So my good friend Megan has this great website where she is the "San Diego Stay at Home Examiner." She writes about anything a Stay home mom would be interested in.
I love reading it because sometimes she writes about controversial topics and I like reading all the nasty comments people say to each other...hehe
The latest posts have been about the debate on whether to get your children vaccinated. You should check it out if you want to see what people are saying here.
I really don't know a TON about it. I know that some say there might be a link to autism, but i think there is also a link to not contracting deadly illnesses too.
In my humble opinion I'd rather take the 99% chance of Teagan not contracting all the different harmful sicknesses that vaccines prevent and take the 1% chance of getting autism. That statement is sure to make the hair on some peoples back stick up!
I do wonder about the different schedules, I know some of you do that and i was wondering what the reasons are.
Veggie Smoothies
16 years ago
5 comments:
i get my kids their vaccines. i stay away from the flu shot though. i think that one is totally rigged. the gov is in total control of that. i mean come on they only have a limited amount of vaccines for the flu and it's different every year. and a lot of the time people get the flu anyway. so i'm pro towards the neccessary vaccinations.
So this very topic has been brought up many times over the course of nursing school and the report is always the same--research has shown OVER and OVER that there is not a link between children getting vaccinated and "contracting" autism. I'm glad that you aren't one of those crazy moms who decided Teagan didn't need to be vaccinated...otherwise we'd be having a chat! There is a reason why small pox and polio have been virtually eradicated from the world--what a blessing! Also, there is some doctor who created a modified version of a vaccine schedule and it's supposed to be really good. The schedule still allows for the effectiveness of vaccination but modifies it so that children are not receiving three in one sitting. If I remember when I heard about that and where it can be found, I'll call you. Until then, I commend you for getting Teagan vaccinated. :)
I go for the shots, too. We talked to a couple different doctors about it and they both said that the only one people really freak out with is the MMR at one year, but that there has never been any real evidence to support it. Adam just gives Steven a blessing before each round of shots, and we go for the miracles that are in modern medicine. I think that people who don't go for the shots are just asking for trouble.
I have done a lot of research on my own and most of the websites, articles and books I found were really extreme both ways. People didn't vaccinate their kids which is such a hazard to the population as a whole and some people say you need to vaccinate your kids because the government tells you to. A lot of articles against vaccinations said not to vaccinate and if you do want to, you should wait until your child is 24 months but most of the vaccinations are for diseases babies would catch under the age of 2 and some are deadly.
That wasn't an option for me so I did more research and found a great book called the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. Here is the site: http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
The book is in laymen terms and he isn't biased either way. He tells you the facts about the vaccines, what the vaccine is made of, why it is controversial, the different manufacturers, how serious the disease is then he rates it on how important it should be to get the shot.
He gives 3 different schedules. The AAP recommended schedule, his alternative schedule which is for parents who want to vaccinate their kids but doesn't want to give them all at the same time and a limited schedule which only includes the most important vaccines.
Dr. Sears brings up a lot of good points that if you vaccinate your kids with DtaP (which is 3 different vaccines), Hib, Pcv, Rotavirus, Polio, Hep B, and the flu shot and your child has a reaction you wouldn't know what vaccination it is. If you follow his alternative schedule you only give your child 2 shots at a time and only one shot contains aluminum.
True there isn't a link between vaccinations and autism. But realistically there aren't studies where people volunteer their babies to see what their reactions are to vaccines or how aluminum affects babies. Plus when babies get vaccinations they usually get them in a cluster so we really wouldn't know if or what could be causing the reaction. Plus some babies might be predisposed to get autism and there might be an environmental trigger that causes it. A lot of people think vaccines. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability. Check out some quick stats: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_factsstats
If you are interested in becoming more knowledgeable about vaccines I would highly recommend the book.
My personal opinion is I would wait on the flu shot unless your doctor provides a shot that does NOT contain thermisol (mercury). I was concerned and I asked my doctor why Olivia had to get Hep B. I never received that vaccination until I went overseas to a third world country at the age of 18. He explained that there are inner cities where babies are readily exposed to this disease and instead of having a state-to-state vaccination schedule they made it a requirement for all children across the U.S. Basically it is a catch all for the minority population that would be exposed to the disease which I am against vaccinating to vaccinate especially a small baby.
I have Olivia on an alternative schedule. I wasn’t able to follow Dr. Sears schedule exactly but I try to get it as close as possible. I feel better about limiting her exposure to an overdose of aluminum. I know which shots she gets cranky for. I know which shots I am going to hold off on i.e. MMR. Originally I was going to get a separate Measles, separate Mumps and separate Rubella but from what I read that isn’t an option anymore so I plan on waiting until she is atleast 2. Since I read the book I am able to explain my concerns to the pediatrician and why I am waiting. If you don’t know why you are waiting it is harder to stick up for what you believe in and could get peer pressured into doing what the doctor wants you to do. Also you could appear to be one of those moms that has jumped on the bandwagon but you don’t know why.
I do take Olivia to the doctor’s office more which is a sacrifice I am willing to make but I think every parent has the right to their choice. Either way you go (to vaccinate or not) you are taking a calculated risk. If you don’t vaccinate you child could possible contract a disease and die and if you do vaccinate and your child gets autism and if you believe it is from the vaccine, it is a choice you have to live with. It is all perspective.
I know this is a huge post but I have a lot of opinions about this topic. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at sandydurtschi@yahoo.com
i cant believe we were in town at the same time. Oh bummer. Next time. ive never gotten to see your adorable little guy.
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