Child vaccinations - do you or don't you?

mrstjohnson

will add that I am very leery to have Riley get the new "cervical cancer" vaccine...even though it isn't a cancer vaccine, but an STD vaccine.  The only reason is because I just don't feel it has been tested enough.  We won't have to cross that bridge for a while yet,

Lily is 6....she will be getting the Gardasil when she's old enough for it. Hell I wish I could get it myself LOL..too late for me tho!

rwbeagles

and I did get vaccines I was supposed to get,

Let me clarify. I don't think it's stupid to get the vaccines, and I'm sorry if I offended you, but I do think it's a little silly to do it just because you're "supposed to", or because the doctor told you to. People seem to forget that doctors are human, AND that no two doctors have the same opinions on everything, so you're trusting one doctor with everything when the doctor a block away might totally disagree with the first doctor's entire philosophy..how do you decide who to trust with your, or especially your child's welfare? I personally think it's best to read all the information you can get your hands on, listen to a few doctors' opinions, and decide for yourself. If that means going against the "norm", so be it. If it means going with the norm, great. I just hate to see people injecting chemicals into themselves, their kids, and their pets because they're "supposed to", without giving it a second thought, or realizing they have options.

off the CDC website - states that for the amount of mercury that's in some of these vaccines, a baby would need to weigh 275 lbs for the mercury dose to be considered "safe". Yet we don't question injecting this stuff into our kids. Mercury is a proven neurotoxin so who knows what issues can crop up if its given to a child at two months of age. Yes, some of the vaccines out there DO still have Thimerisol in them. DTaP is new compared to the old DTP which had some problems, and now we don't give oral polio anymore because some folks actually did contract the disease from the oral version. Fact is that there are more injuries due to the vaccine reactions than the incidence of Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis in the general population. Mortality rates are really low for some of these diseases anyway.

Would you mind citing the link here from the CDC and the other info you have?  I am interested!

The thing about there being what seems like no problems here now was not so a relatively short time ago!  We feel like we are in a sterile bubble as far as all of these "past" problems diseases are concerned.  But the one way to assure that they resurface is to stop immunizations. 

We have far more people flying into this country and all around the world, depending upon where you live and what kind of mobility you have/how much mobility into your area and contacts a population has, is how much exposure you get.  And potential for problems.  You don't have to leave the country.  You can contract diseases anywhere.

Relying on an infants ability to fight of disease is to me, a little dangerous.  Usually it is the very old and the very young whom are the very most susceptable to contagious disease.  The compromisation of systems that are developing in the young and the aging of the old...Why flu shots are recommended for those particular two groups...Or if you suffer from chronic disease., regardless your age is rec. too.

chelsea_b

AND that no two doctors have the same opinions on everything,

chelsea_b

so you're trusting one doctor with everything when the doctor a block away might totally disagree with the first doctor's entire philosophy..how do you decide who to trust with your, or especially your child's welfare?

HOW exactly do you decide that your doc is trustworthy aside from staying with them and allowing them to see you thru some issues as they arise?

Am I supposed to wait til my kiddos are 80something and then say "I guess your doc was one of the good ones?" Oh wait...I'll be long dead then, LOL.

Really Chelsea what your saying doesn't make sense to me....don't trust a doctor...trust internet research?

Don't trust the medical community because they don't always agree with each other 100% of the time?

For what it's worth I do think MOST ped's will counsel to give vaccinations to wee ones...but some will let you slide on timelines, or give them in a different order etc.

But I do not think that a doc is going to say "oh don't worry about shots...I read something on the internet that they cause xxx and xx and besides I've never treated one case of polio, ever!"

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

Dunno if this is THE link but here is A link on the Thimerosal amounts, etc.

Remember, parents of daughters, that HPV is an incredibly common STD and most people who carry it do not know they have it. It isn't a matter of being "slutty"--you can have one sex partner in your entire life and still contract HPV, which can raise your chances of some kinds of cervical cancer. Besides, I for one don't think the punishment for making a mistake in the choice of one's sex partners should be cancer. 

rwbeagles

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

Dunno if this is THE link but here is A link on the Thimerosal amounts, etc.

Well, that is a link, but that is all about immunoglobulins, which are used in mostly adults that are reacting to a different blood type of child after birth or like a snake venom bite antidote.  Not about infant immunizations at all. Good link though~  The thimerosal is used to keep the medication sterile.  Some of it is rec.  to be off the market and others the need is greater than the potentials.

*a med. like Rhogam is given to mom so she won't reject her second baby (one is + and the other is -, Mom's natural immunity will kill the next baby as it becomes sensitive to the difference)

Ok, found a link think op may have read.   http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimfaq.htm#q4

Now, the outcome isn't about how evident that the immunizations are BAD, but that they have been looking at them and looks to me as though the results of this inspection over the years is that these medications are not having major adverse effects.  

HOW exactly do you decide that your doc is trustworthy aside from staying with them and allowing them to see you thru some issues as they arise?Am I supposed to wait til my kiddos are 80something and then say "I guess your doc was one of the good ones?" Oh wait...I'll be long dead then, LOL. Really Chelsea what your saying doesn't make sense to me....don't trust a doctor...trust internet research? Don't trust the medical community because they don't always agree with each other 100% of the time?.....But I do not think that a doc is going to say "oh don't worry about shots...I read something on the internet that they cause xxx and xx and besides I've never treated one case of polio, ever!"

Don't meant to stir the pot too much but....why is it all right, then, to not trust veterinarians? Are MD doctors better trained than vets? Does a GP have a better idea about vaccines, etc than a vet with regards to animal vaxes/treatments/diagnoses? I only mention it because of the rapidly growing, and unfortunate, distrust of vets, especially in the "progressive" animal community....a lot of people are just saying forget what the vet says, he or she is wrong, I know better, I am doing my own thing because I read xxx on such and such a website or read xxxxx study.

whtsthfrequency

Don't meant to stir the pot too much but....why is it all right, then, to not trust veterinarians? Are MD doctors better trained than vets? Does a GP have a better idea about vaccines, etc than a vet with regards to animal vaxes/treatments/diagnoses? I only mention it because of the rapidly growing, and unfortunate, distrust of vets, especially in the "progressive" animal community....a lot of people are just saying forget what the vet says, he or she is wrong, I know better, I am doing my own thing because I read xxx on such and such a website or read xxxxx study.

Thank you for saying that. I just don't get this non-vaccination mentality - human or animal related. 

houndlove

Remember, parents of daughters, that HPV is an incredibly common STD and most people who carry it do not know they have it. It isn't a matter of being "slutty"--you can have one sex partner in your entire life and still contract HPV, which can raise your chances of some kinds of cervical cancer. Besides, I for one don't think the punishment for making a mistake in the choice of one's sex partners should be cancer. 

I completely agree that the idea behind this vaccination is wonderful!! I am just nervous that it hasn't been tested long enough.  I still have 10 years before Riley would even be in the range to get it.  I don't dispute what it is fighting, just concerns over if this is the right vaccination and they have found all possible complications/side effects.

With all of the drugs that have been pulled off the market lately because "studies now show it does this..." I am just worried that everyone is running out to get this new vaccine do they really know everything it is going to do.

My hounds get vaccinated yearly too, so I can't say much about that...lol. Now as for birthing puppies? I don't trust just any vet...experience is key in some more specific areas. That's why there are specialists in both medicine fields.

With all of the drugs that have been pulled off the market lately because "studies now show it does this..." I am just worried that everyone is running out to get this new vaccine do they really know everything it is going to do.

The drugs are not immunization meds however!  Yes, there is a huge marketing hype out there and the idea is to get you to buy to cure your depression, stop your pains...Some drugs that have become unpopular are being renamed and sold just to get money.  That stuff is concerning, but most good docs are aware of the practice and wont' be prescribing you that junk.    The problem with some of the meds that elder folks will be starting is that they are already compromised with other medical problems and then increasing sensitivity to some of the new meds to stop the pain etc...And yeah, very deletarious to their health including death. 

Immunizations are not in the same category.

The other thing is that you said you have 10 years til she would be able to receive the new drug, so the timing ought to reduce your fears at least if nothing else!

edited to add --

I do belive we have a large over-vaccination problem - but that is not a valid reason to start distrusting the medical and veterinary professions. 99.9% of the time, your doctor or your vet will know more about health than an internet site or anecdotal studies.  I mean, will it come to the point of a vet diagnosing a dog with cancer, and the owner not trusting him and refusing treatment because the dog's symptoms do not jive with things they read on the internet posted by who-knows-who, or they know someone who proclaims themselves an "all-natural pet health helper" who does not agree?

With all of the drugs that have been pulled off the market lately because "studies now show it does this..." I am just worried that everyone is running out to get this new vaccine do they really know everything it is going to do.

People do the same thing with all sort of random, unapproved supplements. Its a very worrying situation.

houndlove

Remember, parents of daughters, that HPV is an incredibly common STD and most people who carry it do not know they have it. It isn't a matter of being "slutty"--you can have one sex partner in your entire life and still contract HPV, which can raise your chances of some kinds of cervical cancer. Besides, I for one don't think the punishment for making a mistake in the choice of one's sex partners should be cancer. 

I agree and when the time comes my daughter will be part of the decision whether or not she gets the vaccine.

I am not getting it.  I'm 23, it's too expensive, and I know everything there is to know as far as sexual partners and that sort of thing, plus I get annual paps so I'd know if something was wrong. 

I do not agree that we have an overimmunization problem in children. The mobility of people is even far more warranting of immunization than ever.  We have all kinds of potentials there. 

 In dogs, not sure.  If you are a traveller with your dog, you probably ought to consider that when choosing immunizations. But this is off topic.

Also, there is a very large disparity in relating supplements with immunizations and then lumping that in with the drugs du jour.  It is truly ludicrous to compare.  

Drugs are categorized.  There are different processing and approvals for them.  Dog and human meds are not comparable .   Supplements do not even have any controls put upon them.   

The original poster was asking about human immunization and specifically about children I believe, so to interweave dog immunization into this is kind of way off the info she had been requesting.