Childhood vaccines

[Holly9937]

check to see what other countries do for vaccinations as well. The information in the US can be very different than elsewhere (the same goes for healthcare and birth practices).

Good point! See I knew I would get something out of this thread :thm: !!

 

[mishi8]

I definitely agree with Mishi8 that you have to go with your gut on some stuff. And all doctors are not created equal, that's for sure. The anti-vaccine arguements were not able to convince me not to have my children vaccinated. On the other hand, I after doing some research, I chose not to have either of my sons circumcised(sp.?), but that's another topic all together...

Now, you don't really want to open up that can of worms, do you? :laugh: I'm in the anti-circ camp, myself, but I do understand why some people believe otherwise, even though I may not agree with it.

 

[nursie]

Something else that's important to consider: the severity of diseases can vary between sexes and different age groups.

This is true, but you have to have the immunity before they reach that age for it to be most effective.

And I did not name specific names in my statement regarding the last thread in immunizations..I really didn't remember who had posted.
But since you bring it up, I'm not a proponet of holistic or allopathic medicine,(go figure..I'm a nurse :joke: ) and I worked public health for too many years to see the benefit of waiting.

Here in the US it is a legal issue as to whether your child is immunized before they enter school. If you are not compliant by the time they enter school they can and will bar your child from school, and it can be an issue for which an MD turns parents in to Department of Child and Family Services. This may vary from state to state, but in Illinois that's the way it is. So while you are considering your options, also review the ramifications. I believe the only way around it is to state that you are not doing it for religious reasons. If you want to delay them, talk to your MD. If you have a plan in place and are following it, I would imagine that would keep you out of trouble, but I don't know for sure.

 

[Larissa]

No, Mishi8 I really don't want to go there. The point I was trying to make though is that I think when it come to your children you should always find out as much info as you can instead of blindly trusting society, doctors, how things were done 20 years ago, etc. Most people I know never question their doctors or anyone else. They do this that and the other because that's what everyone else does. That's really all I was saying because especially in the U.S. most people do it and never ask why.

 

[mishi8]

BTW, Holly, if you're really interested in discussing this topic more thoroughly, you might want to check out various pregnancy forums (though I'm sure you probably have already! ) There is a good mainstream pregnancy & parenting message board at iVillage.com They have a ton of boards that support all sorts of issues, both mainstream and non. If you want to check out info that is less mainstream, and offers alternatives to the mainstream in birth, breastfeeding, parenting, vaccinations, etc, check out: Mothering Magazine's online site

 

[Calico Goat]

Try saying that to someone who has lost a child because of a "hot" vaccine lot.

I wouldn't.

And just wait until you have kids. You opinion may yet take a turn...you don't know until you are responsible for the life and health of a child.

Personally, I had all my shots, and if I had any children, they'd have theirs, too...it's just one of those things that you ordinarily do. I was suggesting that, if she is so concerned about the possible side effects, that she at least get her kid the shots for the most serious of diseases. ...I didn't know they even had a chicken pox vaccination.
In the end, it's still her choice, and I was just attempting to offer a possible compromise to the situation.

 

[Larissa]

Since Calico goat brought up the chicken pox, I read a couple of years ago that 40 children a year die from chicken pox. That's not counting teens and adults. Now, granted, that's not very many but still.

 

[mishi8]

This is true, but you have to have the immunity before they reach that age for it to be most effective.

I can't argue with you on that because I don't have the immediate info to refute it. However, to get shots at an older age can mean a totally different dosage and timing. So, waiting until a child is past infanthood is doable and will still provide the immunity necessary.

And I did not name specific names in my statement regarding the last thread in immunizations..I really didn't remember who had posted.
But since you bring it up, I'm not a proponet of holistic or allopathic medicine,(go figure..I'm a nurse :joke: ) and I worked public health for too many years to see the benefit of waiting.

LOL! I hope you are a proponent of allopathic medicine, since that is the description of modern medicine. My doctor was (past tense since I've moved to a different city) a doctor of modern medicine who also encouraged exploring natural methods as well. For example, she insisted that her pregnant patients meet with a midwife before finally choosing who would attend their births. She also encouraged yoga and other exercise during pregnancy, and encouraged her patients to hire a doula, even if she was going to be the attending birth practitioner. And her office was also a breastfeeding clinic...no formula samples there at all.

Here in the US it is a legal issue as to whether your child is immunized before they enter school. If you are not compliant by the time they enter school they can and will bar your child from school, and it can be an issue for which an MD turns parents in to Department of Child and Family Services. This may vary from state to state, but in Illinois that's the way it is. So while you are considering your options, also review the ramifications. I believe the only way around it is to state that you are not doing it for religious reasons. If you want to delay them, talk to your MD. If you have a plan in place and are following it, I would imagine that would keep you out of trouble, but I don't know for sure.

This has always shocked me about the US. For a democratic country that strongly supports the rights of the individual, it seems to me, that to mandate full compliance in the vaccination of those who can't speak for themselves, flies the face of the values you're supposed to uphold (the same goes for the rights of the mother to choose how to birth her child.) If one doesn't believe that the current vaccination schedule is good for their family, I recommend they look into their state's laws to see what hoops they have to jump through to make & stand by their decision.

 

[mishi8]

Since Calico goat brought up the chicken pox, I read a couple of years ago that 40 children a year die from chicken pox. That's not counting teens and adults. Now, granted, that's not very many but still.

Well, lucky us, my kids have chicken pox right now. Glad it's in their early years, and in the summer before school starts. If they had made it to grade 6 without it, then I would be vaccinating to prevent a teenage case of it.

 

[Larissa]

Well, I'm sure they'll be fine. Most of us had it as kids and survived without complications. One thing that does suck though is that it can reactivate itself as shingles when you're an adult and that's not fun at all.