has only improved from the time of polio and smallpox in this country. So, I ask... what has changed? Why so many more vaccines? And why are there so many more kids with autism and learning disabilities? I knew no autistic or ADD/ADHD kids growing up. A rare few were on ritalin. My brother was prescribed it as a child, but my parents decided to eliminate all food colorings and additives and he calmed down. If you believe that vaccines work without any side effects (which they can't claim or you would be allowed to sue - and you can't b/c of the vaccine injury fund in place for that) then choose the few that you are concerned most about. For instance - polio is gone from north america. No need to vaccinate for it. My pediatrician is mostly concerned with meningitis. Measles,mumps, rubella, chicken pox - all easy childhood disease to get over. Hepatitis? No way - your child is not having sex with multiple partners or shooting drugs or eating and drinking contaminated food and water (like in Third World countries). You can also consider that your other children are vaccinated so in theory the herd effect would protect your new baby. If your new child is a boy, I would skip the vaccines. Testosterone does not protect nerve cells like estrogen has proven to do. Just read as much as possible before making a life long decision for an innocent baby who has to live with the consequences of your decision. And vaccine manufacturers make billions off vaccines. Why do you think they keep making so many?