just wondering what shots are recommended/mandatory for thirteen year olds to receive. Our doctor gave us a list of about 12 different available vaccinations. Which ones should i choose? there were not this many choices with my older children's health at this age.
None! Gardasil is one that is being pushed for boys now too. It is dangerous and despite the serious reactions, damages and deaths continues to be marketed.
http://drtenpenny.com/default.aspx
http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2009/02/gardasil-dea...
This sounds weird. My daughter's not quite at the 13-year-old vaccination stage yet but friends who've got older kids have mentioned only the options of Gardasil, the meningitis vaccine and maybe boosters on vital vaccines such as the tetanus shot. No one I know was given a huge menu of vaccines like this.
Ask the doctor's office what they recommend and note that you find this long list overwhelming for a parent; tell them that it is their job to advise you, not to confuse you with a list like this. And Mamapedia is great but I would never rely on what people post here about vaccines - too many people have very different opinions (not scientific facts, opinions) about vaccines, good or bad. Ask the doctor or check with the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) to see what they recommend. There is a ton of stuff online about vaccines that is either untrue or totally skewed, so ask the professionals.
Hi A.-
My kiddos are older than yours...but when gardasil first came out...I declined it for my eldest for several reasons.
One, it was a new vaccine...and it seems that with any new vaccines (or drugs for that matter) issues arise when they are approved and used in the general population (US!).
Two, my understanding was that it only was (is?) effective on one of the viruses that causes cancer in any case.
And three...I used it as a moment to continue our life long conversation on sexuality...and the importance of condoms as a measure of protection for ALL kinds of STDs.
I did, before each kiddo went off to college, get them the meningitis vaccine.
I think every parent has the obligation (and the right) to do their research, and then make an informed decision for their OWN family and kiddos.
Best Luck!
Michele/cat
First of all---please stay away from Gardasil. The research is not long-term, no abundance of research, and what research there is, is sketchy. Please consider spacing WIDELY any vaccines you decide to choose. They will suggest "just getting it over with", but that is very difficult on an immune system to get hit with multiple diseases at once. It creates terrible inflammation and stress---the foundations of all disease. Please consider reading vacinfo.org . This is YOUR choice, not the school's, not the government's and not your doctor's.
We follow the standard vaccine schedule and get the new ones as soon as they come out.
We've had no complications/reactions.
There are so many unqualified quacks out there making recommendations and they're more than happy to sell you something/anything.
Beware the hype and snake oil.
Many, if not all, of your questions can be answered by reading through some information at the Center for Disease Control site:
I personally would say none. And ESPECIALLY avoid Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. Here are some great links about vaccines
If you have any history of autoimmune disease in your family, I would do a lot of research on the various vaccines before agreeing to them.
My daughter has had terrible reactions to vaccines and I am fairly certain they triggered her autoimmune illnesses (which run in my family but onset has always been in grown adults). She is only seven.
I have met several parents of kids with juvenile arthritis who claim that their daughters' symptoms came after the Gardasil shot and then they were diagnosed with juvenile arthritis shortly thereafter. I am not anti-vaccine, but I am very concerned with the direction some of these drug companies are going given our own experience. I have read that pharmaceutical companies are not liable if vaccines cause health issues, like they are with regular medications (e.g. Vioxx) so to expect to see more pharmaceutical companies rushing vaccines to market. Vaccines will be more profitable and less risky for them.
I also recently read about a teenager in Ohio (I think?) who was pulled from class and given the Garadsil shot without her parents' permission. The girl suffered a major rash as a result. I think it's insane for a school to do something like that without parental consent.
It's a tough choice, but try to get as much information as possible and make an informed choice based on your child's medical history as well as your family's medical history.
I always go with what my doctor recommends for vaccinations.
I would just go with the standard vaccination recommendations and - if he has had the regular vaccinations as a baby these should just be booster shots- depending on your area make sure whopping cough and chicken pox are covered-
WHAT? What are they? I don't remember any excessive recommendations when my daughter turned 13 but that was four years ago. My son will be 13 this year. I don't do the HPV vax and I don't do the meningitis one til they are going to be living in a college dorm.
my 12 and 15 yr old just went in and they each had the gardasil and menigitius. My 12 yr old got his tetnus booster and one other one... for the life of me I can't remember what it was off the top of my head.
I choose based on my kids' lifestyle, travel, and doctor recommendations. I do not recall 12 vax for SD at any time. Ask which are optional (gardisil, for example...and warning SD said that hurt worse than tetanus), which are required by the school and what the doctor suggests for your child. SS had to get a meningitis booster before college.
They are now doing an MMR/DPT @ age 12, also the new HPV is for girlz & boyz. My grangirl (6th grade) is going to get both on March 13th, I am going to get the boyz their HPV on that day as well. They reccomend the shots for Hep C now for kidz who swim (what kid doesn't) or spend any amount of time on the water.
When the school sent the note home I called my local Health Dept., I was lucky enough to speak to the woman for the state Immunization Program, that was just last week so I am more informed than I would have been earlier. Both of my granboyz & grangirl had the Hep C when we lived on an Island.
I hope this helps, the Doc should have spent more time explaining the whys & wherefores of each of the immunizations to you. If you feel that you don't have enough info make an appointment for a consultation just for that purpose, a good Doc will do this for you.
Best!
