Sunday, January 9, 2011

Vaccines

So with all of the new information on the vaccine/autism link or lack thereof plus Audrey's 1 year old doc appointment vaccines have been on my mind. I'm thinking I might have to turn in my crunchy card after this post but we'll see.

I am in favor of vaccines. Before you judge let me explain. I am a delay-vaxer. DH is also in favor of delayed vaxing. I think to some extent we are select vaxers. The doctor is trying to convince us that we should do the vax for chicken pox, so far we are not buying it.

I am in favor of vaccines because they can keep kids safe. I don't want Audrey to suffer from a preventable disease like polio. I don't want to look back and see that I could have saved her life with a shot. I know the likelihood of coming across a person with polio and then Audrey contracting it are small but the chance is there. While I don't normally go with the medical establishment, I have to say that some vaccines are good. Are all the vaccines necessary? I'm thinking no and I don't like the schedule at all. But for our family, some vaccines with extra spacing and time in-between (and not in combo) is right. I also think that since I work with the public with alot of recent arrivals from other countries not having vaccines is just taking a risk.



2 comments:

  1. The other day I met a mother who's child had such a bad reaction to the convo that he got fever and it was so high that the poor boy seizured, he was rush to the hospital in helicopter and they dump him in a pool with ice 'cause nothing was lowering the fever.. Very scary!!
    KFB had his shots already, but he never had a bad reaction to any of them..
    Good luck with your decision!

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  2. With my daughter she got her vaccines on schedule, partly because I didn't know much about the debate but also my dad was doing alot of travelling out of the country (to South America and parts of Asia).

    With my son, that vax were more delayed. He didn't get his 1 year vax for a couple of years because of a huge pile of reasons (Dad no longer traveling, forgot and then hated to admit I forgot, blah, blah, blah). He was healthy (as in no antibiotics needed) until he got those vaccines then he kept getting strep BUT I didn't spread them out. His health is finally back to normal.

    Both kids were breastfed until 13 months which I have heard is a huge help.

    My normally developing nephew was given his 1 year shot and shut down. A few months later the doctors were thinking he was autistic (he wasn't bf at all.)

    The two newest babies in our family are delaying and spreading out the vaccines and they have a doctor that is willing to work with them on that.

    I do think that you have to balance lifestyle with risk. Since we homeschool, my kids are at a lower risk so I don't know that they will get anymore vaccines. If they were in day care or at school, I don't know if I would feel as comfortable with that decision.

    One way or the other, it is the family that should make that decision and I don't think anyone else should have the right to tell you that you are wrong (not that that stops people).

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