Opinions on Vaccines

Here is an interesting website on some of the (negative) side effects of vaccinations http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/vaccines.htm

cogforlife.org

The variicella vaccine is made from aborted fetal tissue. It doesn't make sense to me to inject a baby with that kind of product when it doesn't completely work any way. Before I knew of this my second son had the vaccine 12 years ago. So last December when he had a quarter sized patch on his hip I didn't realize what it was until my then 9 month old came down with it a week later.

If you don't mind abortion or manipulation of human genes for a vaccine I suppose this won't bother you, but for me it completely grosses me out to the core.

J.- mother to seven

Hello. I am a pharmacy tech that works in a hospital. As far as I am concerned there are many, many more reasons to get the vaccinations, than to not.
For example- the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination that children get covers 3 illnesses. So does the Dtap (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis).
Pertussis alone kills 1 out of every 20 children that get it. It has become such an issue that they are re-vaccinating the moms before they leave the hospital.
We had pretty much irradicated most of the typical childhood diseases that have any kind of death toll- but because people started refusing to get their kids vaccinated, we are seeing more and more outbreaks of these diseases.
The hospital I work at had to vaccinate over 500 staff members because there was an outbreak of measles at the hospital.
The best place I know of to look for info is the CDCs website www.cdc.gov
Another website that is good is www.Medscape.com
CDC should have any studies done and Medscape tries to give the medical community the latest updates as well as both points of view.
Hope this helps!

I am a internal medicine physician and mom to twin 3 year old daughters. I felt like I had to respond because there is so much misinformation about vaccines and fear that gets passed around. Vaccines are an essential weapon we have against so many diseases not only for the person receiving the vaccine but for society as a whole. Vaccines keep individuals safe and keep these infectious problems at bay so that others stay healthy as well. If people stop vaccinating their children against various things, kids will start to get sick here and there and then infect others who have not been vaccinated or are particularly at risk (elderly, infants, people who are chronically ill or immunocompromised, etc).
I know this is long winded and I don't mean to be on a soapbox, but I just can't say enough how crucial it is for your child's health and the health of everyone else that we vaccinate kids when they are supposed to receive vaccinations.

I am a public school teacher. In Oregon and Washington you cannot be forced to vaccinate your child. You are required to sign a waiver form. If there is ever an outbreak of something your child may be excluded from school. That is fine with me - if there is an outbreak of anything I don't want my child at school. And being vaccinated is no guarantee of immunity. I know two nurses who were vaccinated for TB - a requirement for the job - and it did not work on them. They were allowed to continue nursing, but they are not protected if exposed to TB because the vaccine did not work for them. I also know children who went into convulsions following their vaccinations - their parents subsequently chose not to continue with the vaccinations. My husband and I have chosen not to vaccinate our son (2 1/2) at this time, although we may change our minds later on some vaccines if we feel it is necessary. When and if we do decide to vaccinate we will go to a clinic in a neighboring city that specializes in single shot vaccines (most vaccines given now are in clusters)that are mercury free.

Hi K.. I am the mother of a 6 yr old with Autism. After the diagnosis, I have done much research into the subject. The biggest scare was due to a mercury based additive called Thermerisol. My understanding on this is that all childrens vaccines that contained this additive were pulled from the market a few years ago (except pediatric flu shots). I confirmed with my pediatrician and you can find flu shots without the additive if your child needs one. My honest opinion is that vaccines are now much safer and I would get them again for my children. I have 3 children ages 20,7, and 6. There is always a chance of your child having a reaction to the vaccines, but this is the case as well in things they eat, drink, and are exposed to everyday.

I am a stay at home Mom of 2 boys 12 and 6 years of age. Both of my Son's have had all of their shots required, including some extras like Chicken Pox (before it was required) and Menengitus (spelling questionable).
Vaccines are personal for me for several reasons.
1. My Grandpa had Polio way back in the late 1940's-50's. He lived. But it stole my Dad's childhood. My Grandpa was sick, weak, had to learn to walk again. He couldn't do the things he wanted to with my Dad and my Uncle (like throw a baseball with them). ALSO, there have been several new cases of Polio (one of them in Yakima County I believe).
2. Whoopping Cough: I had a friend who had a 2 year old son died of this 13-14 years ago. He caught it because it wasn't vaccinated. The Whooping Cough got to be too much for his body to handle. There was also an outbreak of Whooping Cough in the community where I lived 7 years ago (not Everett) and Church was cancelled for 2 weeks, I didn't go out much during that time, my older son couldn't go play at the park. I went shopping outside of the community-it was crazy. The reason for the outbreak was because there was a large home-schooling community, and almost all of the children were not vaccinated because thier parents didn't believe in it, they believed these diseases were erraticated.
3. Chicken Pox: Chicken Pox isn't what it used to be when we had it 20-30 years ago. There are strains of it that are powerful. We have a friend whose grandson 10 years ago (he was 3) died of complications of Chicken Pox. Thier Grandson lived in California at the time. I also knew of a 20 something year old woman who died of Chicken Pox in Bellingham 11 years ago. She got it from her 2 year old. I have another friend whose daughter (she is 20 now) was hospitalized when she had Chicken Pox. Before my 12 year old went to kindergarten-I had him vaccinated, he was exposed to Chicken Pox 6 times that year, he got his booster this last fall, and am happy to report, he has never had it.
4. My Grandpa had an older brother who died of Influenza in 1917. He was 2-3 years old.
5. A close friend of mine (I'll call her Ann) had another friend of ours (I'll call her Jane) stayed with Ann 2 summers ago for 2 weeks. Ann has 4 kids, Jane has 4 kids. Jane homeschools her children and lives outside of Washington State (I have nothing against homeschooling, I think it's great, it just seems that since they are not in the Public or Private Schools systems, they don't need immunizations). Jane's kids got really sick while they were staying with Ann. Jane's kids (2 out of the 4) came down with Whopping Cough. Ann's whole family (because the whole household was exposed, including the husband) had to all take a very powerful antibiotic for 2 weeks and they quarantined themselves for 2 weeks, in the middle of summer. Ann's whole family was/is current in thier immunizations, and have been since they were born.

These examples are true, personal to me, and have not been released in the Media (so no hype). We have these vaccines so we don't die of Polio, Whopping Cough, etc. We have not seen these diseases come to life in recent years, because we have had the vaccines. These diseases have NOT been erraticated. They are still out there. These vaccines were made and designed to protect us. As far as the "link" to vaccines and Autism, NOTHING has been proven for certain. And the ingredient that they thought was causing Autism has been taken out of the vaccines, and kids are still developing Autism.
My 6 year old was born without a Diaphram. When he had his surgery to repair his hernia, his Spleen had to be taken out because it was "nicked" and he started to hemmorage. The Spleen is the most fragile organ in our body, and it's also part of the immune system. So, my son has to have extra immunizations to protect him, and to also protect him from others who choose not to have thier vaccinated.
I want anyone to know who is reading this, that I am not a Doctor or a Nurse, and I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about immunizations. I know that my 2 children, my nieces and nephews, my friends who have kids, and their friends who have kids, who HAVE been immunized, do not have Autism. Educating yourselves and seeing both sides of the issue. I think deciding not to have your children immunized is careless and irresponsible. That's just me.
Good Luck.

HI K.,
I do not vaccinate either of my 2 kids. I don't criticize those who do; but here are my reasaons. 1) MANY vaccines are still on the shelves with thimerasol, a mercury derivative that causes neurological damage. New vaccines are not made including it but some are still "washed" with it. 2) In addition to thimerasol, there are other heavy metal products in vaccines that are also possible sources of neurological damage. 3) Many are made using egg cultures, so you are injecting potential allergens 4) The doses that are regarded as "safe" are based on LIFETIME maximums, not meant for large doses into a small child at one time. Mothering Magazine has some wonderful articles and actually an entire issue on vaccines you can back order (Mothering.com). I think the drug companies have vastly over marketed vaccinations with little regard for the actual safety of the large doses in small children who have not yet developed complete immune systems (which does not happen until a child is at least 2). I think if they were actually safe, the companies would not need all the legal shielding from lawsuits. My older child has Autism, and I do believe the vaccines he had as a baby were ONE of the factors that contributed to it.
What you have to weigh is the risk of the childhood illnesses we all got through (chicken pox, etc) vs. the toxic materials injected into the child with vaccines. If you DO choose to vaccinate, you can pick and choose which ones you want to give, and you can do it on a reduced schedule (i.e. not all at once, spread out over a longer time period) to reduce the risks somewhat. Best of luck with whatever you decide!
E.

Hi K.!

I researched for over a year, before I reached a decision I could live with. I decided not to vaccinate until puberty, or not at all, depending on how M feels at the time.

It wasn't the thimerisol-autism link that got me. It wasn't the presence of aborted fetal cells that got me. It wasn't even the SIDS-vaccinations link that got me. I looked at each ingredient seperately, independent of the term "vaccination" and what I found scared me. Each "inactive" ingredient had it's own page in occupational hazards handbooks, declaring it not to be ingested, or in some cases touched by full grown ADULTS. Anything ingested or touched would warrant a call to the poison-control center and maybe the ER. And yet, we're injecting concoctions of several of these harmful ingredients at a time into newborn blood streams. It didn't add up.

Among other things, I found that vaccines routinely contain formaldehyde, gluteraldehyde, ether, raw egg yolk, detergent, aborted fetus cells, and several liquid forms of different hard metals. That is excluding mercury.

I'm not going to call you a bad mother, or scare you by saying your child won't be able to go to school. Those aren't true. Any informed decision you make as a mother is the right decision for you and your child. And while the school, or a pediatrician, or your family, may bully you about your decision, it is yours to make. No one elses.

I am proud of you for questioning. I am proud of you for wanting to research. I am proud of you for being an informed, concerned mother. Do what feels right for you and your children. :)

Talk to your pediatrician about this, and look online to find out the pros and cons. I've recently heard that the original study on vaccinations and the link to autism, is that it was done in England, on a very small amount of patients. Since that time, 12 of the 13 original researchers have taken back their findings, now saying that there was no direct link between vaccinations and autism. Vaccinations have changed a bit, as far as what they're mixed with (in the solution). Ask your pediatrician about what kind of vaccination solutions they have. In my opinion, I find it far scarier to think of my child getting a disease like Polio, for which no present day doctor is equipped to deal with, much less cure. There is a reason we have vaccinations against most diseases...they can kill you. To me, that's what's really scary...that all these kids who aren't getting vaccinated will be struck with an outbreak of something that the medical community is unprepared to deal with quickly.

Hi K.,

My 6.5 yo girl is completely vaccinated, much to my dismay. But my 19 month old son just has a few now. The best resources I know of are mothering.com and http://www.askdrsears.com/. The mercury in thimersal acted as a preservative. Now they are talking about the aluminum which acts as a catalyst, I understand. But can cause some adverse reactions as well. I can also recommend a great naturalpathic dr who can help you weed through all the info. She explained that all vaccines are basically toxic junk- small amounts of it but still junk. Her philosophy goes something like this: use vaccines against the truly deadly diseases but give them when the child is healthy enough to handle the junk in them.

Hope this helps.

K.

The biggest contraversy is currently over thermosil. The vaccines these days don't use it but not all clinics have gone through their stores. Ask your doc if these have thermosil.
If you realy get into the research and compare it with historical data, vaccines have not proven themselves to do anything. The new chicken pox vaccine drives me crazy!! But, you will find it very difficult to get around not having them. Public school will be a fight, no daycare, and at least tetnus all of your kids will end up with. There are some religous/medical grounds you may be able to get around it with but, if you and your 2 yo have not expirenced any reactions then you may be fighting a loosing battle.
One of the cons is your doc may call social services. The recent activites of some social service offices in medical issues is realy scary.
Here is a video for you with more info
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=70188352404511075...

Our daughter's naturopathic physician recommended a great book to me: WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS. I recommend it to all parents now, despite the fact it was published in 2001. It's a bit scary in the beginning, hearing about the bugs these vaccines are designed to prevent & some of the potential side effects of the vaccines. But DO NOT LET IT SCARE YOU AWAY FROM VACCINES. The best part of the book is the information it provides to help you discuss a schedule for vaccines with your child's pediatrician. And if the dr. is not willing to be flexible on the schedule, you should consider finding another doctor.
Most if not all vaccines are available thimeresol-free, but you need to ASK the doctor & DEMAND that all shots your child gets are free of thimeresol (a form of mercury).
The aspect of vaccinations that seems insane to me is how the CDC says it's okay for an infant to get up to 9 vaccinations in one session. Excuse me, as an adult I wouldn't want to get 9 vaccinations in one day!!
With everything that a parent has to worry about it seems unfair that we have to take such a "crash course" in medicine as well. And yet, this book helps make some decisions easier & at the very least gives you the information needed to ask relevant questions of your pediatrician.
One series that I disagreed with the dr. on was polio: he thought it was unnecessary & I felt it was important. He conceded to my wishes without a fight & as a parent I feel like I'm doing the best I can for my child.
Thanks to the "great" health care system we have in this country, our daughter's naturopath is not covered by our health insurance. We are about to have a 2nd child, & I'm torn about what to do with deciding on who will be his pediatrician. There's never an easy answer; sure makes one appreciate your own parents more!
Happy researching!

K.,
I hope my story helps you. I do not intend for it to be a substitute for medical advice but I am speaking as a mom who has heard both sides and talked to pedi's and clinical psychologists on the subject of vaccinations.

I have three children. My youngest is 10 months old and has only had her first set of shots at her 4 month check up. She is doing great and when she is two I will make sure she gets her shots updated.

My first and 2nd child both had their vaccinations on time and with every check up, but after my daughter (middle child) had 3 seizures in 1 day I knew I had to do something as a mom to find out what caused it. I searched everything and spoke to everyone.

I know there is talk about a link of vaccinations to ADD and so far nothing medical has been proven. I know many say there has been and it's a strong rumor but NOTHING has been proven.

My pedi said that there was a sudden increase in seizures with children after vaccinations and he saw that for himself.

I saw on line that a study was done over in Asia that children vaccinated after the age of 2 resulted in a decrease in SIDS by almost 90%. That WAS HUGE to me.

I talked to my pedi and asked if there was a problem with me not getting my third child vaccinated all that often; basically once a year and then after she turned 2 getting them finished up and he said that was fine. After all I was nursing her and did not live in a place where Hepititus was an issue. Anyone living in L.A. should consider it as diseases have a better chance of spreading there vs. other parts of the U.S. (an opinion from a respected source.)

ADD has not been proven to be a vaccination issue but the research is not conclusive, I don't think. Leaving a baby/toddler infront of a t.v will do more to cause ADD than anyone really knows. That fact has been proven but not publically announced; info I got from a child psychologist. The flashing screens that move rampant and faster in commercials, t.v shows, and cartoons are triggering some bad responses on the neurons in the brain. Thus triggering some very unfavorables responses in a newly developing childs brain. The t.v has become a babysitter and a poor substitue for a busy mom and or babysitter.

Again, these are my thoughts and what I am experiencing right now. I hope it helps. I have a wonderful Pedi who is great to work with and does not believe in medicating a child and really listens to me, as a mom.

I hope you find the answers you are looking and feel comfortable with what you decide. Remember you are the MOM and you are the only one who will protect that little precious baby the best.

Best of luck

Doctors have gone overboard with the vaccines. I refused to give my brand new babies the Hepatitus B shot, because I think it's ridiculous for the doctors to give shots to babies that don't even have immune systems yet. I did not give my children any shots until they were 6 - 8 months old. Younger than that is TOO young. When my son was a baby (he's now 20) they were smart enough to say, no first shots until ages 6 - 8 months. Now they start when they're born!

I have a friend whos son is autistic thanks to the MMR shot when it had thimerosol in it. Her body doesn't have the ability to process out mercury, and neither does her child. She checked all of her son's symptoms. They are the same symptoms of mercury poisoning. There is only 1 place he could have gotten it - the DOCTOR'S OFFICE! Thimerosol is partially composed of MERCURY!!! They were using mercury as a preservative. Now, without admitting guilt, the doctors no longer have Thimerosol in the MMR shot. My friends' son was a normal 2-year old then got the shot, and now will never be a normally function person. In fact, 2 weeks ago in Parade magazine (Seattle Times Sunday Paper) I read the heart-breaking story about a mom who had her normal child vaccinated, and immediately he became autistic. Started screaming in the car on the way home. I think it's travesty that the medical profession has not owned up to the fact that they have caused thousands possibly millions of children to have autism. The naturopathic community is aware that autism did not exist before vaccinations. MD's still don't have a clue.

I would not give your 4-month old any more shots until he/she is at least 1 year old. Then no more than a couple at a time. Space them out over a month apart. Also, I've read that when you do give them shots, keep them at home for a day and make them rest. The immune system problems from shots don't often happen until 10 - 15 years later in the form of chronic fatige and other problems.

I noticed that when I slowed down my childrens' shots, they didn't have to have so many. Since I was breastfeedin for a long time after they were born (1.5 years then 3 years for the second) I didn't have to worry about it so much. You have to know that doctors learn their medical procedures in large part through the drug manufacturers. So, the drug companies are in large part responsible for educating our doctors. They drug companies are in the business to make money, not to help people. As a result, there is a lot of shoddy medicine going on, because doctors like anyone else can have misinformation. We parents have to inform ourselves. Go to naturopaths whenever possible - they REALLY do no harm. My daughter would have been autistic due to celiac disease if it weren't for a naturopath. Celiac was shutting her brain down. My children are now up on all of the shots except for Hepatitus b (ages 6 & 8 yrs) because I didn't know if they took thimerosol out of it. Also, last I heard the flu shots still have thimerosol, so my children don't get flu shots either.

Check with the doctor - make sure that there is no thimerosol in any of the shots that you get. Shooting mercury into childrens' blood streams. Imagine - what a profession. So much for the hyppocratic oath! Then people wonder why I don't trust MDs.

We read a really good book called "Vaccintaions:A Thoughful Parent's Guide" by Aviva Jill Romm. She goes through the different diseases, their symptoms, and their history as well as the vaccines. Everything is presented informationally and she doesn't take a particular stance so each parent can make a decision that is best for them. After reading it, we decided to wait on vaccines for our son, especially since he wasn't going into daycare. Personally, I think vaccines can be good but I think they are a given too early and too many at the same time. We wanted to wait until our son's immune system was more developed before giving it something as big as a vaccine to deal with.

Maybe I am the crazy one - but vaccines are very important to me. They dont just protect my child - but other children and society as a whole. They prevent the spread of disease that in earlier times wipped out children and families. Polo and small pox are a thing of the past because of vaccines. When in the US has there been an outbreak of really any of the diseases? Certainly not in our lifetime. But in other parts of the world they are dealing with losing children to preventable disease. Its all because vaccines are required here. Hopefully that wont end.

My grand-son is being assessed for aspergers syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. One of the first questions asked by the pediatrician was if he had received immunizations.
I did not vaccine my 4 children who are now between 21 and 33; my grand-children are also not vaccinated. A lot of things are recommended for health from time to time until they are found to create major problems. A good place to find accurate up to date information on vaccines is www.mothering.com every mother should subscribe to this magazine, it is full of good articles, month after month and has been for many years.

I, my boss and colleagues, and many of our friends have chosen not to vaccinate our children after much research. We read a book called "A Shot in the Dark" and there are a few websites I can't think of right this moment (one is www.909shot.com I think). There are legal waivers for schools. Many people credit mass immunization for the decline in diseases, but these diseases were also prevalent during times when our water and surroundings weren't filtered and as clean. The #1 stated reason for giving a child the chicken pox vaccine is so parents won't miss work to stay home with their sick child. To date, I have been informed that Rubella is a disease that only affects women of childbearing age and their offspring, so why do boys get vaccinated for it? I have also heard otherwise but have not personally researched it again. And hepatitis B? My infant and toddler aren't sexually active or sharing needles, and I don't have it, so why poison my children unnecessarily? One thing I know for a fact is that the unvaccinated children I know are much healthier overall than their vaccinated peers, they almost never have colds like so many other children I see do. Certain illnesses are designed to build a child's natural immunity, yes they are uncomfortable and none of us wants to see our loved ones not feeling good! Another concern is that they don't know how long vaccine immunity lasts for some shots, so perhaps you're not protected even a year or two later. This is a problem with, say, chicken pox. It's much worse to get it as an adult and can then have negative effects on the reproductive and neurological systems as well. Sometimes I think government mandated vaccine programs are just their way of controlling the one part of the population that can't pay taxes yet..haha =) Either way you decide, you know what's best for your family, good luck!

There's also research that shows the drug companies spend more money on advertising and promotion of their products than they do on researching them.

I personally think it is irresponsible to neglect to vaccinate your children unless there is a valid medical reason (like a compromised immune system) for not doing so.

The "controversy" you've probably heard about deals with autism - but there is no link between vaccinations and autism. And if you look at the number of children who are vaccinated and compare it to the number of children who develop autism the numbers are miniscule.

Vaccinations only work to benefit a population if the entire population is vaccinated. A percentage of parents decide to "opt out" of vaccinations because they are concerned about the remote possibility of side effects or they don't "believe" in Western medicine . . . and this is something that saddens me greatly. I have spent a number of years overseas. I have a good friend who is working in Liberia (Africa) right now. We've seen parents who would give anything to protect their children from the diseases that our health system routinely protects us from. And people regularly travel back and forth between our countries. All it takes is one contagious person to have a disease to send it through the country . . . we see it every year with the flu (which starts out in China every year and migrates across the world).

We will continue to see more flair ups of supposedly wiped out diseases as more parents refuse to vaccinate their children.

And, with regard to "minor" conditions like chicken pox . . . yep. Most of us endured the chicken pox. We were miserable and itchy and missed school (and our parents had to miss work to take care of us). If I could vaccinate my children against the common cold, I would. I want my babies to be healthy and safe!

Edit: I scanned some of the other responses and wanted to provide some counter information:

Hep B is not just spread through sexual contact and needles. It is spread through bodily fluids and it is highly contagious. So blood to blood contact is all it takes - and children get "boo boos" all the time.

Whooping Cough used to be responsible for 5000 to 10,000 deaths each year before the vaccination received widespread use. Then the numbers dropped to a mere 30 deaths per year. We have seen a tremendous spike in the number of Whooping Cough cases in this country in the last five years - there were 25,000 confirmed cases in 2004. (I don't know how many died.)

Rubella (or the German measles) most definitely does NOT only infect women of child bearing age. And anyone who claims different has no idea what they are talking about (I'm positive that a simple Google search will confirm this). I have personally seen boys and girls with this disease. So this is NOT a reason to neglect to have your sons vaccinated. Good grief. I am shaking my head in absolute disbelief. ANYONE can contract Rubella. If a pregnant woman contracts rubella, her baby can be born with congenital rubella - which is NOT the same thing as Rubella. Rubella is spread the same way as the common cold.

Get the vaccines, the benefits definitely outweigh the disadvantages - ie the disease(s) they're protecting your children from. I have also struggled with this in the past, and then heard that whooping cough is on the rise. Whooping cough is completely preventable, with the vaccine. Would much rather have my child face a day or maybe two of irritability and possibly a slight fever than endure a week or two of high fevers brought on by whooping cough. Help eradicate disease, give your children's children a healthy future, vaccinate.

I have 4 children. My 3 boys (ages 13, 10, 7) all had every shot required and all are on the Autism Spectrum. My daughter (age 4) only had the shot given at birth (not by our choice- I'll explain below) and shows no developmental problems. You can not tell me there isn't a connection. I know there are other qualifying factors that contribute, but this is the worst.

I also know that vaccines are important. My advice is to space them out and only do them one at a time so the child's body has time to process it properly. Also beware of the chickenpox shots if your child shows symptoms of food allergies as this vaccine contains eggs. The current flu shots also contain thimerosal still, though none of the others do.

All of my children were born on military bases and my daughter was born when they were beginning to send troops to Iraq. Only military personal received shots at this time. This is the reason my daughter never got her shots. I plan to immunize her starting this spring and spread it out over the next 18 months so that her body can tolerate the chemicals, but it is very frightening for me to do considering all the problems my boys already have.

Do as much research as you can and then go with your instincts. Mine have saved my children's lives more than once when a physician refused to listen.

Best of luck!
M.

My husband and I have done a lot of research in this area and have decided on a shot-by-shot basis, rather than just saying "We don't vaccinate" and never looking into it again. Obviously we take the responsibility of our children's lives as the most serious of any we have, so our decision was not made lightly.

There is so much info to give you, and many scary things you will read, but the basic reason we have for choosing not to vaccinate is this: Our bodies receive immunity from breastmilk. Our bodies are awesome infection and virus-fighting machines. Eating healthy from infancy on boosts our immune system abilities. Vaccinations actually suppress the immune system's ability to work on it's own; it's like a crutch or brace. The manufactured chemicals and substances in the shots also are detrimental to our health.

If one of our children would be the 1 in a million to get one of these illnesses, then I'm thankful to have a hospital to go to for treatment. Other than that our children do not get unnatural substances shot into their bodies.

(If you would like specific sources you can privately request them from me.)

Sorry I have no concrete informational spots but I just wanted to say that all of us got them and we're fine, also I believe there is no direct link to shots and autisum because thats what freaks me out.

Hi,
I think that it is wrong to take "all or nothing" approach. I had my 4 kids vaccinated against anything and everything, including some extras (hep A). Part of the reason is I am an RN and just don't want to take chances. We took chances only once-we were traveling in Europe with (then) all the kids-ages 7,4 and 6 mos. I wanted to vaccinate them against chickenpox, but it required ordering extra vaccine and wait, so we just went on the trip. Needless to say, my oldest came down with chickenpox 3 days after arriving at our destination, and his siblings followed 2 weeks later. All three had complications, we spent a ton on doctors' bills and only some of it got reimbursed. All this trouble for a silly thing like chickenpox. I know there is lots of conflicting info regarding vaccines and autism, etc., but kids get the same shots, manufactured by the same companies all over the (civilized) world, and it is only here that autism is on the rise. So maybe vaccines aren't the ones to blame... Anyway, read about vaccines and illnesses-some of the vaccines are virtually trouble-free (hepatitis, polio, tetanus) and you rather wouldn't your child got these nice diseases. As for other stuff-diphteria mostly kills younger children, so you may luck out. By all means, read several sources-even wikipedia is better than just yahoo answers. Good luck with your decision! And whatever you decide, always tell other parents that your child hasn't been immunized-it's common courtesy,
A.

Hi! One thing about "breaking news" on vaccines and other health issues like this have not been researched enough to actually say that they are problematic. It is not common for children to have adverse side effects from them and if they do, it is rare. You are better off vaccinating your child from a serious illness and risk getting an adverse side effect than actually contracting the illness itself, which could be fatal. The only vaccine that concerns me is the flu shot. I don't get the flu shot only because it can cause it, and since I haven't had it since I was a kid, I'm not going to get it.
Remember State laws require vaccinating your child in order to attend school also, and not complying to this could possibly lead to consequences. In the end, don't listen to what you hear about on TV or magazines unless the vaccine has been recalled. If you are questionable about a vaccine, just ask your doctor.
Have a great week!

One of the many concerns re: vaccines is the risk of autism. My 16-year old son has aspergers syndrome, or high-functioning autism. I am also a nurse and a huge advocate for vaccinating children. To the general population, the risk associated with vaccinations is far less than the benefits. Keep your baby safe and vaccinate.

K.

Hi K.,

I am definately not an expert in this...but I do know that many vaccines contain mercury...obviously we don't want to contaminate our little ones with mercury...you can request that your doctor use only mercury free vaccinations.

D. C.

It is going to be soooo hard for me to keep this short. But I will.
I vaccinated my two oldest children, not knowing any better. Granted, it was in Canada where the vaccine schedule was different and it was 16 years ago, when they gave far less vaccines (but they DID have thimerisol in them).

Knowing what I know now, after researching in depth, about vaccines I simply CANNOT vaccinate my daughter (now 2 yrs old). Nor will I vaccinate my next child, or any others we may have.

Its not that I "don't believe in" vaccines. It's just that the extra ingredients and the onslaught of attacks against a very immature immune system makes NO SENSE!

I am considering one or two vaccinations when she is older (maybe somewhere between 4 and 6 yrs old).

Many doctors are reconsidering the schedule. One solution is to give no more than two (and preferably only one) vaccine at a time with not less than 6 months between doses. So the DaPT vaccine wouldn't be administered as one. It would be separated out into the three separate vaccines it truly is and given with lots of time between them.

Additionally, many vaccines are totally unnecessary as prescribed now; varicella (chicken pox), HPV (research THAT one!), flu vaccines (just a stab in the dark against TONS of flu viruses). And Hep B for an INFANT?! Why?! It is contracted by sexual contact or sharing needles. The reason it is given unilaterally to babies is because Dr.s aren't willing to take the time to screen high risk mothers. AND because the pharmaceutical companies make BIG BUCKS off the vaccines.

I can go on and on about this, but the bottom line is you need to do your own research. Pay very close attention to your sources (making sure that the reporting is not done by entities who are tied financially in any way to the companies who make or sell the vaccines. (The FDA is, by the way.)

A great book to start with is "Evidence of Harm" By David Kirby. Also, find writings by Dr. Mercola about vaccines. And then go from there.

Here are some links to very important videos you really need to take the time to watch:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edikv0zbAlU&eurl=http:...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edikv0zbAlU&eurl=http:...

http://dremilykane.com/2007/11/24/flu-shot-dont-reduce-fl...

http://www.generationrescue.org/survey.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8df9-oADP_c&feature=re...

There are so MANY more places to find information.

My last word of caution to you and all moms and dads considering vaccines... educate yourself. Know EXACTLY what you are putting into your child's body and what it is for.

my daughter is 13 mos. old. the day of her last dr visit and four shots (poor baby) to my horror that day CNN reports bad news about vaccinations.
if you ask your pedeatricion..oops can't spell....if the shots contain mercury and ask to read the package yourself. i think that the larger or greater amount of shots in one sitting increases the amount of this particular type of mercury to there system all at once. also i think?? that certain vaccines should not be given simultaniously with others. this is the part so far not mentioned. hopfully there not from china!!! they have the highest rate of children with adhd. so china has been getting away with untold, and up till now unknown effects of cheap pharmicuetical drugs (including vaccines) sent from such a irrisponsible country only to be recieved by our great country sick with all we buy cheap.
my advice is this. read labels. take your time in all those shots given by making seperate visits for each. i honestly think adhd might be avoided in many cases but dr.'s are not thinking for themselves. there thinking for the masses and i have little faith in the drug companies running the heard.
god bless

I have a pretty strong opinion on vaccines, which you may or may not agree with. It is my understanding that the chances of having a serious reaction to a vaccine are remote compared to the chances of our children contracting the childhood diseases if they are not vaccinated. Also, a disease that might not be particularly serious for an otherwise healthy baby could be fatal to another child who is somehow immune-compromised, and if you contract a disease, you can also spread it. So, I do think there is a moral obligation to the community to immunize children. Furthermore, my son is mildly autistic and I have read the literature regarding a suspected connection between autism and the MMR shots, which children usually receive at around 15 months. This is the same age that symptoms of autism often emerge, but I have seen no concrete evidence that there is a connection, and even if there were a remote chance of a connection, it still doesn't make sense to me to take the chance of having my child become profoundly ill with and possibly die from an otherwise preventable disease.
On the other hand, I have refrained from having my kids receive vaccines that are not required by the schools, such as the vaccine, Prevnar, which is supposed to ward off pneumonia caused by a particular bacteria, and the vaccine for Hepatitis A, which I think requires a booster 6 months later, as there is not as much empirical evidence to attest to their efficacy, and the chances of a young child picking up Hepatitis A are slim to none. So, in these cases, I don't think it is worth taking the chance of side affects.
I hope this viewpoint helps with your decision. Good luck!
S. H.

We do not vaccinate. Honestly, it's a very personal decision. I highly recommend delaying any further vaccines until such a time as you are either A) Comfortable continuing them or B) Comfortable with not continuing them or C) A combination of continuing or not depending on the individual vaccine. You can always get your children the vaccines later, but you can never take them back once they've been given.

A good way that I have found to research vaccines is to research both the disease the vaccine prevents and the vaccine itself. Compare the risks of the disease vs. the vaccine. Compare the side-effects. Research how to treat the disease should your child contract it. Most of these childhood diseases require a week or so home from school, a lot of rest, and fluids. Some require more. Research the ingredients in vaccines (not before eating...) and actually look at what the individual ingredients do and if they are regulated or toxic.

I got to a point where I no longer feared those diseases. I don't vaccinate because I know what to do if my children get Pertussis (Whooping Cough). I will be giving them copious amounts of Sodium Ascorbate (a type of buffered Vitamin C) because it makes the cough infinitely better and I will be keeping them quiet and giving plenty of fluids. I learned what to do for the other diseases as well.

There's a wonderful book called, "How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor" by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn. It has a section on the childhood diseases and what to do for each one. It really helped me to read those sections and the fact that it was written by a pediatrician helps as well! It's older (from the 1980's), but the human body hasn't changed since then. What worked then, still works now.

It's very important to know how to treat these vaccine preventable diseases yourself if you choose to not vaccinate because many doctors aren't taught how to anymore.

Another thing to think about is that there is a bit of a social stigma to not vaccinating. I know people who have lost friends because of not vaccinating. I've even been told that my children pose a risk to others' vaccinated children (even though the vaccinated children are supposedly protected by the vaccines). So I tend to not tell many people that we don't vaccinate. If asked directly by most people I will say that we delay vaccines (leaving out the word, "forever" or "indefinitely").

There are many things to think about. Most people I know who research vaccines end up not getting most of them, but usually get one or two vaccines for the diseases that they wouldn't be comfortable with their children contracting. For me, those diseases I wouldn't be comfortable with (polio and tetanus) are so rare (polio is also very much linked with DDT - do a search with those two terms) and, in the case of tetanus, so preventable (by washing wounds with soap and water), that I'm not personally concerned. Other parents sometimes come to different conclusions :)

Best wishes and happy researching!
~B.

ETA - It's quite easy in all the Western states to get an exemption so your children can still attend school/daycare/preschool and not be vaccinated. If your children choose to be in the healthcare profession they can easily get the required shots while in college/med school.

Vaccinations are the leading cause of SIDS. Our government has a fund set up for parents of children who after their shots die, become paralyzed or become autistic. Go check out thinktwice.com
By the way you can put your children in school without them. 2 ways got to the school nurse and sign a religious exemption or go to a nutritional doctor with an MD and for about $100 you can get an exemption for the childs whole life. Your child can do everything all infected children can do. Be careful your friends who have kids are contagious for two weeks with the virus the have been injucted with. keep your childs immune system up and you should be fine.
Mother of two beautiful, unvaccinated, perfectly healthy boys in Alaska

Good morning. Yesterday was my youngest son's 9 month check up. Our Dr asked me to read a book "The Vaccine Book" by Robert W Sears. Our Dr says he is rethinking the vaccination schedule and doing a lot of research recently on the topic. I am going to get the book today as a starting point and do my own research.

Just a something that he pointed it is that the increase in autism cases is being linked to Aluminum (which I guess there is a large amount in the Hep B and one other set of shots) used to create the vaccine.

I think this is a good sounding board to hear other people's opinions, but the bottom line is you need to talk to you child's doctor and do what feels right for you and your family.

Best of luck to you.

I think that instead of asking for advice from a mom's group, you might want to survey medical and science experts. I think most of them believe that the potential risks of vaccines are far less than the potential risks of the diseases they prevent.

Check out the website for Center for Disease Control, I believe it's www.cdc.gov As a nurse(I stay home with my daughter now) I used that resource for almost everything. I have never thought twice about giving a vaccine to a child or making the decision to give them to my children. There is another one on the way and this one will get them also. I only had to consider these vaccines were created to protect our children from diseases that can lead to meningitis, deafness, blindness, mental retardation and/or death. Many diseases are making rounds, whooping cough and measles are 2 huge examples. A person who has not recieved some of these vaccines as children will need them as adults, to travel, or go to college, etc. I hope that this helps. But do remember that in the end it is your choice to make, and stand strong on that decision.

I have been skeptical, myself, about vaccines but we have gone ahead with the recommendations of our doctor (the typical, Western medicine kind). Our family has no history of reactions to any kind of shots, so that helped us feel better about our decision. We had heard so much about links to autisim and other issues. Our doctor said that the research that spread this information was flawed, and that there are many good studies that show no link between the two. She also pointed out that a "rise" in incidence of autism is partially linked to a change in definition of autism that included more kids...so they could get help in schools. Another point my traveling sister made me aware of: if you ever plan to travel outside of this country with your children, vaccinations are a must. Good luck with your decisions. A.

Well, it's one of those "inform yourself and choose the best you can" things. But the way I feel is that the benifits out-weigh the risks. Especially if you have or have had preemie babies, like both of mine were. I feel like I would want them to have every chance not to get sick with something that could be dibilitating for them. For example: My 9 1/2 month old was born 8 1/2 weeks premature and this whole winter she has had to recieve RSV shots every 4 weeks. It's hard to see her cry, but I would much rather her cry for a few minutes while the injection is being administered than have to be in the hospital with her hooked up to IV's and breathing tubes because she got RSV. So it's really up to you. By the way. In the state of Alaska public school goes have to be up to date with their injections.

Hi K.,

First of all, did your two year old do ok with the vaccines?? and do you have any pets??

I truely believe in vaccinating!! I work in an animal hospital and see Zoonotic diseases(ones we can catch from our pets) Whether or not you vacinate your children there are risks! There are risks by giving them and huge ones by not. I truely believe it is an individual choice but I personally would not want one of my children to get some of the things that are out there. I have done and will continue to vaccinate against the diseases of the world. If your first child did fine.....

Good luck, look at the numbers read the studys and then maybe pray about it.(don't know if you believe in prayer or not, just a suggestion)

Good luck

L.

I know that there has been a lot of press about vaccines and how they have been linked to autism etc, but I think there are other environmental links that are more probable. We don't have issues like polio and measles anymore because of vaccines. These epidemics have been controlled because of the information and education that we have received over the years. It has been said that if we have a lot of parents avoiding vaccines, that we may see a rise in the number of cases of the diseases that they are intended to protect against. It does bother me when I know that children that don't have vaccines (for no medical reason) playing with my son. Vaccines are a protection, but are not perfect. My son could still be exposed and get whatever disease that they may have. Yes it's true that some children have a reaction to vaccines and should avoid them in the future, but it is very rare. In my opinion, a moment of tears is far less of a worry than the disease that they vaccine is protecting against. I typically take motrin or tylenol with me to the dr.'s office and it helps to minimize the symptoms. I know that I don't have a lot of statistics or medical evidence, but I am a very concerned mother too, and have read a lot about the subject.
Good luck on your decision making. I am sure that you will look at all of your options.
B.

K.,
Dr. Sears book, "The Vacine Book" takes a nice balanced approach to vaccinations. I think it is something that all parents need to consider strongly the options and the timing of when to administer each shot. Dr. Sears is great at reminding us that if your baby is breastfead and not in daycare, you can wait on some things.

You can send your children to school without being completely vaccinated in Oregon, however you do need to claim a medical or religious/spiritual exemption.

Good luck,

You cannot put your children in school without them, that being said, I agree with the woman who said, "We all got our shots and we're ok". Should you decide to vaccinate, make sure your children are healthy when they go in, don't take them in with a cold, they could have a bad reaction.
Should you decide NOT to vaccinate, make sure you do all the research. You do not want to make an uninformed decision, these are your childrens' lives we're talking about. Good luck.

I have the same struggle with vaccines. I was raised in a family that did not vaccinate, so when I had my first child I did a ton of research on the subject. Like with most everything else, there is a small risk with vaccines. Your child could have a bad reaction to the vaccine or even be allergic. But the risk of not getting them vaccinated and them catching a serious desease, is much higher. I have gotten both my children vaccinated. Do some research on the internet, but be sure and check the sources. (Dr. Mercola is a wack, stay away from his site) There are a lot of wacky people with crazy thories about vaccines. Talk to your doctor about it and he/she should have some hand outs on the subject. Good luck!

Expect 80 or so responses ;).

Thimerosol is statistically irrelevant to the onset of autism, if American and European government studies are to be believed (always a question of course). That does not actually mean "vaccines are safe," nor does it mean they are unrelated to the onset of autism, and both assertions are scientifically dishonest presentations of the studies that have considered the statistical correlation of thimerosol-vaccines to autism.

What is statistically correlated is prenatal ultrasound use. Midwifery Today carried a meta-analysis last year showing, with citations, that the more standardized technological pernatal "care" is in a country and over time, the more autism shows up. Did you know the rate is higher in Britain and Japan than here even?

I think we damage with ultrasound (damage is definite and basic science, long known and never spoken, the questions unanswered are how much and how), and then either that is enough to cause autism, or the messed up unnatural immune response taught by vaccines triggers damage from inflammation (hence sudden-onset).

See also, Mothering Magazine autism-vaccine article in ... 2006 (a cover article). And studies in mice published summer 2006 in mainstream media showed direct correlation between autism-type brain damage and amount of prenatal ultrasound.

Vaccines are a boon to humanity, but they are a risk to your child either way (go or no). God bless your choices. We vaccinate on an expanded schedule, with consideration for why a vaccine is needed (HPV not until sexual activity, for instance).

Oh, and the vaccination schedule is, in my opinion, the most damaging possible for mis-teaching learning immune-systems (of course, vaccination-proponents think of this as the most efficient teaching of the "proper" response). Starting later and not scheduling vaccinations in a pattern specifically designed to catch them at every point along their naturally-slowing growth curve makes the input more "random" (natural, an invader) instead of regular (important, part of what "normal," part of what the body should expect). At least, that is my theory ;).

Our first had a seizure at 4 mos from the DTaP (the "safer" one). We request and get DT shots (sans pertussis). You CANNOT trust the gvt stats--I fought for four months before our then-pediatrician would send in the VAERS form (and the emergency room doc totally refused to countenance that it might be vaccine related, listing it as febrile ... um, ok, even if the fever "caused" the seizure, the vaccine _caused_ the fever, hello?), and only then because I threatened to invoke my right as a parent to file the damn thing by myself. 36 hours post-vaccine, never happened before or since, and you are SUPPOSED TO report ANY unusual reactions, including all the way down to extra fussiness, for TWO WEEKS post-vaccination. Do you know ANYONE who does that? (After that I wanted to, but frankly, what parent of a baby has the time to keep track of all symptoms for two weeks? Sigh.) All babies are extra fussy for at least a couple of days. And all the "fact" sheets say, "extra fussiness" is "some babies" or "rare" reaction. The system totally discourages accuracy. I have to believe the med schools/professional pressure discouraged my excited new-doctor pediatrician and the more established ED doc from reporting. A grand mal seizure?? It was just ridiculous. Luckily our naturopath told me this about body-learning: if it happens twice, especially biologically close together (babies learn faster and more than toddlers, for instance), the body is likely to "learn" it (and the siezures would start happening sans vaccine), but once was probably OK (and it was).

(I worked in medical stats for a couple of years, and so am a little extra-offended at all this statistical "support" the government throws around like it has any actual meaning. Pff. When medical science involves actual science, hey, I'm all for it. Not a lot of trustworthy info out there right now, though.)

I think it is important to get them. This world is the way it is because of vaccines. I mean, people used to die from simple diseases, and from horrible ones. Suffering from Polio and small pox, plague, etc. The latest study has shown that there is no link between thimerisol, the preservative in vaccines, and autism. However, my doctor likes to spread them out more than what the CDC recommends. He believes it is too much for their immune systems. So, you could always do that and maybe that will make you feel better. I am personally concerned that so many new parents are refusing them. Can you imagine a resurgence of Polio? That was only erradicated in the 1950s. Ask your parents about how that was?

Hi K.,
I also have two children- ages 11 and 10. Recently I've been hearing so much about vacinations. I just attended a class at my chiropracter on the danger of vaccinations. It was amazing and scary. My children are utd on their shots, but I'm determined to study more before they get any boosters. I'm definitely leaning towards no more. A couple webstites are www.vaclib.org and www.korenpublications.com. The last website has a flier called What's in a Vaccine. You can enlarge it enough, hopefully, to read it. Some of the things listed are mercury, latex rubber, aluminum, formaldehyde and human and animal cells. It makes sense that we are dealing with so many more cases of cancers and autism.
J.

there used to be a huge deal about vaccines causing autism but they have taken out the contriverial ingrediants since then. You need to get your child vaccinated to prevent the diseases that are much worse. While I was always behind with my children because I think giving a 4 month old 4 shots every visit is extreme, its important to get them in before they are old enough to start remembering that the doctors office is a horrible place to go. I agree with other posts that doing your own research is a good idea. There are also going to be issues if you dont get them with registering for school and them having a career say in the medical field as an adult. Smile, Jen

I have heard pros and cons and decided to go ahead with keeping my daughter up-to-date with hers. I have a friend who is convinced that her son is autistic because of shots. But my daughter is very bright and healthy. If you have concearns you can ask your doctor for mercury-free shots. Good luck with your choice. Jeni

Easy. Yes, there are some proven anfd some disproven (or still controversial) risks with vaccines. But none of the real risks are as high as the risks associated with NOT getting the shots. Get all the recommended ones. Period.

From the science perspective, the benefits far outweight the risks. I am assuming you have read something about vaccines and autism? If you pile up data side by side, there is not any conclusive proof. As a researcher in this field, the only vaccine I was not sure about was the chickenpox vaccine - and only becuase it might (and rarely) mean shingles at a younger age (if at all). However, to start public schools one day, my daughter will have to have it, so I went ahead with the vaccine.

Do you want to see the ravishing effects of Small Pox, Whooping cough or more serious illnesses? There is a reason we don't want kids to suffer. That is why vaccines were created. I raised 4 children and they had all their shots and their children have had theirs. Nothing bad has happened to them because they were vaccinated. Even though they didn't like to get shot..they didn't want to get sick. Try getting Chicken Pox when you are adult..it is not fun!!!

I think you have received a lot of good information here. It's a personal choice that you and your spouse need to decide together. Just because you started doesn't mean you have to continue(I'm sorry I didn't read ALL the responses so sorry if I repeat)
I am only giving my son some of the vaccines and the ones that he is getting will not be when he is a baby. There is no reason that two low risk parents need to give their child Hep B before the kid is of age to be doing IV drugs or Sex, yet that is the shot babies are given on their first day of life,,WHY. When we do his physical before JR high I will do Hep B. but not as a baby.
Since you have already done the first round of shots I highly suggest learning about the percent process. The vaccines that have multiple shots to a series. The first shot makes the kid (Lets just estimate because it's different for each vaccine) 80% vaccinated, the second shot adds 10% the third another 10%. If you are on the fence about vaccines you could just do the first shot in each series (like our family) that way the kid is vaccinated but not excessively. These shots do serve a purpose in the seattle area we have a lot of immigrants/travelers who have not had 3 generations of people with vaccines to eliminate disease so the possibility of contracting is still there it is just SO low that you now have to decide what's best for your family.
hope this helps a little. I know this is a huge issue for moms right now. I have a very supportive (but out of date) mother in law and a terrified of autism husband so we've done a lot of research.

I think this is on the minds of EVERY mother!

Please do your research and come to a conclusion that you are comfortable with. A LOT of the statistics tossed around in these comments are not accurate. If you understand what the real risks are for vaccinating vs. not for each shot, you will feel better about your decision regardless of what it is. We found The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears to be a huge help in our research. He advocates vaccinating, but discusses intelligently what other options you have and what risks are associated with those choices. Good luck.

I am 53 and if I was having children now I would not let a vaccination near them. Look for the book Vaccinations or not Immunizations or Immunizations or not Vaccinations. The author has done his research and it is an eye opener.

There are several people my age that suffer from MS. It is a well known fact that the vaccinations given (polio in particular) is a leading cause of the MS in people over 50.

Lots of mercury still exists in many vacinnations. The drug companies rule our country and until we start saying NO we are under their control. Medicine is a gift that has been abused.

Unfortunatly the state has a lot of say so when it comes to your childs vaccines. I tried to fight my daugters daycare and school about the chicken pox vaccine I didnt want her to have it there is just not enough research on it for me to really feel comfortable about it. the school told me I can sign a waver but if any child in the district not even just her school has a case of chicken pox my daughter would have to be excused from school for up to four months. as a working parent there is no way that I can take that time off of work and I wouldnt want my child to fall behind so I was forced to have her take it. I know there is alot of contriversy about vaccines and autism. I am lucky that I didnt have a problem with ether of my children with them taking the vaccines. But you also have to look at it this way there are so many different people from so many different countries that are comming and going in the US and the chance of bringing the diseases these vaccines prevent is high. you need to really think about the long term and if your child did not have a reaction from the first round of vaccinations it should be fine. good luck i know this is a hard issue.

Wow...I'm new to Mamasource, but love it already! This seems to be quite the hot topic! Here's my two cents... :)
I am a first time mother to a 3 year old boy, who, when having my son knew no differently BUT to vaccinate him. He had all of his normal shots up until the age of 18mos. Until at which time he became VERY sick, was hospitalized and as we found out later, had food allergies (not attributing this to vaccines). So we were recommended to see a Naturopath. After many visits, we mentioned we were taking him for his next set of shots and she, as well as the Chiropractor I work for, recommended we do some extra research beforehand, so we felt as though we were making an informed decision. Meanwhile I did my own research and talked w/ cousins who have two Autistic children. I came to the conclusion that I no longer wanted to vaccinate my son. My naturopath is our primary doc, so rarely unless it's an emergency, do I have to take my son to an MD, but when I do I get looked at as a 'bad parent', which I would rather that than inject my child w/ these poisons they call vaccines. I am very passionate about the choice not to vaccinate, however do believe it's every parents right to research on their own and make their own informed decision!
I recently saw two Oprah shows where they explores these very questions. What are the pros/cons, as the main topic was Autism. You might be able to find that show on her website, it was about 8 months ago. After my husband watched that show, he was in tears and was on board fully at that point w/ my decision to not vaccinate. It was powerful. And altho the CDC claims there is no proven, scientific facts that vaccinations cause autism, there were 4 mothers on the panel w/ Oprah that very passionately begged to differ. All of their children were diagnosed w/ autism around the age of 2...all of them. Coincedence?
The second show on Oprah was w/ actress/comedian Jenny McCarthy, sure you've seen her books and heard her story, but she shared her story of her son being autisic...great info! She said altho she doesn't recommend NOT vaccinating, she does recommend spreading them out and/or subracting altogether some vaccines. She says she's frustrated that the CDC thinks that vaccines are a 'one size fits all'...not all children are made the same.
**I am not saying that Oprah, by all means, is a great source of factual info to base research on, but AFTER I had done my research and made my choice, it was nice to see other mothers who felt as strongly as I.
Here is a GREAT website to at least take a peek at please:
www.909shot.com

I am truly impressed and grateful for your children that you are asking questions and seeking out info, from one mother to another, I'm proud of you for that!

PS: I work in a Chiropractic office and have been asked, because I feel so passionate about this topic, to do research and personally educate our patients on this topic, to hold a class at some point. If you would like I can either mail or email you some of my own personal research on this topic too, just let me know! I have a brochure that actually breaks down what is in the flu shot...good for parents to know, I can almost guarantee once you know you won't ever put that in your or your child's body again!

Hi K.,

My one year old had all the vaccines during her first year, though my husband and I were very torn about her getting them. He wasn't absolutely convinced that it wasn't linked to autism, and I just hated the look of pain on her face when she got them. Since then we have done some research and here is what we have found so far:
Good news is that mercury has been removed from MOST vaccines. Not all. But most. And that was what they believed was "causing" the autism debate. Unfortunately, they still contain gross amounts of aluminum. Aluminum is also a neurotoxin. There have been no studies on the effects of aluminum in children, but the studies of aluminum in adults conclude that more than 50 mcg of aluminum can be toxic and cause toxicity and possible damage to the brain. Most vaccines contain around 250 mcg each. And when you take your child in for their shots, they usually get a minimum of 4, right? Do the math. Gross overdosing on aluminum with just one shot, but 4?! There is a great article that can give you more information on the studies and effects in the recent issue of Mothering Magazine.

I highly recommend The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears for other options, or an alternative shot schedule that might be less damaging. Spacing it out is always an option.

My Osteopath that runs an Urgent Care clinic here in Hillsboro told me what he really thought of vaccines once. That basically they are completely unnecessary during the first year if you are breastfeeding. The baby is getting all the antibodies from you for any sickness you've ever had. They can't even build their own immune system until they're about 18 months old because they lack the glands to do so.

I know die-hard parents who do not vaccinate at all. Some parents are afraid to. There will never be a study that takes everything into account to prove once and for all one way or another. So I would do what feels right to you. Perhaps the middle ground with an alternate schedule would work best for you if you are afraid of going completely without. I know a lot of parents who waited until their kids were past the most brain-developing stage to even start shots. All the information can be dizzying, and inconclusive. Do as much research as possible, and follow your instincts. A mother's instincts will overrule a doctor's opinion any day of the week.

~E.

I feel the same way, that I missed the boat with my first son and just went with what the Dr. said. I have heard of some doctors that seperate the vaccines, Measels at one appt., then mumps at another, then reubella at another, which supposedly has had a high rate of success. My sister-in-law's dr. swears that before he started separating them, he had at least 2 patients that came back a few weeks later with Austism, and he hasn't had any in the past 5 years since he started separating them. I personally think it sounds like a good, balanced approach. I am certainly not going to not give my kids vaccinations, but it seems like the MMR does have risks for some kids, so now that I know I probably will go with separating them

I think that the ammount of vaccines that infants get is where things go overboard. I mean come on, they get boosters every two months starting at birth! My son is 18 mo and he has had a total of two sets. Vaccines can be dangerous, even if they don't create side-effects in every child, they do suppress every child's immune system at a time when it's just building. So, my advice would be everything in moderation. A few sets are fine, just not a whole butt-load. Do some research and make an informed decsion. : )

I am vaccinating my youngest right now because my doctor who is both a naturpath and a western medicine doctor, has recommended some, namely, flu, and whooping cough as they are on the rise in my area. There is a lot to read on this subject and you REALLY have to get educated to be able to make a decision on this, if you don't, people will lecture you or worse, it's good to have solid facts to back up your decisions.

The reasons I am okay with vaccines this time around (my oldest didn't hardly any)

#1 I trust my doctor

#2 there is evidence to suggest that the argument that vaccines cause autism is wrong.

#3 I am being cautious about the administration of the vaccines and not overloading my 1 year olds system. We started his shots somewhere around 6 months and only did the most needed series based on current illness trends in my area and his risk factor to these illnesses.

Here are some links I thought might be helpful:

Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccination

List of vaccine ingredients
http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html

info
http://www.nvic.org/

there is a lot more if you google "vaccines" too.
Hope it helps

Do your research. My best girl friend's oldest son was severly damaged by them. By husband's best high school buddie's little brother was also. They live/d ife in a wheel chair with out the abiblity to communicate or walk. They were both "normal" before their MMR vaccines. I did vaccinate mine, but after knowing what I know now, I would not.
Either way, go with caution and put the rest in God's hands.

I have three children and NONE of them have ever been vacinated I worked for a chiropractor for several years and there is a web sites and books linking atism and ADD ADHD to them my children all are in school and there has been no trouble. The one and only question that the chiropractor asked me is this... "Why does an new born get the same amount of vaccine that a 5, 8 or even a 12 yr. old gets?" that relly masde me think????
The other question he asked me was who gets Hep B drug users ect.... why would a new born need this?

I do relize I have a strong belief in this so I have always had a moto that its your child and we can only do what we think is best for our kidos what works run with it and what doesnt well try something else..

It just so happens a friend of mine recorded a show about this very subject today. Here is how to listen to the recording:

Go to talkshoe.com. In the search window put: 12797 Then click on "listen" and a list of recordings will show up. Click on the last one recorded of Mary Tocco on the Dangers of Vaccines.

Another resource is Dr. Mercola at mercola.com

K.,

I think it is very smart to want to be informed. After all, we, as parents, should be able to make informed decisions about our own children's health. And the state of Washington allows parents that right. If you do choose to not vaccinate or only partially vaccinate, you have that right and can still enroll your child in school. The state of Washington allows waivers of vaccination based on Medical, Religious and Philosophical reasons. I would check out www.909shot.com for information about vaccines. I would also read The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears. I just read it and loved it! It gives a completely non-biased view of vaccines and is very informative. I highly recommend it. Hope this helps!

As a person in the medical field, I would have to say vaccines are a must. There is not any conclusive data on what harm vaccines may do. Why would you let your child be potentially exposed to preventable diseases? We have the technology to prevent many diseases and have healthy children. I don't understand why anyone would not vaccinate.

Hi K.,

Two points:
1) Vaccines are well researched. Believe me, the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) is there to protect us. The likelihood you are going to study these vaccines as well as they have is pretty darn low. Of course, you should study up... but don't fool yourself into thinking you know more about it than they do unless you have your MPH and are a big researcher!
2) Your children are "vaccinated" by the environment daily. Breastmilk is their 1st vaccine. Then, they are exposed to dozens (if not more) germs daily that their bodies process and gain immunity from (same process as vaccination).
3) I believe it is your CIVIC DUTY to vaccinate your child. New babies don't get their first set of vaccines until 2 months of age, and the immunity wanes with time, necessitating booster shots. By not vaccinating your child(ren) against pertussis, measles, etc... you are putting these young ones at risk!!!! I have seen children DIE because of this. Believe me, it's HORRIBLE. And also, immunocompromised children (undergoing cancer treatment, etc) are at risk from non-immunized children in the community. Think about it!

Thanks for listening,
J.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Definitely weigh your options on this one! My first advice is to consider the infectious diseases that vaccinations prevent. Here in the U.S. we are becoming lax about vaccination for the simple fact that we, as a nation, do not witness the horrors of these diseases. Consider diseases such as poliomyelitis, which can cause debilitating deformities are only an airplane flight away in our "global" economy. All it takes is one infected person flying in and having contact with an unvaccinated child or group of children. Or, if you are a traveller, consider that, in places like Indonesia, Tetanus (caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani)still causes thousands of deaths yearly.

Also, consider that some diseases, like Hepatitis B, are more harmful to children than they are to adults. Hepatitis B is more likely to become a chronic infection in children. 89 to 90 percent of children infected with this virus will develop chronic liver disease, as compared to only 5 percent of adults. This is why the immunization is so important at a young age! It prevents a disease that has the potential to permanently affect a child.

As for the pertussis debate, keep reading. The latest versions of the pertussis vaccination is acellular - e.g. lacking cells. It's MUCH less likely to cause reactions. Have you ever known a child with pertussis? I have. One of my best friends refused to allow her child to be immunized with DTP (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis), because someone told her it might cause seizures. When her son was 8 months old, he was exposed to, and contracted, the disease. He was sick for six months! She had to take him to the emergency room at least twice a month for his breathing, not to mention the numerous sleepless nights when he was coughing and gasping for breath, her inability to find a childcare provider, and the worry that perhaps he wouldn't start breathing after one of his fits. It was terrifying for her. Thank GOD the poor kiddo wasn't an asthmatic - respiratory infections for them can be fatal!

So, vaccinate or don't. Immunizations aren't poisons. They're tools that we use to prevent our children and ourselves from contracting diseases that are DEFINITELY not dead and gone. If anyone wants to point to smallpox and imagine some victory over 'mother nature', I need only point out that somewhere in a lab, even that nasty bug still exists.

Hello K.,

I'm not sure what your specific concerns are regarding vaccinations. Personally I believe it's a duty to vaccinate your children, not only for the sake of their own health but the health of everyone around them. Vaccines save lives. Period. Drug companies do not make money from vaccines. It is a public health concern as well as individual insurance against contracting these debilitating, disfiguring and life-threatening diseases. A very nice review from 2007 in Current Opion of Neurology states in their abstract:
"The weight of epidemiological evidence does not support a relationship between vaccination and childhood epileptic encephalopathies or autism spectrum disorders. SUMMARY: Vaccines are safer than ever before, but the challenge remains to convey this message to society in such a way that produces change in attitudes to vaccination and subsequent increase in vaccine coverage."
Find the abstract and link to the review here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17351489?ordinalpos=1&...

I am so thankful we live in a place and time where we do not worry about smallpox, polio, measles, rubella, and the other host of devastating diseases that used to claim the lives of so many children, and continue to in areas deprived of these lifesaving tools. I believe it is my responsibility as a parent (of a 4 month old daughter) to do all that I can to ensure her health, both by providing her with the proper vaccines and with encouraging those around her to be vaccinated.

Good luck to you.
A.

Please be sure to vaccinate your children. If we didn't vaccinate we would see the rise of polio, small pox and other dibilitating diseases. We have become so spoiled without having to deal with these last generation diseases we think we can go without vaccines. All the reading I have done has made me feel perfectly safe about having my two little girls vaccinated.

Hi K.,
I found Dr. Sears' new book, "The Vaccine Book," to be extremely helpful.

hello, I have worked at a Chiropractic office in CA in the 90's, and the doc there was very against vaccinating, then I did not understand why.
Now after researching on my own, I declince all vaccines for my children. Even the flu vaccine now.
I have a ten year old son that was fully vaccinated till Kindergarten. When he was 7 we had gone to an international airport and he contracted a high fever of 104 and a skin rash. The ER said it was a viral infection and that we would have to let it run its course. When I asked what the rash was about he said "I don't know". After researching the rash on line, it was very close to a child hood disease that should be erraticated. Those shots being loaded with who know what are not always that great. The flu shots don't work for all flus.. In MY OPINION, I will never give my kids a vaccine again.. and if your children are in school you can sign a vaccine waiver and they can still go to school. One more thing, my son that had that "viral infection" ended up having CANCER... so he can never be vaccinated any more any way.. He is ten now.. and more healthy now then he was ever.. in his life. good luck , D. A

Honestly the only vaccination that I have a problem with is the Chicken Pox. I don't understand why we need to vaccinate on that one. Maybe because I wasn't harmed by it when I was a kid that I feel it's a fine cold/epademic to actually go through with it's course. Anyway - some of the others though I feel are a necessity. Polio, Hepatitis and some of the biggies are very crucial. But that's my point of view. My main influence is my mom and she saw the true affects of Polio and the measles (she's originally from Germany). I guess she saw a lot of that. Anyway, That's my point of view. I know that you will make the right decision for your child. It's always good to ask questions.

Dr. Mercola has accumulated tons of information on vaccinations and the effects we are seeing today. He also provides information of how to legally avoid having to give vaccines to your children whether for school or military purposes there are exemptions! Don't believe contrary, because many will say otherwise. It's simply not true. At this point, the government does not have complete control over us, and we do still have the right to choose.

www.mercola.com is an awesome sight full of tons of information, you may not agree with everything, but he definitely puts out the information to the other side of things we rarely hear from anyone else.

Personally, I stopped giving my son shots at 18ms. And He is nearly 3.5. He seems much healthier than those who have received shots his age, Praise God. And doesn't have to worry about being pinned down and shot up with chemicals. And his brother is now 13ms and has never received any shots. He is doing great! Praise God. Ultimately our trust and confidence is in God our Healer when we are sick, and when we are healthy. Without God, I would be a mess and very confused on who can I trust and very worried about the children all the time. No so, God is good.

www.nvic.org has some amazing information. Whatever you choose, please please please be informed and make the decision for yourself. And to those mothers who say you can't attend school without them, they're probably not informed. There are only 1 or 2 states that have that law. This website has information on state laws as well. Good luck and I'll keep you and your decision-process in my prayers.

I have gooten a lot of good inforation from Dr. Lyn Hanshew-
www.askdrlyn.com

If I had to do it all over again, I would not have my children immunized.
There is so much misinformation out there -
*the decline of certain diseases came before the introduction of the vaccines
*mercury is still being used as a preservative- didn't they remove mercury from our thermometers because it was toxic?? Don't let them fool you - mercury by any other name is still mercury and it is still toxic
*as the rates for these illnesses is going down, the rates of autism and other learning disabilities from heavy metal poisoning and other vaccine related issues is going up
*vaccines are a huge money maker for the pharmaceutical companies- doctors get plenty of benefits from these companies when using and recomending thier products- it is not beneficial to the doctors or the pharmaceutical ocmpanies to tell you the truth about vaccines- furthermore, once the damage is done from the vaccines, they can then prescribe other moneymaking drugs to counter the effects- vaccinations are just the beginning of an endless cycle that frustrates you and profits the drug companies and the leagal drug dealers called doctors.

I know several children who have not been vaccinated - they are smart, vibrant and healthy. Their immune systems have not been compromised and they are naturally better able to fight off infections and sickness.

Hi K.,

There is a lot of heresay out there about the "dangers of vaccinations", especially concerning autism. Scientific studies have proven over and over that there is no connection. The American Medical association continues to maintain that it is far more dangerous to NOT vaccinate and expose your child to Mumps, Measles, etc., than it is to vaccinate. I take my advice from reputable organizations that have done the blind studies and research and will continue to vaccinate my 2 year old.
By the way, I have a stepson and a nephew with autism! There IS evidence that autism is genetically passed on, NOT caused by vaccines.

Hi K.,
When my kids were little, there was a lot of controversy about the DPT shot because in some cases the reaction to the shot was really bad because of the pertussus. I just took my 15 year old in to get a booster and the doctor said the shot is now safer than it used to be. He said that it does'nt have all the bad stuff in it anymore. He actually said a lot more than that, but nothing I could actually retain, I understood when he was telling me, so you should ask your doctor. Shots should not be taken lightly, and you should get all the information you can get from the doctor, make him work for his money.
Good luck,
J.

Wow...all I can say is do your homework on this. I had a child who had an adverse rxn and chose not to vaccinate all 3 of my kids after that. Check out Jenny McCarthy's book (her child is autistic after an MMR shot) Some kids are predisposed to not responding well. And some you won't see any problem...till later in their life. Again, I say, do your homework. There's a book called DPT: A shot in the Dark. Also, common sense says the body would never contract 3 or 4 different diseases, even in a small vaccination amount, ever.!

Hi there,
My son is 2 and is current on most but not all shots, by personal choice after research. I chose not to vaccinate him at all until 6 months old because I read so much about how harsh it is on the tiny baby's system and how it is not necessary if they are not in daycare. I especially was against 5 vaccines at once, so once we started at 6 months. I only allowed 2 shots per visit. We came in every 2 months to space them out. I flat out said no thank you for the Hep B vaccine for 2 reasons: 1, I was allergic to it and the nurse said he could be, too and 2, it is a disease that you get from shared needles/sex/blood trannsmition and at 6 months old I could not see why this was an immediate danger. I will vaccinate him with that one before he starts school.

The only other one I opted out of completely was the Pertussis vaccine (whooping cough). It's usually combined in the tetanus shot, but they have tetanus shots without it. That one, from my research, is the most controversial because they believe it may cause brain abnormalities. In addition, if you read the CDC paper on it, it tells you the rate of serious complications (coma, brain damage, death) is something like 1 in 13,000, but if you research the rate of death from whooping cough itself, it's only 1 in 15,000... so you have more chance of deadly results from the shot than from actually getting the disease!

I also waited until age 2 to get the MMR shot as it has been linked in the past to Autism though there is not enough research to prove it. It worried me enough to delay it from the usual age of 15 months... That is the most common age to show sudden signs of autism after the MMR shot, so I just wanted to be cautious.

Anyway, there are a lot of good sites out there for research. The CDC has the info sheets where you can see rates of serious complications, but I can't remember all the other sites I used in my research. My biggest validation was that I have been to 3 different doctors with my son (because of moving or change of insurance) and all 3 were totally ok with me not vaccinating him on schedule or leaving some out and said it was good that I chose to research for myself.

Also, never let someone tell you that a child must have those vaccines to be allowed in public school. Every single state has a waiver that lets you opt out for personal beliefs. You just have to ask the district for the form.

Best of luck in your research - it is a hard decision for sure, and one that is very very personal!

Hi K.,
We have a 4 and 2 year old, both have received no vaccines. At first it was a really hard decision, now I know it was the best decision for my children. However, not vaccinating may not be the right solution for every family.

I have noticed that generally unvaccinated kids, including my own seem to get sick a lot less often, and when they do they fight it off better.

While doing your research look at where the money is coming from, and who is funding the studies.

Good Luck, make an informed decision.

There are some very good books out there covering this subject. Some even written by doctors. I would encourage you to read about it. I have four children. Only my oldest stepdaughter has had all her immunizations. (Not my decision) I got my oldest son vaccinated for a couple of things when he was 3. My youngest two have had none. My children are 8, 10, 12 and 15. In the last 12 years they have been (all together) to the doctor about 5 or 6 times. They are very healthy.
One of the main issues against vaccination is the fact that many of the vaccines are live viruses. Mumps, Chicken pox (varicella), the flu strains and DTP (not DTaP) and oral polio all contain live viruses. This means that they are actually just giving your child a weakened form of the disease. They then are able to pass these on to other children right after being vaccinated. They give these diseases to children when their immune systems are at their weakest (infancy). The live viruses must be cultivated (They inject the disease into an animal i.e. horse,chimp and then extract it, add preservatives etc. to it - then give it to your child) Pertussis (whooping cough) does not kill very many kids. Neither do most of these childhood diseases. Get online and search the medical journals documenting these vaccines and their history. Even the medical journals state the inadequacy and problems with most of the vaccines. They had to stop giving people the live smallpox vaccines and then polio because they started giving more people the disease with the vaccine than they were helping with it. This is happening now with Pertussis (whooping cough). The vast majority of children in U.S. schools are vaccinated. So why are we suddenly having so many outbreaks around the country of Pertussis? There is no proven documentation that the hepatitis vaccines do anything towards preventing this disease. Also understand that the people pushing for the vaccines are usually receiving money/benefit from the people making the the vaccines (drug companies). This is a government control issue - not a health issue. Don't believe the propaganda. Find the truth. You really need to read the information for yourself and make an informed decision. Don't go on other people's opinions. Everyone has one. Even the doctors. These are your children and your responsibility. You - not them - have to answer for their health and well being. Glad to see more people questioning the SYSTEM!

I know some parents who spread out their child's immunizations. Their pediatrician was okay with it so they went in every month for a shot instead of getting 4 at each visit. That may be helpful.

I have a son that is almost 2 and he has all of his vaccines. I know that the controvery comes with the mercury content in the shots. I have reaserched it a lot and spoke with my doctor. He said that they didn't actually have mercury in them but the same base that mercury comes from. I also found out that there are new vaccines without this in the. I requested the ones that did not have the stuff in them and my doctor had those on hand. He said that most places will carry those now and that if they don't use those type exclusivly then they can always get them.
I also spoke with my mom about it. She said that she had a friend whose child was doing fine until his 1 year or six month shots (I can't remember) and that after the shots were given the child was autistic. That would be really hard. But I figure that I am doing everything that I can to make sure that he is safe...I guess it could cause it in really rare situations but that if I don't give him the shots then he is really likely to get one of the illnesses that could have been prevented and have lasting effects or die from that. I know that it is scarry but I really feel that I made the best decision. I hope this helps.

Hi K.. I can see that you have received a bunch of responses already covering the spectrum of view points. This is a very hot topic right now and I am glad to see that more parents are beginning to question the safety of vaccines. Nobody can tell you what decision to make but I do believe strongly in educating yourself as a parent so that you can feel confident in the decision that you make for your children. After a lot of research, my husband and I chose not to vaccinate our twin boys. They are now 2 years old and are healthy. The most helpful resource for us in making this decision were some DVD's by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. One is called "Vaccines: The Risks, The Benefits, The Choices" and the other is called "Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal." Both are available on Amazon and there are some great reviews of those DVD's that you can read there as well. Dr. Tenpenny came from an emergency medicine background and has done a 180 when it comes to vaccines. She has dedicated her life to vaccine research and I found her DVD's to be very helpful and informative in breaking down each vaccine and talking about it's risks and effectiveness. I don't know about you, but I don't have tons of free time to read so these DVD's were a great place for us to start. We borrowed them from someone when we lived in CA so maybe someone on this group has a copy? The bottom line for us is that we feel that there is more of a risk to the vaccine itself than the disease that we would be vaccinating against. We believe that a healthy immune system is your best line of defense against disease and vaccines compromise the immune system. Having said that, I firmly believe that this decision is INTENSLY personal and that every parent needs to educate themselves. For those that choose to vaccinate, I hope they consider waiting until the child is 2 years old (this is the standard in Japan and some other countries in Europe). This gives the child's immune system a great head start. Also, considering separating out the vaccines and not doing a bunch at one time. There are also things you can do before your child receives a vaccine like taking extra vitamin A and other vitamins, making sure the child is healthy when receiving the shot and not already fighting something off, etc. Blessings to you and your beautiful children. If you are interested in more information about the no-vax life, I am happy to talk more about it with you. My kids go to pre-school and have no problems. No-vax doesn't mean you have to home school. I saw that some people had said that your kids can't go to school if they aren't vaccinated. This just isn't true. You can sign a simple waiver form and in the state of OR you have to claim religious exemption (in CA you can claim philosophical exemption). You don't have to provide a written statement or explaination or anything.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2...

This video, although long, is more informative than any other I have seen on the subject. Absolutely incredible information! I'm sure it would be of fantastic help to you in researching the realities vs myths about vaccines.

I have thought your question through many times, like each time I have taken a child in to have vacinations (and I have a large family so that is a lot of times). I believe you have to weigh things to make decisions. I know there are possible problems with the vacinations, but I know the problems they prevent are more dangerous as far as the numbers game goes. I have always chosen to take the chances with the vacination and would do it again if I were in the same place. We live in a dangerous world and anything I can do to lessen danger from disease is a positive step. And yes, it could be negative, but the majority tolerate it fine. I feel driving to the Doctors office is far more dangerous than the shot...but I drive every day. Enjoy your children, they are worth any sacrifice you make.

This is such a hard one. I struggled big time over vaccinations. There is a book called something like What Your Pediatrician Never Told You About Vaccinations. That's not the title, but it's close. The book is a little dated, but it still has good information. I don't recall who the author is.

My son in 9 months old. In the end we decided to give him only the vaccinations required by Portland Public Schools, but we are breaking them down so he gets them one at a time. One of the concerns I had was that if he got three or four shots all at one time how would I know what he was having a bad reaction to (luckily he's had no bad reactions so far). For the chicken pox we decided to wait until he is 10. If he gets chicken pox before then we won't need to vaccinate him and if he doesn't we'll give him the vaccination then. The vaccination is only good for 10 years and there is no guarantee the child will be immune even with the shot.

Good luck with your decision process. It's a hard one!

Hi K.,
I have heard about the contravercies over the should you give them their shots or shouldn't you for a little while. I have asked and talked to a couple different pedatricians but have found it to be mostly a personal descision when it comes down to it. I have three children ranging in age from 8 to 4, all of which are current on their shots and I have had no problems or medical problems occurr from them having had their shots. I know of no one that has either. I personally think that my children are better off with the vaccines just because of all the threats that are out their now a days. I would rather have them protected from the diseases. I think the chance of them being harmed by the vaccines if they are given properly and monitored correctly by the physicians are of very very little risk if any compared to their chances of coming in to contact with one of the diseases. I do think you should do what your trying to do, see what information there is that is causing the contrivercial arguments and then make your own choice. No one knows a child better then their mother. Let your instinct and your knowledge descide.

I was just watching a program on weather or not to vaccinate your children. They said it is better to vaccinate than not to vaccinate. They said that recent studies show that after removing mercury from the vaccinations that there wasn't a signifigant decrease in autism and that they are looking at other reasons why there is such a rise in autism. The best place to research is ask your doctor. I suppose there might be help on an autism website. Try googling it? Just make sure it is a certified website. Hope this helps!

Hi K.,

After home birth with a midwife and raising my daughter for 6+ years with out even visiting a pediatrician once, I think that our culture is too quick to take the advice of doctors who always have a one sided opinion. I can see no reason to immunize you kids. Unless you are traveling abroad where some of the diseases are more prevalent. The cases of the diseases happening in the US are so rare. I live in an area where it is a split mindset, so there are many other families who have not immunized there kids. People do it because the western medical community says you have to, its your duty as responsible parents ect. I think that is totally wrong. I think with all the cases of children's ill effects from them, there are many less cases of children having something horrible happen from getting a disease that the immunizations were to protect from. There has been cases of pertussis in my area, and we already went through chicken pox in my house. But rarely are these things fatal. Not to say there are not times when they are. What can I say, it is a decision we make for ourselves and our kids. We take our chances either way. Get educated and be sure your sources are not provided by the companies who manufacture the vaccine, because of course they will be biased. I second the recommendation about mothering magazine. Good luck!

Hi K.,

I too have been learning a lot about Vaccines and their potential danger. I have found some very useful information at Mercola.com (just enter vaccines into the search tool on this site). It's good to be informed so we can make the best choices for out kids. Big medicine says it's against the law for us to NOT vaccinate unless we have a religious reason not to. Most Doctors will tell you they are safe, but do your own research as I have and see what you find. It's very interesting to say the least. Most people don't question what's presented to them, and that's sad. Good Girl for wanting to know what's really out there.

P. T. in Bend

Hi, K.,

I'm a naturopathic doctor and wrote an article on the HPV vaccine in the May/June issue of Mothering. I'm also a mom to a 1.75 yo girl who just got her first vaccines two weeks ago. That said, I continue to find the vaccine debates confusing. My recommendation is that each parent weigh the risks of the vaccines with the risk of exposure (is the child in day care? planning to travel? family history of vaccine reactions?), and how each infection may effect your life and your child's (e.g. pertussis is less to harm a child but is likely to keep you and the baby home for weeks, versus tetanus which is rare but lethal.) Mothering magazine has an issue that discusses the risks of each vaccine in depth, and is very anti-vaccine, but gives you solid information.

The early childhood vaccine I would recommend against anyone getting is the HepB administered at birth. There is zero risk of infection, if the mother is not infected, until much later in life, and the research is correlating an increase in multiple sclerosis with the vaccine.

I'm also anti new vaccines, because I believe that the current FDA has been quite lax in the testing of them, takes for granted the research done by the manufacturers, and is too quick to sweep reported problems under the rug.

Another option is to do the vaccines, but separately and later, so that your child is not inundated with so many vaccines so early in life. Many NDs offer alternative vaccination schedules tailored to each family's need.

Good luck!
E. Mendenhall, ND

We limited and delayed vaccinations. We didn't start until my daughter was 2 1/2.

We got the serious ones Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Rubella - the thing is that pharmaceutical companies like to lump 3 vaccines into 1 shot i.e. the DPT (Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus) and MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella).

Ask your pediatrician to provide vaccinations for each one individually. And ensure that the vaccinations that your pediatrician is providing does not contain mercury and/or lead (the ingrediants are listed on the box - if they don't know the answer then ask them to go check).

We chose not to vaccinate against Chicken Pox, Hep B and Pollio.

Best wishes

The controversy on vacines is that over the last 20 years the actual number of vacines have increased dramatically. Until recently most had a preservative called Thimerasol in them that contained mercury, a known neuro toxin. It has been speculated that the total amount of this mercury, which greatly exceeds a safe level for children, has led to Autism and other related neuro deficits in a group of probably genetically suseptable individuals. That being said, the risks of not being vacinated still outway any benefits of potentially avoiding these complications. Also, since about 2001, most if not all mercury perservatives have been taken out of the supply of vaccines. I'm not convinenced that mercury was not a problem. I do have a son with Autism and these issues have certainly been part of our thought process but I still get him vacinated. Progress toward answers on the epidemic of Autism ( not 1 in 96 boys or 1 in 150 children) are being made and hopefully we will have more objective answers to these questions. It is not a small problem when more kids have Autism than Diabetes and all cancers combined. Until then, I would encourage you to continue to vacinate your kids. You can always ask if the shot has this preservative. You can elect to spread the shots out over time and not have them in groups on the same day. But to not vacinate leaves your child vulnerable to real risks of diseases that are deadly. I am also a nurse. And, for what it's worth. To the best of my knowledge, there is no vacine for TB. There is only a required test that detects whether or not one has been exposed to TB and is a carrier.

R.

I don't have a lot of time to respond to this so I'm going to give you a link to another group that I am a part of http://www.amitymama.com/vb/search.php?searchid=1304139 This is a list of all their vaccine related posts. Lots of moms there who go both ways and their reasons why.
Personally, I no longer vaccinate and my reasons are because:
It destroys your immune system
Most vaccines are for regular old run of the mill childhood diseases that our bodies can fight off just fine if given the chance, and giving our bodies that chance makes them stronger.
My oldest who is fully vaccinated up to Kindergarten has allergies, asthma, and asbergers.
My middle son who was vaccinated up to 18 months has a wheat allergy, speech delays and severe social anxiety.
My youngest who has not been vaccinated at all is very very healthy other than a dairy intollerance and well, dairy is just not good for you, so I'm kinda glad he can't have it.
Also, I have an MSN group that I run w/ more info on it http://www.groups.msn.com/harmfulhouseholdproducts and there is another great one to check out http://www.groups.msn.com/vaccinedamagedchildren.

Whatever you decide, as long as it is an informed decision it is the right one for your family.

I just want to add as well that if you decide not to vaccinate PLEASE do not listen to all the people who tell you your kids can't go to school. The schools will try to scare you into getting vaccinated and tell you that you MUST have all the shots before they can go. It is simply NOT TRUE, and frankly it angers me to see people being lied to. WA and OR both have exemptions. Just flip that piece of paper over and sign that you don't want it. I just say now that my kids haven't received any rather than try and figure out which ones they have and haven't had. If there is some big outbreak of mumps at school my kids w/ just stay home, and hey, they might even get the mumps and build a stonger immune system! SCORE!

LOL BTW, anyone on this group whos kids come down w/ chicken pox, please contact me, I'd love to have a chicken pox party. My oldest had them at 18 months, but my little ones need to get them. :)

I keep coming back to edit because I can't help myself. I just have one more thing to say and them I'm going to stop reading. Thermosil is NOT the only chemical in vaccines that you need to worry about. Vaccines also contain formaldahyde as a preservative. Look it up. Formaldahyde is a KNOWN cancer causer. Vaccines also containg aluminum which has been linked to alzheimers. Do your research and make a decision that is right for your family. Really, I'm done now. LOL

Hi, K.!

I am in a similar situation as you are. With my first son, I just did what the doctor said and got all of his shots. Then, I started hearing about Thimerosol (a preservative found in some vaccines) and the link some people have found to Autism. I also asked my doctor about this idea, but only got very little information. I decided to do my own research online and found that when children are exposed to many vaccines at once, it can sometimes hurt their intestines and can cause small holes in them. This can sometimes be linked to Autism. One in 150 children are diagnosed with Autism now. If you would like more information, the best book I have found so far is "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Robert Sears. It was published in October of 2007 and is up to date. He is very unbiased and tells you exactly what is in each vaccine and if it is really necessary. For example, the DTaP vaccine is kind of silly since both Diptheria and Tetanus are more adult diseases and Pertussis can be a deadly childhood disease. You would think that they would make only a Pertussis vaccine for children, but it is not made. Anyway, you really should read that book since it will show you many things that you may not have known about before. Good luck to you!

My opinion is that all children should be vaccinated. The risks of not getting the vaccine far outweighs the risks that might be associated with getting it.

There is no evidence that vaccines are bad, just parents despirate to blame something for their child's disorder. We do NOT want to go back to the time where only 1/3 of children made it to adulthood because of deadly illnesses.

You may think that everyone else vaccinating their kids protects your unvaccinated child, but if your child ever travels out of the country, of comes into contact with someone that has, then he is at risk of catching horrible diseases that could have been prevented.

Having said all that, I am holding off on my son's chicken pox vaccine until he is ready to enter Kindergarten. Having the virus provides far better immunity to the disease than the vaccine does, and I would rather have him get the virus when he is young and the risks are very low than for him to get it as an adult when the vaccine wears off and his risks are very high.

Good luck with the decision, it is a hard one.

go to www.mercola.com and search his site for immunizations to read the cons of them. He is a medical doctor who practices natural medicine. You may have to enter your email address but his site is the best one I have found and trust for accurate information on practically everything. My kids have had all their shots but I don't think I will get them their last doses from all that ive read.

The vaccine I heard the most controversy about was the MMR. From the research I did, it suggested splitting it into 3 separate components rather than doing it at once. I did that with my daughter and she has had no ill effect. The pediatrician had no issue with it either. The vaccines are spaced 1 month apart so you have to go to the pediatrician a couple of extra times, but it was worth it for my peace of mind.

Every now and then a child will have a bad reaction to a vaccine. I really think the alternative to not vaccinating is far worse than the chances of a bad reaction from getting one. The diseases that these vaccines prevent our children from having are terrible, terrible illnesses that threaten their lives! Do not consider not vaccinating your children. You were vaccinated, right? And nothing bad happened to you from those vaccines? Just think how terrible you would feel if your child DID contract polio or diptheria and you could have prevented it with a little shot and chose not to.

K., please, please, please do NOT ever consider NOT vaccinated your children. I work in pediatrics and will tell you it is a HUGE mistake. It is well worth it in the long run if you vaccinate them now. There are so many diseases coming back no (noone knows why) and it could be fatal for a child or an adult if they are not vaccinated properly.

Good Luck!!!

Hello! Truly a personal decision. We are reading the Vaccine Book by Dr.Sears. It is easy to understand and factual. I also visit the fourms on Mothering.com- which is wonderful for EVERYTHING!! Also Kellymom.com has all the most up to date information available! Both sites are very helpful. My only advice is to listen to your heart/ mommy instints as you learn about vaccines. There is a lot more to know than most doctors can tell you. It is good that you are searching for more info on this subject! Good luck. p.S. I would like to add that if you exclusivly breastfeed then not vacc'ing is going to be a much safer option than if you formula feed. Also- talking to your Dr. about this topic will not help you. They are trained to accept vacc's and seldom if ever have the info you need to make YOUR decision.

I say the risks associated with the illness are far greater than the risks associated with the vaccines. I would encourage you to get the vaccines. I would also encourage you to ask your doctor as many questions as you need to regarding vaccines and their pros and cons. I found my doctor to be very informative and not at all pushy.

Hi K.. I'm sure you'll get all kinds of opinions about vaccinations. I too was taken by surprise when I found out there is now controversy concerning them. I am a stay at home mom of 1 daughter who just turned 1. First, I am definitely pro-vaccination - I think they are very important and they were all researched and created for very good reasons.
I'll tell you our story briefly. My daughter was born 11 weeks early very unexpectedly and spent 10 weeks in the NICU. While most everything now goes by her "adjusted age" (the age she would be if she hadn't been born so early) one thing that goes by her actual age is vaccinations. So she got her first round of 2 month old shots while she was still in the hospital. That was the first time I'd ever heard about the controversy around vaccinations. I was asked if we were going to vaccinate - I had no idea it was a choice. Anyway, I agreed with (and still do agree with) all the docs and the nurses that we should vaccinate, and we did. She got 5 shots over the course of 2 days, and this was when she still weighed less than 5 pounds. As a result, she ended up staying another week and a half in the hospital because she had a couple of "events" (heartrate dips and apnea - which are preemie things - you have to be "event free" for so many days before they'll let you take the baby home). I feel like 5 shots in 2 days was a lot for a preemie who was still tiny, but I don't regret doing it at all (plus I knew she'd be fine because she was still in the NICU being monitored 24/7).
Once she was out of the NICU I discussed what happened with our pediatrician and what we ended up doing for her next round of vaccines was stretching her shots out over like two weeks instead of giving them in one day when she was still pretty small. That worked out great because it made me feel like she'd be fine (and she was) and it was great that they worked with me to find a solution.

So my experience showed me that these shots do affect the kids' systems, but my child was tiny and still preemie when she got those shots in the hospital - that won't happen to your baby. ALso, I'm sure you're going to hear about the "autism shot." I don't know which one it is (I know we haven't had it yet), but it was once indicated as a culprit that all of a sudden caused otherwise normal kids to become autistic. I think that has been debunked. I also think what the issue may be rather than the vaccines themselves, is the substances in the shots like mercury and whatever else is in them that keeps them fresh or however it works. You can ask your doc about that and he or she should be able to tell you (or at least they can ask the drug company).

But bottom line is this: We all need to vaccinate!!! Do you want your kid to get polio??? I think one thing that's happening these days is that we're all too young to remember things like polio. A lot of children died and many more were crippled by it. That's what I meant earlier when I said these things have been researched and created for good reasons. I personally think those who are not vaccinating their kids are CRAZY and they are not only putting their kids at risk, but ours too.

So that's my 2 cents! SOrry it's so long! Hope it helps you.
K.

There has been controversial information about vaccinations for the better part of 20 years - if not longer. There have always been the Kum By Yah groups that decry Western medicine - and want to cling exclusively to the more "natural" way of doing things. (Personally, I like a balance. Give me modern medicine AND acupuncture and I've got the best of both worlds!) The last ten years or so groups have really grabbed on to a position that autism is caused by vaccinations. The problem is that there is absolutely positively NO proof that vaccinations result in autism. (And, the number of children who do have autism represent only a tiny, tiny fraction of every child who has been vaccinated so clearly the risk is very small.)

The benefit of vaccinations is very clear. I got all three of my children vaccinated. And I would do the same tomorrow. The risks (real AND believed/assumed/ imagined, etc.) associated with vaccination pale in comparison to the diseases they protect against.

Ten years ago it became the "thing" to refuse to get your children vaccinated. The problem with this isn't just that you put your own child at risk. You also put the children at risk who can't receive vaccinations (because of medical problems) and there is a greater chance for an epidemic because these diseases can be passed around (including to infants who are too young to be vaccinated). We had a whooping cough outbreak in the Pacific Northwest just a couple of years ago. The area schools immediately cracked down hard on vaccination delinquent parents and the disease was brought under control fairly quickly - but what if it had been small pox? Pretty scary.

I am glad you are asking this question, because it goes to show how many parents DON'T hear all the information, they just give their babies shots because everyone does and the doctor says to. I think the most important thing for you to do is research, and determine for yourself what vaccines on what schedule you feel is best for your child. My four siblings and I were never vaccinated as children. When I was young I had chicken pox and pertussis, and now my immune system is stronger against those diseases than they would be by a vaccine. My son is four. The only vaccine he receives is tetanus, because to receive the vaccine is less harmful than the disease. What you really need to consider is what a vaccine does to a baby's immune system and how well can you strengthen your child's immune system against those diseases so that they can fight them naturally and healthier. I don't think the decision should be all or nothing, but rather, an educated and informed one. I hope you make a good decision.

I would encourage you to read the book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell you about Children's Vaccinations" by Dr. Stephanie Cave. It's the most informative, unbiased book I've found, and also has lots of great references and websites so you can search for more info. DO NOT vaccinate your children out of obligation or lack of information. I did vaccinate my oldest, because the doctor made me feel guilty , and regret doing so. I would encourage you to be informed so you have confidence to make the right decision. Even if the decision is waiting until your child is older and stronger to handle the vaccines better, because you have to live with the consequences, if there is an adverse reaction or allergy for the rest of your life, not the doctor or nurse in the clinic. Hope this helps.

Look up Sherry Tenpenny online. She has a ton of useful information about vaccinations. I vaccinated my daughter until she was about six months old. After doing alot of research I decided they just werent for us. The lady I mentioned above has alot of information online as well as books and dvd's for purchase. One I would really recommend is called
Vaccinations-the risks, the benefits, the choices. Long dvd but so informative.

I really love my peditrican and her opinions-that's probably the first place to ask...My daughter has had all but hep B and chicken pox...Hep A was just added as the "required for school" vax....

I also opted not to do the one shot combo (with up to 4 vax in them)....I decided one shot at a time, that helped me spread it out...and another friend I know was able to get one shot a month rather than 4 in one visit...

The controversy has been long standing with the autism issue-Eugene had (at least a few years ago) the highest instance of autism in the state and Oregon had the highest in the country yet we probably have the most pro active people not vax'ing...sooo? hard to determine...

I have an almost 4 month old baby and before going through the first round of vaccines when he was 2 months I did some research. In general I sticked to the recommended schedule with 2 exceptions:
1. We didn't go with the Rota Virus vaccine. This one has not been in the market for too long (if I remember it correctly just about 1 year) and its predecessor was taken out of the market since it even caused some deaths. Without any referrences to my research, I talked to my pediatrician about it and she said she would prefer to wait until the vaccine is a bit longer in the market due to the same reasons I found in my research.
2. Prevenar (pneumococus/meningitis): this is the vaccine that in the past was related to causing autism. Its predecessor was based on mercury which was what was thoguth to be the cause for generating autism. That vaccine was also taken out of the market. The current one - Prevenar - is not based in mercury but aluminum. Just to be completely sure that my baby's body can handle a metal like aluminum without any complication (well developed brain, kidneys and stomach/intestines), we decided to wait until he is 6 months old to go with this round of vaccines. Once again, our pediatrician fully supported our concerns.
Hope this helped!

I am a early head start teacher with ages from 6wks to 18months and I have heard all the reasons about immunizations. I feel that children should be protected at all cost. I am a mother of three children and have always gotten their immunizations and they were never ill. As a parent you have to make the best choice for yourself not what society puts out their for people. Your family's best interest should be the deciding factor when making a decision about your child's health.

K.,
There has been controversity about vaccines for years and years. Don't you remember Miss America years ago? She went deaf after receiving a vaccination as a child.

When we had our first son almosst 8 years ago, I was concerned about vaccinations. He had his first two in the hospital after he was born because they wouldn't let him leave until this was done. In talking with his pediatrician, it was our choice about what we wanted to do. They couldn't force us to have them done. Since he was an only child, we live out in the country and he wasn't exposed to other children directly, we chose not to have them done until after he turned 1 year old. (He is one of the healthiest kids in his school.) When we had our second child, being that we knew he would be exposed to many germs and viruses from exposure to kids in our other sons pre-school, we made sure that he was vaccinated on a regular schedule right away. He will be 5 next month and is also a very healthy boy except the fact that he has many food related allergies. I don't know if this is related to vaccinations, but still the fact remains that we have to watch what he eats. My thoughts are that since you already have a two year old, get the vaccinations. If you are unsure then wait. Pediatricians will always try to sway you toward the vaccines whether you want them or not. It's their job. We even saw a different pediatrician in our pediatricians office for some different problem and he tried to literally bully us into having our oldest son into vaccinations before he would treat him. We go into an heated argument and he ended up treating my son without vaccines. Don't EVER let anyone tell you you have to do something that you feel passionately against. To this day, unless a vaccine is required by the state in order for my children to be in school, I don't have them done. An example of this is the flu shot. They had their required ones and now I keep getting notices from the pediatrician telling me that they are due. This is a bunch of bunk. There is no proof that people benefit from this vaccine; which is only good for one particular strain where there are many floating around us, and there is no law that says my child has to have it, so I always decline. I don't care what anyone says. I will never put something into myself or my children's bodies that I feel aren't safe or that it is even necessary.
Make your own decision. If something inside you is saying NO, then don't do it. If your on the fence then do some research on the number of problems related to the vaccines and look at the areas affected. Also look at the positive experiences others have had. The only problem I have had is a child screaming for three days after having shots. (You bet I called the doctor. I was Pis!#d. They told me that the only treatment for a reaction to a vaccine would be to hospitalize them and keep an eye on them until they get over the reaction. Not a very reassuring comment, huh? Call or visit a hospital and find out what they would do for a vaccine related reaction. This might sway your decision. What ever you decide, base it on education not on what others tell you to do.
By the way, the vaccine my child screamed about was pertussis. To this day our pediatrician has a RED flag on his chart, and they give him the dosage without pertussis.
Good luck.

HI K.,
I believe every parent needs to be proactive in researching and finding out information themselves about the pros and cons of vaccines. And after that, make their own decision whether to vaccinate or not. That said, Our son(18 months) got his 2 and 4 month old shots and that's when I found out about some dangers and started researching. He has not had a vaccination since then. It's not just the mercury that was in and still is in several vaccines, but how they attack the immune system, especially when given many shots at once. I learned a lot of my info from a book called "What your Doctor May Not Tell YOu About Childhood Vaccinations" by Dr. Stephanie Cave MD. Their are other books and of course the internet to find out info. There is a health website that I read called mercola.com that has hundreds of articles of studies on the subject. There is so much out there if you look, but I've found that most medical pediatricians will probably strongly push you to do all vaccines so it's up to you to decide for your own kids.
I hope that helps you :)

K.~
Here is my take on the vaccines. They help keep our children safe from serious illnesses. Any parent who chooses to not vaccinate thier children now has put other peoples children at risk. Other people's children's lives are not for me to mess with. I hope you get the answers that you are looking for.
T. S.

my 6 month old has had no vaccines. He hasn't gotten sick since birth, except for a mild head cold. I watched my father get temporarily paralyzed after the flu shot from a disease called Guillan-Barre and I just couldn't vaccinate him after seeing that. I don't think I will vaccinate except for polio, and tetanus when he starts walking. According to many naturopaths and western medicine docs I have spoken too they haven't vaccinated their children and guess what...they are just fine! I know a few that ended up getting scarlet fever and/or measles and it was treated and they came out ok and according to them wasn't worse than a bad cold. IT should be noted however that kids CAN die from diseases like Pertussis and it DOES occur in small numbers still!
I've been downright called a child abuser for not vaccinating but the bottom line is...YOU have to weight the benefits and risks for your own child and make YOUR own decision. From my research I feel I made the right decision for us.
Good luck!

I read through some responses before and was shocked at all who are against vaccines. I agree very much with Hope B's response. My daughter is 5, has had all immunizations and gets a flu shot every year. My son is almost 2 and same goes for him. Neither have ever had a bad reaction and there are absolutely no signs of autism is my son. I realize this can happen still, but so far it's fine. Someone commented about Jenny M book stating her son got autism after MMR vaccine. Has that ever been proven and linked to that vaccine without a doubt? I've never heard that it has. I think the risk of getting autism from a vaccination is RARE nor can the link be proven. There is a greater risk of getting one of these diseases vaccinations are made to protect against. My fear is that so many parents will start freaking out about the SLIGHT autism risk, not get their children vaccinated and we will then have to worry about these diseases making the rounds again. I have a large family with several nieces and nephews and several friends all who have children who have gotten their vaccinations and have not heard of one single case of anything negative. I worry a little about autism myself but I talk with our pediatrician and am confident that these vaccines are safe and that the risk is minimal. Would you rather have your child exposed to one of these fatal diseases and risk death? Not me! Bottom line, do your research but do it sensibly and try to remember that when you do your research on the internet, you can find any site to back up what you want to believe and or hear! I think open communication with your pediatrician is critical as well!

The CDC's vaccination plan is set up for kids that are in Day care at very early ages, like 6 weeks. The plan is also set up for the possibility that babies may be going home to a violent or sexually abusive parent, thus the Hep-B shots at birth. If your child is not in day care, and if you spend most of your time at home, and your child is not in the company of unsupervised men or women whom you don't trust, you can feel safe to hold off on vaccinations. I didn't vaccinate my daughter with anything until she was 6 months old. I started with the diseases that are still our there. But she is 2 1/2 and she has still not started the hep-B series. It is one of the most controversial. The best advice I got was to do shot series one or two at a time, so that any adverse effects can be closely monitored. The only downside to this is that everytime she goes to the doctor, she is getting a shot. The CDC's plan has most shots done by age 2, which might be nice for forgetting about them, but isn't nice in terms of brain development, because the brain hasn't fully developed until age 2. My daughter will have completed everything by the time she enters school, but I saw no need to stay on a vaccine schedule that might overwhelm her body or cause adverse side effects. My doctor has been willing to work with me, because I listen to her advice too. On the flip side, my family in Montana has hardly any kids vaccinated. They live in the boonies, and hardly ever come in contact with immigrants or outsiders that might be carrying new diseases. Bottom line: look at your life and where you live and who your kids are coming in contact with. Here is a website that has several excellent articles to help you make your decesion

http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=child%20vaccinat...