Vaccinations - Raleigh,NC

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/05/news/la-heb-andre...

This is one of many articles you can find if you look up Mr. Wakefield and the mmr/autism lie. He made up data, and falsified medical records to make it look like the MMR was bad so he could make money off his newly patented measles single shot. There is no link between vaccines and Autism. Some parents just feel the need to blame something, anything, when their kids is not perfect, and this falsified study gave them that. Wakefield is no longer allowed to practice medicine due to these lies.

My daugher got her shots and she did have a mild reaction to them and she was teething so it may of been part of the probalem she was tired and grumpy and had a slight fever but i dont see a problem giving them to her. MOST schools now a days you have to have the shots to be able to enrol them in the school

Yes, I too have heard that the whole autism and vaccines scare may have been a scam. I kept my daughter on my own comfort level for getting vaccines as per her age at the time vaccines were scheduled. I just felt a lot of them could wait because she was young at the time and not in daycare or anything like that. I personally think that 12 months is too young for all those shots at once, esp. the MMR and even the Hep. A has a lot of possible side effects (not because I was scared she was gonna develop autism). I spaced them out, by 2.5 she was caught up on everything since she was entering a little preschool.

There have been huge outbreaks in recent years of common diseases because people are failing to get their children vaccinated.

Sure there are risks with everything but there has got to be more to it that we don't yet understand-genetics, environmental influences, chemicals in our food, etc that react to our body and cause changes and different reactions to vaccinations,etc.

I would absolutely never forgive myself if something bad happened to one of my kids because I chose not to vaccinate. Look at these poor babies that are dying in California and other states from pertusiss because of a drop in vac rates.

I find it interesting that people with no autistic children can be so certain that there is no link between vaccines and autism.
No, vaccines are not THE cause of autism, but may be A cause of autism (along with several other factors). The fact is the way the medical system is set up, you won't know if giving your child that vaccine will give them autism or not, until you give it to them and they stop talking, or worse have seizures and other severe symptoms.
I spaced my son's vaccinations out, not because I had done any research, just because I'm generally a "hands off" kind of mom. I don't take my child to the doctor every month, and I do what my gut (the Holy Spirit) tells me to do. Thank God I did.
He received his 6 month shots at age 15 months (no MMR) and promptly stopped talking. He didn't say anything in English at all. He had his own language, but made no effort to communicate with others. I had never heard of the vaccine-autism correlation so I didn't even consider that the vaccine had anything to do with it. I thought it was a phase he'd outgrow. Several months later I ran across a few articles talking about the link and decided to do some research. I stopped giving him vaccines. I thank God I did!
He's now 5 and speaks at a 3 year old level. He speaks both English and his own language now, we're praying that through therapy and God's healing touch he will be able to fully communicate. So although my son falls short of being on the autism spectrum, I have no doubt that if I had continued the vaccines he would be highly autistic.
On the other hand I have 3 older sons that were fully vaccinated with no problems at all. So it does depend on the child. There are traits that doctors can test for, however it isn't done because that would be admitting that there is a link.
All you have to do is talk to one mother who had a healthy child, then one day after the vaccine had a withdrawn, non-verbal, autistic little one to know that there IS A LINK!
I have not vaccinated any of my children since my son's incident, its not worth the risk to me.

Please do your research, www.drtenpenny.com, the vaccine book by Dr. Sears are great places to start. The diseases the MMR covers are not that bad, and they are not deadly. My children do not have the MMR vaccine. The only one I would be concerned about it Rubella and that is only after they are of childbearing years. They are all girls. Rubells affects fetuses not people. And most people even if they did not have the vaccine are immune to rubella and they can check this with a simple blood test when they are grown before they get the vaccine. Wait to get the vaccines until you are completely sure that is what you want to do. Because you can always get them later, you can't undo them. And unlike some of the posters said there are no problems going to school. Mine go to public school and are not vaccinated. This is the United States, they can't force you to do anything medical.

Lisa

This whole vaccine causes autism study is currently being reevaluated for it's accuracy, and is being doubted as being conclusive at all . This was even highlighted on the CBS evening news last night.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/06/eveningnews/mai...

Many children have died of measles and still do die every year.Check out these facts from the World Health Organization:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/

Just to sum it up- if you think measles isn't dangerous, the read the writing on the wall. 18 people die every HOUR globally from measles. Sure these are mostly in countries where the vaccine is not distributed or have poor health infrastructures. However, delaying or omitting the vaccines is just opening the door to more infected children and adults. I know that's not a risk I want to take. I would much rather have an ALIVE child with a few temporary side effects caused by a shot than a child that's dead with a disease I could have prevented by just getting a shot. In fact, I just got my pertussis vaccine to protect my baby daughter. I do whatever it takes to protect my children's lives.
Duke University has done some interesting studies with genetics and other factors surrounding autism.
http://www.autism-pdd.net/research.html
I would look at relevant research and studies done over some quack trying to make a name for himself. In fact, I think the guy that started this whole autism and vaccination linkage has been banned in some countries.

Hope this helps!

Both my kids (19 years and 4 years) have had all their shots. They never had any problems with any of them AT ALL.

I know that every child is different but a fever can be prevented by a dose of Tylenol prior to the visit. But a fever is not a bad thing, it means the immune system is doing it's job.

As for the other possible effects, they are much more rare than you would think. They just recently discovered that the study/report that blamed the MMR shot for autism was a hoax...built on false data (the children's medical history did not match the parents' reports) and results were basically fabricated. Since that report, measles is on the rise!

I understand the fear from those whose child was diagnosed with autism around the time they were vaccinated; however, just because the diagnose occurred around the same time does not mean it was the cause. Autistism is there but isn't diagnosed until around the same age as most children get the MMR shot. The corralation is that both occur around the same age.

i strongly suggest you research the vaccines being suggested, decide which ones you feel are essential and which ones you don't want, and then get your children vaccinated on a staggered schedule. i'm not anti-vaccine but i think kids get way too many, and loading up their little systems with excessive amounts of foreign material all at once is a recipe for disaster.
everyone goes to autism, but that is not the only risk with over-vaccinating. you MUST do your own research and decide what of the overwhelming quantities of information (and misinformation) makes the most sense to you.
vaccinating is a responsible community thing to do. the more kids that are vaccinated for more diseases, the greater the herd immunity.
but the individual risks are real and often grave. for every mom who says 'i would never forgive myself if my child contracted measles' there is one agonizing that she held her child while he got the vac that put him into grand mal seizures.
there are real and significant pros and cons to both perspectives. don't allow the scorn and derisive style of either side to persuade you.
khairete
S.

Hi J.! I definitely understand your concerns, as there's been a lot of different info reported to parents from various sources. I am hugely pro-vaccine, and both of my boys are fully vaccinated, no side effects other than some crankiness and soreness at the injection site. I know that as parents, we all only want the best for our kids, and when we hear something bad, we're easily scared. At least I am. But I was in grad school for pharmacology (to make drugs, not dispense them) so I am not a doctor but I understand medical literature and what it takes to get a study published, versus just publishing a book. Here's my take on all the various viewpoints-- most medical doctors are pro-vaccines and vaccinate their own kids, and research studies have shown no autism/ vaccine link. Jenny McCarthy (and other non- experts who offer advice on this subject) are probably well-meaning, but ANYONE can write a book. I could write a culinary book, yet I can barely boil water. Autism is scary and I want to find out the various possible causes too, but vaccination rates have gone down and autism rates continue to go up. Also, thimersol (the bad guy perservative being blamed for the autism link) has been virtually eliminated from most vaccines for years, but autism rates haven't gone down. I think there's an environmental/genetic reason that some kids are autistic and some aren't. Could vaccines ever play a role in a child developing autism? Absolutely. There are very rare, very serious reactions that some people will have to shots. Just like some people are allergic to strawberries, but most people can still eat them. Sorry for the super long post, that's just my opinion. I respect other parents' decisions on just about everything-- formula or breast feed, home school or not, etc, but this is one decision that other people make that directly affects my kids, so I have strong feelings about my kids being around non-vaccinated kids because it puts them at a higher risk of a contagious illness, even though mine are immunized.

Best of luck in making your decision-- I know it's scary, but take the time to read the medically proven research, not just the books written by Joe Schmoes :)

J.

UPDATE: Sorry I forgot to add this one thing-- Correlation does not show causation. Autism is usually diagnosed between 15-24 months if I'm not mistaken? That happens to be when the MMR shot is usually given. It also happens to be when a lot of other things happen, maybe switching from whole milk to 2%. Then we can conclude than 2% milk causes autism. I'm not trying to be callous-- my two boys are not currently autistic, and I pray that they never are. But it's hard (especially as a parent) to NOT attribute an event to something that happened around the same time. When my oldest was about to get the H1N1 vaccine (last year or the year before, I can't remember when all that was going on), at the last minute we changed plans and didn't end up making it to that clinic on the weekend that we planned. However-- the very next day, he came down with a pretty serious case of something. Now, if we had followed through on our H1N1 shot plans that weekend, we would of course have blamed the illness on the shot-- who wouldn't? We want something to blame so we can make as much sense as we can of something. I'm definitely not saying that vaccines are 100% safe for everyone. Unfortunately, nothing is. But the day we stop immunizing our kids is the day when these illnesses make a full come back. Most of us are too young to remember what diptheria or polio can do, or how debilitating some of these diseases are. Just because rubella is only dangerous to fetuses, as one poster mentioned, I don't want to harm another woman's baby and just sit back and think, well at least my kid is fine. Again, sorry for the length here, just a topic that I feel strongly about, as I'm sure a ton of parents everywhere do.

the ,m,m,r, gave my first daughter a high fever and diarrhea that lasted 3 weeks, never again will i give or recommend that shot to anyone else.....EVER

I think the fight of to vaccinate or not needs to stop, mothers need to realize that both roads are a choice, both roads can hurt and heal alike. Our scientists need to figure out some sort of allergy testing that can indicate which childrewn can and cant vaccinate. Instead of deny there is a link.

*edited i HAVE read the reports, but i have also met many mothers who beg to differ, and i think about it, what do mothers have to gain by lying, or assuming?, and what do the powers that be have to gain by refuting possible lawsuits?...............hmmmm

I'm not trying to be insulting, but whenever I hear people blowing off the possible vaccines/autism connection, I can pretty much tell that they haven't done much research of their own, not just about vaccinations, but also the other things in their environments and diets. Even if vaccines don't "cause" autism, it certainly is not outside of the realm of possibility that it could be a trigger for issues, plus there are other serious effects to consider.

The bottom line for our family is this: We have taken great strides to ensure that our diets, our home, my pregnancies, and our immediate environment is as natural and toxin-free as possible. We're not crazy about it, but we just make conscious choices knowing that the things we come into contact with make a difference in our health. Many of the ingredients in almost ALL of the vaccinations manufactured today (confirmed on the CDC website) are ones that we avoid because they have been PROVEN to influence behavior, learning, development, moods and overall health. These include, but are not limited to, preservatives, MSG, aluminum (not tested/proven safe at any level when taken internally) animal proteins and even aborted fetal tissue (which presents a separate ethical issue for us). If some of these things can be problematic when inhaled, eaten, etc I have great reservations about their effects on the human body when injected directly into the bloodstream - especially that of a baby or child.

Some say kids get vaxed and they are fine. Perhaps. But I look around and see exponentially higher numbers of illnesses, learning disabilities, behavior issues, and a host of other labels that were not issues in the past when kids were only given 12 shots in their childhood. Now kids get 30 before they're 2 years old. In spite of all our advanced "healthcare", this is the most unhealthy generation!

Now, I'm not so naive to think vaccinations are the causes of all of these things. Our environment is toxic. Kids eat junk and food laden with chemicals, pesticides and genetically modified ingredients. They don't exercise. People use chemical cleaners in their homes. Many have emotional issues due to individual circumstances. Poor eating / living habits are passed on through family histories, affecting genetics. All I'm saying is there is absolutely a cumulative effect to all of this. I just want to encourage families to consider these things in conjunction with vaccine research from both sides.

I think people need to be more mindful of what goes into their bodies in general. Keep it REAL!

This is not an easy decision at all. My 14 month old is not vaxed and has not suffered through the many illnesses and issues that his cousins have. I'm not saying he'll never have a vaccination, but so far he's great and our pediatrician is supportive. Currently, the AAP still advises drs to treat and support parents even if they do not want to vaccinate. If the public health aspect of this was that dire, I do not believe that would be their stance.

Good luck with whatever you decide! We're all doing the best we can and may God's grace cover our kids as we strive to be good stewards of them.

The supposed link between the MMR shot and autism is complete bunk science. In fact, the doctor who "found" the link has been convicted of fraud because of his published article about the supposed link. There is no link. Not only that, but the mercury that HAD been used as a preservative (thimerosol) is not even used in the MMR shot anymore and hasn't been for years. That being said, I waited on the MMR shot for my 2 kids who had food allergies (MMR vaccine is incubated in eggs). My other 2 kids had no problems whatsoever with MMR or any other vaccines except the sore legs for about an hour.

I will share what my Ped says and my experience. Nothing in medicine is an absolute but the exhaustive tests in regards to the MMR and autism is the closest medicine has ever come to disproving a correlation. The original doctor performing the study which has caused such controversy has has his medical license revoked. He himself admitted to skewing the data in the study. I held off giving the MMR until 15 months. I am paranoid. Then proceeded to observe symptoms that concerned me. Well my paranoia made me freak out over perceiving molar teething as me thinking I broke my son and shouldn't have let them give him the vaccination. He is fine and perfectly normal now all four molars are out. Go with your gut but you may do your child more harm by not vaccinating.

This is a decision ONLY you can make, not the mommas on this forum. Only you know your child, and as the caretaker for you child you have to make the best decision for him, and live with the results of that. That is what responsibility is. Personally, my 18 month old got his 15 month shots (included MMR) and promptly stopped talking...he now speaks at a 1 year level and he is 2.5 yrs old. Those were the last vaccinations I gave him. I changed peds. and she looked at his vaccination schedule and said "wow- hes had alot of shots". Not very comforting! I know you may be able to get the MMR in separate doses- talk to your doctor about doing that. My youngest will not get any vaccinations until he is old enough that his body can handle the metal toxins used. I can make that decision because my children are not in daycare, and are not in situations where they are going to come in contact with a lot of health dangers. If they were, then my decision may be different.
Like I said, you have to weigh all the facts, your child, other toxins they are exposed too that could make this the final straw...etc.

All I am going to say is that - for my children - if I had it to do over again I would do it much differently. I would not blindly follow one person's advice (one pediatrician). I would research the issue from many different angles and try to make best decision possible for my individual children. My children are not autistic (thank God, and my heart breaks for these families) but we do have fairly severe allergies and food intolerances. My most aggressively vaccinated child (HebB at birth) has been my sickest one.

It is not a black and white issue in my humble opinion. It concerns me how little manufacturer liability there is pertaining to a specific medical intervention like vaccines. Please research how people are compensated should their child be injured from a vaccine (from what I understand it's a long and difficult road for many families). Flip open your phone book and see if you can readily find a vaccine injury lawyer (my guess is that you will not - why might that be the case?). In this country product liability laws typically lead to much safer products (think the Ford Pinto). Well, what happens when product injury is compensated by a tax on the product instead of by the product makers themselves? In that scenario how much incentive is there to make the product as safe as it can possibly be made? And what happens when that product is MANDATED by law (notwithstanding exemptions of which many parents are unaware)?

This is just my personal opinion and I am not a health care professional of any type. I think parents have to consult trusted experts, do their own research, and make the best decision they can. I see both sides of the issue. I also see a huge increase in the vaccines I received as a kid to what children today receive. Why? Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide. It's not easy.

In 2004 I had a horrendous cough that wasn't diagnosed as Pertusis (whooping cough) until the 4th week. And apparently if you don't get antibiotics by the 2nd week there is no 'cure' so it has to run it's course...which for me was 8 months! It was awful! I threw up everytime I coughed and couldn't breath. I can't fathom how a little baby or someone battling cancer or HIV or any serious disease would fair. I was a healthy adult and was miserable.

The doctors said they were seeing whooping cough come back in high numbers because of parents not vaccinating their children. What others are saying about the revelations of corrupt research reports is true and the researcher who essentially lied about autism and vaccines I think I heard is facing criminal charges for all of the children and folks with compromised immune systems who have died from diseases the vaccines are designed to eliminate. I actually read an article last year that showed polio was coming back for the same reason...polio!?!!!

I think spacing out vaccines is probably fine, but please vaccinate for your kids sake and everyone they interact with be it at school, in grocery stores, or family and friends. I have a friend who didn't vaccinate because of similar fears and her son got the mumps...which was so sad to see.

Edit: one last thing. Science is about replication of studies to verify if previous studies are accurate and to what degree. There are a TON of studies done that reveal there is no correlation between vaccines and autism, but they don't appeal to 'fear' so maybe got lost in the social panic?

The only research paper theorizing that this vaccine causes autism has been debunked recently as many of the findings were fabricated.

But even if it were true, children can get sudden life-altering reactions from peanut butter or die in car accidents even when in carseats, there is always a risk.

I prefer erring on the side of caution, the disease is worse than the shot, and with so many people not vaccinating now, there is less herd immunity and disease rates are climbing like never before in these modern times, therefore we get the shot. That is my answer, so you just have to decide what yours is.

Dr. Sears talks in depth about vaccine planning, what to watch out for and the like:
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/

Do your own research before you go to your doctor. Find out what ingredients are in the vaccine, which ones are controversial and why. Research the illnesses too, how common are they, how serious are they, are they treatable? Your doctor wants you to give the shot so he's going to tell you it's perfectly safe (although he'll still want you to sign a waiver saying there are risks). You need to do your own unbiased research. I recommend the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. Totally unbiased and it will answer all those questions I've listed. Know what you're getting into before you go, then make your own decision. You can always wait and give her the vaccine when she's older. It's within your right to do so.

I would say DEFINITELY get her vaccinated. Especially considering word is out on the validity of any correlation between autism and vaccines.

The reason we have our kids vaccinated is because these childhood diseases can lead to permanent heart damage, hearing loss, etc. and even death. Not to mention the contribution to making these diseases a larger problem among the general population.

Dont fail to protect her out of fear or anyone's anecdotes. If you are concerned, ask for thimerosol-free vaccines and ask your doc if she is healthy enough to receive the vaccinations.

edit: This is a thoughtful post from "Dr. Manny" on vaccinations. He himself has a child with autism.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/06/dr-manny-stop-ly...

While the link between MMR and autism is being re-evaluated, remember that all these vaccines DO contain chemicals, including aluminum. You do not need to get ALL the vaccines on the schedule suggested. Do your own research (not just here with personal stories) and decide which ones you want. Vaccines do contain live viruses sometimes. Your child may react to a vaccine with fever, which is considered normal. Each child is different. Make sure YOU feel confident in whatever decision you make.

i used to get our baby vaccinated. until i actually started reading about vaccines, what they put in them and what the results actually are.
here are some websites for you to look at.
we dont get out baby vaccinated anymore. and we dont vaccinate our pets either.
http://www.relfe.com/vaccine.html
http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james.htm

as for the people saying that babies are dying and getting these awful diseases because of the parents that didnt vaccinate. completely NOT true. disease happens. and it happens whether you are vaccinated or not.

"As measles immunization rates rise to high levels measles becomes a disease seen only in vaccinated persons."

"An outbreak of measles occurred in a school where 100 % of the children had been vaccinated. Measles mortality rates had declined by 97 % in England before measles vaccination was instituted. "

"In 1986 there were 1300 cases of pertussis in Kansas and 90 % of these cases occurred in children who had been adequately vaccinated."

"The number of cases of pertussis has steadily decreased[3] even though far fewer children are receiving pertussis vaccine."

I got both my kids their shots on schedule. We never had any issues. They did just come out and say that the study that "proved" the vaccinations caused autism was entirely false. It's been on the news the last couple of days. You can always check and see if your doctor will split the vaccine. Some do and some don't . I have heard of the shots causing a slight fever and the child is fine the next day. I haven't heard of the high fever or seizures. My thoughts were always that I would rather vaccinate than my child getting one of those diseases.

Let me go on record and say that I don't have an autistic child, but I still didn't vax my DD. I chose not to vax my DD because I am totally against in the vaccines. I just don't feel those things belong in my DDs body and I don't like how the vaccines are being introduced into the body, they circumnavigate the body's natural immune system and they still only provide a temporary immunity. I've had both measles and chicken pox and lived to tell about it. It wasn't that big a deal and I've recently had a blood test (to volunteer in a hospital) that shows I still am immune to them all -- almost 40 years later. I've known a few people who got those childhood diseases as adults, after the temporary immunity was gone, and they were sicker than a dog. I think those diseases are harder on adults than they are on children. My DD has had the chicken pox so far and I had people knocking on my door left and right wanting their kids to play with my daughter for a bit so they could expose their children. Some were mad they didn't know about it and missed the opportunity, lol. All I can say is each of us as mothers try to do the best we can for our children because we love them.

childhoodshots.com - just food for thought, I haven't decided fully one way or the other, but in my opinion there are too many weird substances in vaccines, and too many stories of vaccine injured children (this is not just autism). Good for you for doing research, keep it up mama!

Not surprisingly, it has been proven there is no link to vaccines and autism. you can read the full report here:
http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5347.full

Those who do not vaccinate are putting other little infants who are too young to be vaccinated at risk of dying from these diseases. Measles is going around again. 10 babies died in CA due to Whooping Cough. That is what I read.

Hi--
The shot itself is has more than just the dead virus/bacteria in it--it also has preservatives that contain toxins like mercury and aluminum in them. They are approved for use because the amount of toxins in them is very low on an individual shot basis. However, kids are exposed to toxins everywhere--from the air they breath to the water they drink to the plastic they eat out of to off-gassing of carpet, paint, and furniture, etc. Some children are more sensitive to these toxins in their systems or have more of them depending on where you live and your lifestyle. The extreme reactions to these shots is often because the small amount of toxins in the shots push the child over the edge of the toxic load their bodies can handle.
Both of my children, for example, are very chemically sensitive (as well as food allergies, environmental allergies, etc). My doctor and I have decided not to vaccinate them because they are so sensitive that they are likely to be in the 5% of kids that will have an extreme reaction. Other kids have much stronger constitutions and therefore seem to have no reaction whatsoever to the shots. So really, it depends on your child. My gut when my oldest was first born said don't do it. I am really glad I listened to that feeling. If your child is ultra-sensitive, gets sick easily, has allergies (which show an unbalanced liver--the shots effect the liver because that is the organ that detoxifies the body), has lots of rashes, etc., then you might not want to do the shot--or at least wait until she is older. The immune system isn't fully functional until 2 years of age. If she seems very strong and doesn't have particular sensitivities then you are probably in a better situation to give her the shot.
Hope that helps and offers a different perspective on the whole thing.
J.

This is a highly controversial issue but I would just suggest making sure that your daughter is feeling well when you go in for your appointment -- not coming down with a cold or getting over a cold -- and just get one shot at a time. Also, don't give her Tylenol before or after giving her the shot because, from what I have read, acetominophin (sp?) reduces the body's glutathione level and glutathione is what helps the body naturally sweep away the elements of the shot that do not need to stay in the body.

I haven't yet read ALL of the other answers, but I wanted to go ahead and chime in with my 2 cents.....(I'll probably edit later. : ) )
My DS ("Doodle") is a little younger than your DD, but I will tell you what we are going to do. Our schedule is basically based off of Dr. Bob Sear's the vaccine book. I HIGHLY suggest you read it. It's not too expensive online, and worth every penny. It gives you a lot of great info organized in a very easy to understand way. It goes over every vaccine and every "vaccine-preventable" disease.
We are doing MMR at 2, or later. Approximately 1 in 1000 cases of measles is life threatening. It isn't very common, There are about 50-100 cases in the US reported each year. "Riley J." states"164,000 people died of it in 2008"---This stat is WORLDWIDE, it is much less common in the US.
Mumps is not very common, only 250 cases each year. There are occasional outbreaks. It is not serious for kids, and only causes issues in teen/adulthood. I will vaccinate my child before he's a teen.
Rubella is very rare and mild. The only time it is serious is in pregnancy, when it can cause birth defects. My DS is never around pregnant women, and I don't plan on having another baby soon. He will be vaccinated before school. We also vaccinate only 1 aluminum-containing vaccine at a time, and only 2 vaxs at a time. Plus we boost his immune system w/ probiotics and supplements pre and post vax.
This is my Doodle's schedule....

12 months: HIB (ActHIB or HibTITER)
13 months: Pc
15 months: Pc, HIB (ActHIB or HibTITER)
2 years: MMR
2 yrs 6 months: Hep A
3 yrs: Hep A
5 years: DTaP, IPV
6 years: MMR*
10 yrs: Hep B

Let me know if you have any other questions about why I vaccinate like I do LMK! Hope that helps!

-ALSO.....
There have been MULTIPLE studies possibly linking MMR and merury in vaccines to Autism!!! Dr. Wakefield did ONE OF MANY. I can't send you them all right now, but....
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11950955
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7715338
http://www.jpands.org/vol9no3/goldman.pdf
http://www.detoxmetals.com/content/AUTISM%20AND%20Hg/auti...
...to name just a few.

My daughter had it ion schedule and was fine. I'm a supporter of vaccinating, have done my own research with both sides of the coin and am a Nurse.

Other than a day of being tired and crabby after a shot - regardless of what it was, nothing else ever materialized.

Theres been a bunch of stuff on the news lately, about how autism is not connected with the MMR shot, and the guy who filed this or did studies somehow didn't do it right or have the right information.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/98531/20110107/link-betwe...

I had my daughter vaccinated like normal, except I didnt want her to have the chickenpox vaccine, but they gave it to her against my wishes..which is a whole other story. She had 0 reactions to any of the vaccinations. And I feel comfortable have her get the shots, because more and more people are not vaccinating their children and I don't want her exposed to those with no vaccinations. There is already enough stuff children get without a vaccination.

I've heard some kids have a skin reaction to vaccinations, but nothing that is really serious. Children react to everything differently.

But vaccinating is a personal opinion and you have to do what you feel is right for your child. Don't let anyone persway you otherwise.

I followed the doctors schedule with my firstborn except varicella & MMR. I waited to give those later because they are live viruses and I felt he was was too young to tolerate them. In hindsight, I wish I would have spaced his vaccinations out too because I feel 5-6 vaccines at 2,4 and 6 months is way too much for a baby. With my second child I spaced out the vaccines to have only 2 at a time and he never had a reaction, not even a fever. I met some resistance from his doctor but I am the parent and fought for what I believed. She finally agreed to work with me since I agreed to do the vaccines, just on a staggered schedule. Some things to remember:
1)The blood brain barrier of a baby isn't finished developing and encasing the brain until 18 months of age. This is why I waited on the live virus vaccines, mmr and varicella.
2) Never give a dtap or mmr vaccines along with any other shots. Each of those shots have 3 viruses in them. Do separate visits for each of those. I heard they actaully pulled the combined mmr/varicella shot off the market becuase it was causing too many seizures in the kids. Assuming this is true, what does that tell you?
3)Boost your child's immune system with probiotics and vitamin c one week before and one week after the shots. You can get these things from any health and nutrition store. I used liqued vitamin c and powder probiotics in their milk. 70% of our immune system health starts in our GI tract so probiotics boost their health immensely.
4)If your child does have have an adverse reaction, ask your provider to report it as an adverse injury to the government so they can tract the data.
5)Trust your instincts. If you think your child is acting strange after a shot, follow your gut. Your doctor isn't the one who will have to deal with a lifetime of heartache and pain if your child suffers a vaccine injury, you will. Ask lots of questions. You are your child's advocate.
For those people who are BOTH so quick to say vaccines don't cause injury AND are judgmental, consider yourself lucky that your child isn't one of the injured. Work on having some compassion in your hearts.

Just wanted to let you know that my two year old had his first MMR shot when he was 14 months old with no side effects. However, instead of getting the second MMR booster when he is 4, I plan on requesting a MMR titers test to see if he is already immune to MMR. If he is,then there is no need for the second shot.

Like you I am cautious. My daughter got all of them on track...With my two boys I do only one shot at a time. Because there is such conflicting information on the MMR etc...I delayed it as long as I felt comfortable. My second child a DS just had his first MMR a few months ago before he turned three...No issues. I think 15-18 month for the MMR is too young. My third another DS will also be on the same schedule. He goes for his 12 month check-up next week and will only be getting one shot and it won't be the MMR or any combination there of.

Both of my kids are fully vaccinated. I trust their pediatricians completely because not only do I think they are awesome doctors and are up to date on the latest studies, but also because I have worked as a nurse in their office for the last 6 years. All of the doctors I work for have kids that are also fully vaccinated. I have been giving many kids their shots since I started working there and I have only seen a few bad reactions to shots. One kid had an allergic reaction to a shot and was having difficulty breathing shortly after he got it. He was taken to the ER and was fine after getting some meds, he just can't ever get that same shot again. Another kid developed cellulitis after getting a shot and had to be put on antibiotics. This wasn't a reaction from the immunization, but from having an opening in the skin from the puncture wound and having bacteria get into it. Lots of kids get swollen legs/arms, fevers, soreness at the injection site, and loss of appetite from shots, but these are all normal side effects. I have never seen a kid have a seizure or stop talking after getting a shot. I have never seen a kid die or have irreversible damage from a shot. I'm not saying that those reactions don't happen, I'm just saying I've never personally experienced it. I have seen a kid have to be hospitalized from pertussis, and I've seen quite a few kids have to be hospitalized from influenza . The only thing I have noticed about the MMR shot is that it does sting so most kids will cry when they get it. This is my experience and I hope it helps.

I am so scared to see what would come if people continually do not vaccinate their children. Vaccinations work when the vast majority of people get them. And I am glad to read here that a lot of people realize that the connection to vaccines and autism is false. We need to stay educated and open minded as information is always being updated. I am so glad the doctor who tried to (and somewhat successfully albeit inaccurately) make that connection has since lost his medical license. We all want answers - unfortunately, we have wasted a lot of time and money barking up the wrong tree with false lead.

I am pro vaccine. My kids had all their shots, on time, and no complications at all.
I have an aunt who lived crippled by polio. She was born before the vaccine was available.
I couldn't bear to risk my kids getting something we can vaccinate against.
This is a very personal decision and one that shouldn't be taken lightly, but things like whooping cough (pertussis) are on the rise.
I personally think that it's not a good idea to assume your child can't catch anything because most others vaccinate their children. The risks of the vaccines are far less than the effects of the illnesses and the fact is that no one knows what "causes" autism.
The link with vaccinations is still being debated.

You will get a lot of differing opinions on this so just do your research and talk openly with your pediatrician about it.

Best wishes.

I like Riley J's response below - it's nice to see someone give some hard data to support their response.

The only thing I would add to that is her comment about febrile seizures - actually that's not an untreated fever...it's a seemingly normal range fever that's accompanied by an infection somewhere in the body. The infection causes the fever to spike suddenly, and the fever spike is what causes the febrile seizure. It's the body's defense mechanism to protect the brain from the fever spike.

My 18 month-old daughter just had a febrile seizure on Monday...she had a fever of about 102 early in the morning - we treated it with ibuprofin and it responded and came down to 99...she was eating, playing, napped like normal. In the afternoon it went back up slightly...gave her another dose of ibuprofin (about 7 hours after the morning dose)...the fever came all the way down again and then she was eating a snack and all of a sudden out of nowhere she was burning up and started seizing. Ambulance ride to the ER - they treated her fever and she was back to normal within an hour (normal being running around the room, drinking water, eating a snack). Just wanted to pass this along as she is my 2nd and we've never experienced febrile seizures before. We were unaware that she had an upper respiratory infection happening...she had no symptoms before the fever and our ped said that's the scary thing - they come seemingly out of nowhere and can't be predicted or prevented...only dealt with.

Should your child (under 5) have a "normal" fever, just try to keep a good eye on them and should they ever spike a fever quickly and begin to seize, it looks so much worse than it is...make sure they don't have anything in their mouths they can choke on...put them on their side with their lower arm underneath their head to maximize oxygen flow, and call 911 or get them to the ER asap to confirm that it is a febrile seizure.

Also - Lady J., that first article is 15 years old and the second one is 8 years old. Is that the best evidence you've got? A lot has changed in the world of vaccines in that time.

First I don't believe the shot causes Autism, it is a vaccine injury. Some other shots are thought to do the same. After hearing the stories I would personally not get the shot.

I have an 8 year old daughter with Autism who showed sings since young infant. The thought of creating this and worse cases makes me concerned.

My experience as you asked for - and the only real "hard" data I have--- I have had all 5 of my children vaccinated, just as all 6 of my siblings were as well as their multiple children and the probably almost hundreds of people I know with kids -- without any problem. My youngest is 7 months, and my oldest is 19 years, so I have some experience with this. The reason that the underlying illnesses are not "common" as another poster stated is that the vast majority of children -- for decades -- HAVE been vaccinated. If and when parents as a majority start to not vaccinate, then those diseases will again become common, as they are in other countries with certainly deadly consequences. So, if you want your child to have a chance of succumbing to one of these illnesses in the meantime, then please do not vaccinate. Otherwise, listen to your doctor. I have NEVER heard of a pediatrician (via many, many friends) recommend to not vaccinate. And I am sure you have read of the recent reports of the link between autism and shots being discredited, although I am sure there may be follow up studies to the contrary --- who knows when and if they will also be shown to be false. Just talk to your ped, and if you cannot trust him/her, you should get a new doctor. My ped does not give shots with mercury. IMO people who do not vaccinate are not looking out for the welfare of the many, many people their child comes into contact with - or for their own child especially if that child ever goes to school, or daycare, or a playground... And for all the "facts" and studies found on the internet, just because someone says something on the internet does not make it true.

Both of my kids have all had their shots - no symptoms or side effects ever.

I am waiting until after age 3 for the MMR in my youngest.

both of my boys have been vaccinated, all the shots all the way to middle school. There are reasons for vaccination we as a society no longer have to worry about these terrible diseases because of them. I am certainly not telling you what to do but most schools wont admit your child without shots so you might have to catch up in the future.
I do no however believe in the Flu shot- i know strange

My 16 month old has all of her vaccinations but I spread them out over time. You just have to ask your doctor. It's a little inconvenient to keep going back, and your doctor may sneer at you (mine did; I then picked a new pediatrician) but I feel better knowing exactly which shots she is getting so I can watch for a reaction.

My other two boys had all the vaccinations like the doctors suggested. They once in awhile got a fever or were sore at the injection site but were fine other than that. My 16 month old never cries at the visits. I think it is because getting one shot at a time doesn't ramp up the situation.

I am much more afraid of the diseases these shots prevent than the shots themselves. I am getting more and more concerned that the herd inmunity is getting weaker; meaning, we will see more of these diseases cropping up.

Good luck!

Both of my sons have had the MMR shot, neither had any reaction what so ever. That said, it is only you who can make the best decision for your son and your family.

I already sent a flower to several of these posts, but also wanted to add a "WOW"! Please do your own research as other suggested, especially because some of the info that has been listed right here in this post is absolutely not true --> ("The diseases the MMR covers are not that bad, and they are not deadly")!!!!!!!!!!!

There have been several studies debunking the link between the MMR vaccine to autism. Here is a very recent article:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-health...

Best of luck to you in your decision, I know these types of decisions always weigh so hard on my mind. I feel like I will always be playing "what if" no matter what happens. My suggestion - talk to your pediatrician, if you don't agree with what your pediatrician suggests, perhaps it is time to find a new one!

DS (5) has had all his vaccinations on the standard schedule - no problems. That said, using people's anecdotal reports is not really valid for a lot of statistical reasons. The journal Lancet that published the original report about autism and vaccination withdrew the report, all but one author has repudiated it and there is a report (came out this week) that the author knowingly falsified virtually all the data in the paper. No other research has found any association. On the other hand there has been a resurgence of some infectious diseases - whooping cough for example - which have been fatal in a number of cases in the UK.

I'm in the same boat. With my first two children I did it by the book only to have my son have extreme allergic reactions to them. My brother got juvenile diabetes after a double dose of the tenanus shot. I've done a lot of research and I've found that if you wait until they're at least 2 and spread them out having one every 6 months, it decreases their chances of side effects and such. I guess that wouldn't help with allergic reactions but doing the delayed schedule seems like it would be better than doing them all at once as far as side effects goes. I hope that helps.

I saw on the news the other day that they think there is a link between CLOSE PREGNANCIES and Austism. (ie, if your first child is born, and you have your next baby w/in a year or year and a half, you may not have all of the nutrients your fetus needs.) The study was done in California with birth records. Google "California study close birth causes autism" and there are a ton of articles to read.

I have not read all other 52 responses....
I have a 1 and 2 year old. I spread all shots out from birth, meaning we did shots every month instead of a bunch every few months.
This means that by the time they were 1 they got all shots like all other kids, but in a slower manner.
Then when it was time for MMR we waited until age 2 for our oldest. Our 1 year old will get hers at age 2 only if we end up doing school for her like we did our oldest. If not I'll probably wait until 3.
There is a handful of shots you are supposed to get at the year appointment including chicken pox. We only did one that day and chicken pox a few months later...
By the time my kiddos are in school full time they will be right on track... To me the fact that they had all the same shots, just in a slower fashion seemed totally ok and my doc was ok with it as well.
I knwo that vaccines are important and I am not even saying they will or do harm kiddos, but why push them so fast?? Slow and easy, so the little bodies can adjust....
Good luck with your choice.

really, read the link that CT sent. It is breaking news.. The whole study that linked autism with vaccinations with MMR was completely fraudulent. It was a whole scam to try to do a class action suit against the vaccination company. There have been LOTS of studies that have shown that there is no link but because of that original study it has held on to it's believability. Now they have busted that original study.
I have not read the other responses, but I'm sure you got some great advice to help you in your decision making. Just wanted to make sure you noticed that link that CT sent so you can read about that and put your mind at ease about Autism.

the research that showed the link between autisim and vaccines has been disproven. the resercher who did this study faked data