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People have to weigh the consequences of getting the vaccine (possible side effects) vs not getting the vaccine (contracting the disease). Some people feel that the risk of seeing side effects is greater than the risk of contracting the disease, or that the consequences of the side effects are greater than the consequences of the disease because many of the diseases in question do not routinely lead to such dire consequences as death. They think, "Sure, my kid may get the chicken pox or the flu, but so what? It's not going to kill them. I'd prefer that to the possible side effects of the vaccine." They fear the side effects more than they fear the disease.
I'm not trying to say that I agree with this point of view. My daughter is vaxed. I just don't think that parents should feel bullied (by doctors or schools) into vaxing if, after serious consideration, it's not what they think is best for their child.
your right, parents should have a choice. And their insurance should have the right to refuse to pay for medical care if they contract the disease. I still don't understand parents who don't vaccinate their kids. I mean, some of these illnesses are very disabling or fatal.
i never understood why they vaccinate for chicken pox?
i had the chicken pox and now i dont have to worry about it anymore. my nephew was vaccinated for it, got a mild case of it and was told he may be able to get it again.
is chicken pox so dangerous? it didnt seem such a big deal when we got it. my brother, 2 cousins and i all got it at the same time. one of the cosins was 1 yr old.
It can be fatal as an adult, and shingles (recurring varicella virus) can be very painful. I'm not sure that my children have been vaccinated for it, but if the potential side effects are close to nil I would have no problem with it.
There are no laws without exemption clauses that force parents to get their children vaccinated. There unfortunately is a lot of misinformation "out there" on this topic, and parents sometimes feel bullied into getting their children vaccinated.
The reality is that vaccinations are for your child's protection, and not getting them vaccinated poses no health threat to the rest of a school's vaccinated population.
For most schools if you compose a letter describing how you have purposefully declined your child receiving specific vaccinations (name them, both the common name and the medical name of the vaccine), acknowledging the risks involved, then you'll be ok.
Each state has addressed vaccines slightly differently so I encourage you to research the valid exemption reasons available for your state if indeed you live in a state which has passed vaccine encouraging legislation for publicly funded schools.
In my family's situation, I wasn't asked nor required to provide a reason, but did so anyway so as to eliminate anyone feeling the need to follow-up with me... I mentioned how we have a genetic history which indicates that receipt of the mentioned vaccinations may harm my children. Indeed, no one has followed-up, and indeed my children are enrolled in school, have no serious health issues, and I rest well at night knowing that I've done my part to protect my family.
I really don't appreciate how the pharmaceutical industry has addressed vaccinations, and addressed the growing body of direct accounts from parents who have seen their children develop sickness and then autism following a round of vaccines. It's an epidemic to be sure, and indeed the entire situation seems a lot like how the tobacco companies denied the smoking-cancer link for decades before finally being held accountable.
If you want to believe that your children "need" 20+ immunizations before preschool, that is your prerogative. I tend to believe that it is a load of pharmaceutical industry profiting baloney which has been sold world-wide. For those who haven't learned of it, it is well known and a well-supported scientific theory that the initial spread of HIV to the human population was caused by a well-meaning but otherwise ignorant physician in Africa who utilized contaminated simian blood culture to create vaccines given to thousands of people there.
Even if you believe medical science has refined the vaccination creation process, you must admit that there is still a risk today that the vaccination-happy medical culture within which we reside today poses potential health issues. Issues we don't understand, but the pharmaceutical companies obviously do because legislation was passed to ensure that none of these companies are ever held directly accountable if something bad happens. How can that make you feel good?
and there is no clear link between autism and vaccinations. Do you know what the autism rates are for vaccinated children? The same as nonvaccinated children. The latest research has autism being an autoimmune disease, but once again there is no concrete link.
I date back to a time before Whooping Cough vacine. If you have even seen a child with this disease, you would not even hesitate a moment about getting this. I had a light case, that caused me to miss six weeks of school. Other children in my neighborhood had it so bad that the coughing and vomiting made them very ill.
For us, I would much prefer NOT to vaccinate my son at all, but after debating and agonizing about it and talking to my husband, pediatrician and doing some research, we decided to go with selected few.
It is a completely personal decision and nobody should guilt you in one way or the other, but here was my criteria:
1.Which disease is the most severe
2.Which disease I know as a mother I would be terrified to deal with.
3.Which vaccines have the least know side effects (actually DTaP doesn't fall into that category, but it fits the first 2)
Hib and PC have the least known side effects and also very serious.
To me, I skipped MMR, Heb B, Chicken Pox, Flu, and Polio.
Then, I didn't do the 4th set of shots for the ones I did give to my son. Actually Max had not have any shots since he was 14months old and if I was to follow the selected vaccines schedule, he is not due for any more shots until he is 7 with tetanus booster.
I've followed the same line of thinking! My son is almost 3, and has only had what myself and his doctor consider to have done in the order of importance. He will be all caught up by the time he is in school, but I have spaced it out because I have not thought it good to give an onslaught of vaccinations in one day. My son has had the MMR, but, not all 3 in one shot, I had it broken up into 3 individual shots given to him two months apart each. No flu shots: I want his immune system to do the job on its own.
He's had polio.
I think that what is good about the way you and I approach this, is that we are not anti-vaccinations, but we both recognize that too many are not only not necessary, but could be life-altering.
and there is no clear link between autism and vaccinations. Do you know what the autism rates are for vaccinated children? The same as nonvaccinated children. The latest research has autism being an autoimmune disease, but once again there is no concrete link.
YOur son's chances are greater for getting the disease verses suffering from a severe side effect.
My kids were vaxed on schedule with no problems what so ever. Maybe a low grade fever along with being a little grumpy. But I would rather have that then the alternative.
If you're going to do the D and T, might as well do the P... for the most part, the DTaP is to protect babies from pertussis. They have a slim to nil chance of contracting diphtheria or tetanus.
If you're going to do the D and T, might as well do the P... for the most part, the DTaP is to protect babies from pertussis. They have a slim to nil chance of contracting diphtheria or tetanus.
The chances of getting Diphtheria here are low. And that is because of one reason, so many kids are vaccinated. But, if your child will travel to different countries, she/he could pick it up quickly. Prevention = immunization. It is highly contagious and it spreads super easy.
Tetanus is detrimental. It is a global health problem and it occurs mainly in unvaxed people. This is one I would never skip.
You either decide to deal with the side effects ofthe shot:
may cause irritation, redness, swelling, warmth, itching, bruising, pain and a hard lump at the injection site which lasts a few days up to a week. Other side effects include low grade fever, muscle or joint aches, general body discomfort, flushing or itching.
Or you risk dealing with the disease itself.
results in severe, uncontrollable muscle spasms. The jaw is "locked" by muscle spasms, causing the disease to sometimes be called "lockjaw." In severe cases, the muscles used to breathe can spasm, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain and other organs that may possibly lead to death.
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