Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 We do a very delayed, very selective schedule. My dad is a doctor and we go toe to toe often on this subject. The one he is most stubborn about is polio so my 6 yo has had his complete polio series. We did 2 DTaP before I really second guessed it and have stopped that series. My 3 yo has had one polio (we didn't do any vax until after each turned 3) and I think polio is the only one we'll do for her. Janelle samathiathewriter wrote: > > > This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one > felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children > immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was > wondering how everyone here felt. > > Thanks > Samathia > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I find them for the most part to be a necessary evil. This is something I thought long and hard about when I decided to immunize my kids. I can totally understand why people don't do it and I am all for their decision to do that. It's such a tough call. I don't want to immunize my kids, but I do because I fear the alternative. This is what happened: When my daughter was born I talked to the pediatrician about immunizations. He told me that people that don't immunize have never seen a child die of a disease that could have been prevented with an immunization and that he had. Because of this he thought all children should get the immunizations. I thought he had a good point and I went ahead with it, even though I am still skeptical of them. But I am afraid that if I didn't get them immunized and they got some nasty disease I'd never forgive myself. I also believe that the main reason that non-immunized children stay safer from the diseases is because the majority of the population does immunize, thus stopping the spreading the diseases. So while I do immunize I can say that I don't like it. I just think that neither are really good options. I think they give too many immunizations, that's for sure. And I totally support those parents that choose not do it. I think it should be a choice and nobody should make parents jump through hoops or do anything special to not give their kids the shots. As parents we try to do what is best for our kids. That varies for every family. I believe that the answer lies in somewhere in the middle, but we don't get to make a decision like that. So we have to make a decision and be at peace with it the best we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I don't see this as black or white / vax or don't. We did a delayed schedule, with single dose preservative free vaccines. We started after Alyssa turned one One of reads the insert before allowing the shot to be given. We skipped somee, like flu and chicken pox. We are now wrestling with Gardasil (the HPV vaccine). We have read so much, talked to so many professionals, and just can't make a decision. Alyssa turns 14 next month, and we feel like we need to make a decision soon. ________________________________ samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter Wednesday, July 22, 2009 9:19:00 AM How do you feel about immunizations This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hi Samathia, We don’t vaccinate at all. We know many adults who have never had any vaccinations, have traveled the world with no problems (even third world countries), and have never contracted anything dangerous. The chemicals in vaccines are just frightening – not to mention the animal cells in them (yes, most vaccines are not vegetarian). Also, we have two neighbors and one colleague with autistic children, and it breaks my heart to see these kids . . . two totally non-communicative, wheelchair bound, one of whom is often wheeled around the neighborhood in his wheelchair by his nurse, whose help is required by his complicated health issues . . . the third is a bit more functional, but still non-verbal and dramatically disabled. I know the issue of autism and vaccines is debated, but a chance at a vaccine causing a disease equal to or worse than the thing it’s supposed to cure is nonsensical to me. As well, if the things in vaccines that have been linked by some to autism, what other things are in vaccines that are dangerous and we don’t know it? Or what other things will be added to replace the things that are known to be a problem, so that they can say “it’s xyz-freeâ€, and then our kids suffer a new problem? Injecting my baby/child with chemicals and animal products just never felt right, and when we balanced the risks of vaccines with the CDC’s (undoubtedly uber-conservative) info on risk factors of the diseases, we decided we’d not vaccinate. Now, all that said, most of our friends vaccinate, and are vehement about it, and I totally understand their reasoning for making these decisions for their children/family. It’s a totally personal choice. There are some great books/articles on vaccines, I’m sure you could get a ton and a half of info on both sides of the story. ☺ Oh, and our family doc doesn’t vaccinate her kids nor does she provide vaccinations in her office. We also know a couple other docs who either don’t vaccinate their own kids or who wish they didn’t, now that they’ve learned some things after the fact. So, even docs are making these decisions for their own families and patients sometimes now. Best of luck with your decision! Lorraine On Behalf Of samathiathewriter Wednesday, July 22, 2009 7:19 AM How do you feel about immunizations This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I REALLY hate vaccinations...but even more I would hate for my boys to get a disease that could have been prevented. So I do have my boys vaccinated but we only do one vaccine at a time and only the preservative-free (we had to switch pediatricians to find one that did preservative-free), we also skipped the flu and chicken pox. Thankfully my boys have never had any adverse reactions to a vaccine or that may have made me more reluctant to get them further vaccinated. You really need to do what you feel is best for you and your children. Try to find a pediatrician who will discuss all the vaccines with you and are open to your beliefs. It's such a tough decision!! Good luck!! --- On Wed, 7/22/09, robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: robin koloms <rkoloms Re: How do you feel about immunizations Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 11:06 AM I don't see this as black or white / vax or don't. We did a delayed schedule, with single dose preservative free vaccines. We started after Alyssa turned one One of reads the insert before allowing the shot to be given. We skipped somee, like flu and chicken pox. We are now wrestling with Gardasil (the HPV vaccine). We have read so much, talked to so many professionals, and just can't make a decision. Alyssa turns 14 next month, and we feel like we need to make a decision soon. ____________ _________ _________ __ samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter@ > @gro ups.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 9:19:00 AM How do you feel about immunizations This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 we are non vaxing. Unita Walburn Mulberry Island Station Homestead Berefoot Books Stall Holder visit my site @ www.mybarefootbooks.com/UnitaWalburn ________________________________ samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:19:00 AM How do you feel about immunizations This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hi Samathia. I have read the other posts and I think that some of us feel a little doomed either way. I know that I do. We do not currently vaccinate although our two oldest boys have had a few as babies. Our oldest is 18 and there just weren't as many vaccinations back then and our second son is almost 12 and had the first few before I began to question the whole thing. Our 8 year old is unvaccinated. I am scared all the time that they will get something that could have been prevented, but our two oldest have suffered many, many allergies and have serious asthma. Our middle son was very tiny and wasn't thriving, despite being exclusively breastfed for 2 years due to his terrible allergies. We were asked to leave two pediatrician's practices before we found a wonderful doctor that finally addressed his needs, not their own wants. After all of the difficulties that we had, by the time our third came along, I had abandoned vaccinations. He is healthy with only a couple of minor allergies to penicillin and red food dye. He gets hives. All of that said, I think that if you are nursing (or did for a substantial amount of time), eat a healthy, whole-foods diet (organic, if possible), practice good hand-washing habits and get lots of fresh air and sunshine, not vaccinating might be a safe choice to make. Otherwise, vaccinations may be the safer choice. Doing lots of research and continuing to talk to other families is great to help you decide. Just some words of advice. When you do make your decision, be very sure, even if you are a little scared. I have found that doctors other than your own and hospitals and the staff can make you feel like a terrible parent if you don't vaccinate. Not a problem if you chose to go ahead with the shots. Also, check your state laws if you decide against it. States have different laws about exemptions and that may affect you if your child goes to school. We moved from Florida 5 years ago and they did not allow phylosophical exemption, only medical and religious. In Michigan, where we live now, they allow all three. Even as homeschoolers we had to get exemption forms from the state in Florida claiming a religious exemption.. They are not allowed to force you to disclose your religion. Best of luck to you in your search for information. This is a great place to get info from lots of viewpoints and I love that we can respect each other in our choices. Peace, Shawn --- On Wed, 7/22/09, samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter wrote: samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter How do you feel about immunizations Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 10:19 AM This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 We do not vaccinate. And we did send my son to public school. We are starting home schooling this yr. I read tons of books on both sides of the issue to educate myself. In my childbirth education classes I suggest people look at Mothering Magazine's vaccine issue. If you selectively vaccinate, or spread out the vaccines, you can have your child's blood titrated to see what the immune system is doing before giving each vaccine. Also, I to NVIC( National Vaccine Information Center) on line newsletter. To the person who had a question about Gardisil(sp?), please read the NVIC info. This vaccine was pushed through so fast without adequate testing. It has caused a great deal of adverse reactions as well. This is definitely a charged issue for parents. I have a dear friends who had polio and does NOT vaccinate their children. You must trust your gut. Good luck, Laura in Maryland In a message dated 7/22/2009 10:39:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, samathiathewriter writes: This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. **************What's for dinner tonight? Find quick and easy dinner ideas for any occasion. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?ncid=emlcntusfood00000009) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hi Laura, You make very good points about gardasil. The injury and death rates from that vaccine are astronomical compared to other medications that are tested much more thoroughly, and yet it hasn’t been pulled yet. As well, some people have contracted polio from the shedding of the live vaccine in their recently vaccinated child. So, vaccinating the child disables the parent with a disease they wouldn’t likely have contracted otherwise. You’re right, there are many more issues than protecting from one disease. And we all have to make this sensitive decision our own way. Ugh, parenting is tough sometimes. Lorraine On Behalf Of VAP79 Wednesday, July 22, 2009 7:39 PM Re: How do you feel about immunizations We do not vaccinate. And we did send my son to public school. We are starting home schooling this yr. I read tons of books on both sides of the issue to educate myself. In my childbirth education classes I suggest people look at Mothering Magazine's vaccine issue. If you selectively vaccinate, or spread out the vaccines, you can have your child's blood titrated to see what the immune system is doing before giving each vaccine. Also, I to NVIC( National Vaccine Information Center) on line newsletter. To the person who had a question about Gardisil(sp?), please read the NVIC info. This vaccine was pushed through so fast without adequate testing. It has caused a great deal of adverse reactions as well. This is definitely a charged issue for parents. I have a dear friends who had polio and does NOT vaccinate their children. You must trust your gut. Good luck, Laura in Maryland In a message dated 7/22/2009 10:39:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, samathiathewriter writes: This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. **************What's for dinner tonight? Find quick and easy dinner ideas for any occasion. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?ncid=emlcntusfood00000009) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Hi Samathia! We are a non-vaxing family as well as a " party " attending family. Best of luck with your decision, for us it was an easy one. Namaste! -Kimberly , " samathiathewriter " <samathiathewriter wrote: > > This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. > > Thanks > Samathia > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these diseases are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side to think about. monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 I am fine with vaccines. My Dad's older sister had polio when she was 16 and as a result was confined to a wheelchair all her life. For myself, I would feel terrible if my children contracted a disease that could like polio that could have been prevented. But to be honest, it is a VERY hot issue. I refuse to debate either way and find that those opposed are sometimes more headstrong than those for. I think it is probably better to wait until they are 3 years old or so, although I vaccinated when my children were babies. My children did not have any adverse reactions to their vaccines. If you have a family history of allergies, etc, you may want to at least wait until they are a bit older. Sheila B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 There is another long term affect that never seems to be mentioned. I have the scar from a vaccine that most people on this list, and all of our children have never had to get (smallpox). Because of worldwide vaccination, the disease has been eradicated. The best way to cut down on vaccinations is to get virtually 100% compliance in one generation so that the disease dies out and we don't need the vaccine anymore. Obviously, this concept doesn't work as well with vaccines that don't provide >90% immunity. Liz ________________________________ monica abernathy-greer <monicaabernathy Friday, July 24, 2009 7:44:56 AM Re: How do you feel about immunizations i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these diseases are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side to think about. monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Thank you so much for this question Samathia. We've really been struggling with this question lately. I was fully vaccinated. My husband was never vaccinated. Both of us claim we're healthy and disease free because of it. Agh. So, what do you do? I have a resource for you that was helpful for us. Dr. Jay Gordan, a veggie- friendly-attachment-parenting pediatrician in Southern California, has a video on vaccinations. It was really helpful for us. It gave a lot of information about the different diseases. It describes the risk American children run of contracting each disease. He describes how to strengthen your child's immune system naturally. He goes over the pros and cons of vaccines in a way I couldn't do with my pediatrician because of time. Here's the link http://www.vaccinationsdvd.com/ His basic position is that vaccinations are good for the group as a whole, but that they may not be good for individuals within that group. He believes that each family needs to assess their risk factors (i.e. what diseases are active where you live, are you traveling to countries with polio outbreaks, what's your family's health history, etc). Although he states that he chose not to vaccinate his own kids, he does vaccinate children in his practice everyday and is supportive of their parents' choice to do so. Anyway, I thought the video was helpful. I have a 3 year-old and a 1 year-old who have not yet been vaccinated. My 3-year-old is scheduled for her checkup next week. I was planning on having her get her first DTaP shot then, but I'm feeling really nervous about it. One of the posts mentioned that their family had specific concerns about that particular vaccine. I can't remember who said it, but I would be interested in learning more about what those concerns were. Our research had suggested that this was the safest vaccine and that whooping cough was also the most prevalent of the disease we vaccinate against. He said about 1 in 1000-2000 people will get it which translates into about 50-100 people a year in our town of 100,000. The people I know who have dealt with whopping cough in their families say it is absolutely horrible. Every winter, I end up terrified every time my kids cough or someone coughs near them that they're going to contract this gnarly illness. I was hoping the vaccine might calm my fears some, but now that we're coming down to the wire I'm having doubts again. Anyway, I would love to have more information on this vaccine especially if there is a concern about it that we've missed. Thanks!! Rachel On Jul 22, 2009, at 7:19 AM, samathiathewriter wrote: > This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one > felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children > immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was > wondering how everyone here felt. > > Thanks > Samathia > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 This is touch a touchy topic, but it is my feeling that some of these diseases MAY be on the rise due to the degraded quality of nutrition many children have these days, which depletes their immunity to everything. I believe if you're not going to vaccinate, it is important to use superior nutrition and lifestyle to develop a healthy immune system. I don't think there will ever be a clear cut choice with regards to vaccination. Parents just have to go with their intuition about their child. Just my 2 cents. J *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Tara J Petite tara www.petite.net On Behalf Of monica abernathy-greer Friday, July 24, 2009 8:45 AM Re: How do you feel about immunizations i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these diseases are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side to think about. monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Doh! I'm obviously a sleep-deprived mom. First sentence should read " This is SUCH a touchy topic. " LOL But, you get the point. J *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Tara J Petite tara www.petite.net On Behalf Of Tara J Petite Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:29 AM RE: Re: How do you feel about immunizations This is touch a touchy topic, but it is my feeling that some of these diseases MAY be on the rise due to the degraded quality of nutrition many children have these days, which depletes their immunity to everything. I believe if you're not going to vaccinate, it is important to use superior nutrition and lifestyle to develop a healthy immune system. I don't think there will ever be a clear cut choice with regards to vaccination. Parents just have to go with their intuition about their child. Just my 2 cents. J *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Tara J Petite tara <tara%40petite.net> www.petite.net <%40> [ <%40> ] On Behalf Of monica abernathy-greer Friday, July 24, 2009 8:45 AM <%40> Re: How do you feel about immunizations i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these diseases are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side to think about. monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Hi all, I vaccinated my son. I have many friends who do not vaccinate and some have had problems and others havent. My son reacted badly to his 1 yr old vaccination with a high fever etc. Ultimately i am glad to have vaccinated as it has helped me to feel less concerned about him catching things such as whooping cough. There is an area in NSW where many parents do not vaccinate but the kids all live healthy lifestyles (its an area with a lot of communes) but whooping cough spreads through there every year. Many of those children contract it. As i often encounter traveller friends with kids im glad to have provided my son with a bit of extra protection against whooping cough. I chose to vaccinate mostly because i feel it was a social responcibility. There are vaccination which i wont give my son and they are the influenza vaccine as i have seen friends get it but then go on to get influenza every season anyway. I think something like influenza is changing so quickly each season that no vaccines would be up to date. But on the other side of things, i have a friend who travels with her son constantly. He is not vaccinated and it always concerned me as we were often at protests and camps where people from all over the country were in close contact and she was also travelling to areas with high rates of whooping cough. He is now 3 and has never had a problem, but my friend decided to talk to a doctor about vaccinating now. The doctor basically told her it was fairly pointless as he obviously has a strong immune system and if he were to get whooping cough now it would probably not worry him too much, as opposed to if he had been a baby. He also went on to say that new 'outbreaks' of diseases that are hyped up on television are generally broadcast at the same time as a drug company has released a new vaccine. So she has decided not to vaccinate. The part in that argument which is often not stated is, it may be well and good to get whooping cough and be ok with it but what about the babies that you come into contact with that may not deal with it well? I guess ultimately it is a decision that needs to be based on your beliefs about such things. Im sure most ppl dont travel around with sick kids anyway. I think this discussion will always be there and its great to see everyone being so respectful of each others opinions. Ange On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 3:16 AM, Tara J Petite <tara wrote: > > > Doh! I'm obviously a sleep-deprived mom. First sentence should read " This > is SUCH a touchy topic. " LOL But, you get the point. J > > > *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara <tara%40petite.net> > > www.petite.net > > <%40> [ > <%40>] On > Behalf Of Tara J Petite > Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:29 AM > <%40> > RE: Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > This is touch a touchy topic, but it is my feeling that some of these > diseases MAY be on the rise due to the degraded quality of nutrition many > children have these days, which depletes their immunity to everything. I > believe if you're not going to vaccinate, it is important to use superior > nutrition and lifestyle to develop a healthy immune system. I don't think > there will ever be a clear cut choice with regards to vaccination. Parents > just have to go with their intuition about their child. Just my 2 cents. J > > *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara <tara%40petite.net> <tara%40petite.net<tara%2540petite.net>> > > > www.petite.net > > <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> > [ <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> ] > On > Behalf Of monica abernathy-greer > Friday, July 24, 2009 8:45 AM > <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> > Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss > numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention > the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much > more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to > whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not > received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these > diseases > are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side > to think about. > monica > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 We did most of the vax's. Our family Dr. wrote us a note for opting out of the chicken pox vax when our son started school last year (she did not believe in giving it and was not an advocate of that particular vax and had her own concerns when these kids who were vaxed for it are adults who probably will not follow through with the vax again to keep up the immunity into adulthood). Otherwise, we kind of did a delayed schedule. Here, they do not use a live vax for polio, and have stopped doing that years ago from what we were told -because of so many people getting it from the vaccine (I think it was this one). My husband is skeptical of most things and so we researched both sides of it (and this was long before we had our son), and there was not anything that seemed hard evidence to us, or him to go w/out them. On the converse side, I did ask about Thimiserol free ones since that one I'm still not convinced either way - and we did a delayed schedule for the other ones he needed. Which was something we could both agree on, and was the most reasonable for us. I understand the reasons for not-vaxing and I know a couple of people who don't, but it was not a risk we could take for our child, but I believe that most parents do what they feel is best for their kids, and that is their decision to make. I can't and won't tell anyone weather they should or not be something or to do something because it's right for us - it may not be right for them. Missie On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 9:19 AM, samathiathewriter<samathiathewriter wrote: > > > This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt > about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized > and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone > here felt. > > Thanks > Samathia > > -- http://mszzzi.zoomshare.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/mszzzi/ ~~~~~(m-.-)m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Hi Ange, Just an aside, we also can’t forget that vaccines are not 100% effective. We’ve had recent disease outbreaks here in California, where 3/4 of the kids who got the disease were vaccinated for it and ¼ were not. That makes it seem that either the vaccine is only effective 25% of the time or that maybe the chance of getting the disease is somehow lessened in kids who weren’t vaccinated, like you said, due to strong immune systems or something. I’ve been vaccinated for things that blood tests don’t show an immunity to – meaning I got the vaccination but my blood tests look like I didn’t, so I don’t have immunity, but went through the risks of the vaccine anyway. Oh, and due to that, I also learned that some vaccines’ immunity period is short and so you only have immunity to a disease for a short period of time. And some vaccines are unnecessary after a certain age since the disease is predominantly contracted by a child younger than xyz age. And we also can’t forget the financial benefit to the pharmaceutical companies to mass vaccinate everyone, necessary or not. A great example is just what you were talking about with the flu vaccine – it only applies to specific flus that year and then you get the other ones anyway. I know just what you’re saying about that! I used to get the flu vaccine every year when I taught preschool, and – I got a flu every year, usually within a week of the vaccination. Ugh, that was frustrating. And so now, with more research and adding up all this info (and the animal products in vaccines), I’m looking at it all differently now. And I agree with you – how grand that this discussion is so informative and so respectful! Have a wonderful day! Lorraine On Behalf Of Angela Nagle Saturday, July 25, 2009 3:39 PM Re: Re: How do you feel about immunizations Hi all, I vaccinated my son. I have many friends who do not vaccinate and some have had problems and others havent. My son reacted badly to his 1 yr old vaccination with a high fever etc. Ultimately i am glad to have vaccinated as it has helped me to feel less concerned about him catching things such as whooping cough. There is an area in NSW where many parents do not vaccinate but the kids all live healthy lifestyles (its an area with a lot of communes) but whooping cough spreads through there every year. Many of those children contract it. As i often encounter traveller friends with kids im glad to have provided my son with a bit of extra protection against whooping cough. I chose to vaccinate mostly because i feel it was a social responcibility. There are vaccination which i wont give my son and they are the influenza vaccine as i have seen friends get it but then go on to get influenza every season anyway. I think something like influenza is changing so quickly each season that no vaccines would be up to date. But on the other side of things, i have a friend who travels with her son constantly. He is not vaccinated and it always concerned me as we were often at protests and camps where people from all over the country were in close contact and she was also travelling to areas with high rates of whooping cough. He is now 3 and has never had a problem, but my friend decided to talk to a doctor about vaccinating now. The doctor basically told her it was fairly pointless as he obviously has a strong immune system and if he were to get whooping cough now it would probably not worry him too much, as opposed to if he had been a baby. He also went on to say that new 'outbreaks' of diseases that are hyped up on television are generally broadcast at the same time as a drug company has released a new vaccine. So she has decided not to vaccinate. The part in that argument which is often not stated is, it may be well and good to get whooping cough and be ok with it but what about the babies that you come into contact with that may not deal with it well? I guess ultimately it is a decision that needs to be based on your beliefs about such things. Im sure most ppl dont travel around with sick kids anyway. I think this discussion will always be there and its great to see everyone being so respectful of each others opinions. Ange On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 3:16 AM, Tara J Petite <tara wrote: > > > Doh! I'm obviously a sleep-deprived mom. First sentence should read " This > is SUCH a touchy topic. " LOL But, you get the point. J > > > *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara <tara%40petite.net> > > www.petite.net > > <%40> [ > <%40>] On > Behalf Of Tara J Petite > Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:29 AM > <%40> > RE: Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > This is touch a touchy topic, but it is my feeling that some of these > diseases MAY be on the rise due to the degraded quality of nutrition many > children have these days, which depletes their immunity to everything. I > believe if you're not going to vaccinate, it is important to use superior > nutrition and lifestyle to develop a healthy immune system. I don't think > there will ever be a clear cut choice with regards to vaccination. Parents > just have to go with their intuition about their child. Just my 2 cents. J > > *^*^*^*^*^*^*^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara <tara%40petite.net> <tara%40petite.net<tara%2540petite.net>> > > > www.petite.net > > <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> > [ <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> ] > On > Behalf Of monica abernathy-greer > Friday, July 24, 2009 8:45 AM > <%40> < > %40 <%2540>> > Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss > numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention > the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much > more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to > whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not > received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these > diseases > are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side > to think about. > monica > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Personally, we are on the Dr. Sears' delayed/spaced-out vaccine plan, sort of. I am admittedly more pro-vaccine now that I have one going to school- a bit more nervous about what the oldest one might bring home. We live in a state that allows us to sign a waiver and forego whichever vaccines we choose (CA)- although the school secretary looked at me like I was from Mars when I signed it. Generally speaking, I fall in the anti-vaccine camp for three reasons. 1) The jury is still out re: the link between vaccines and autism, regardless what you read in the newspaper, see on tv, or hear from the doctor. The UCDavis MIND Institute is right now working with the idea that autism is caused by a combination of genetics and outside factors, the most important of them toxins. They have even isolated on which chromosome this genetic mutation takes place. One of my best friends has an autistic son and she and her husband were both tested (and both carry) the gene mutation for autism. This is information (that such a test exists) I have never seen published widely without much digging. Even the CDC's own research does not support their conclusion that autism and vaccines are not related. 2) Autism aside, there are all kinds of other things I don't want my kids ingesting, especially in the concentrated mannner in which vaccines are given these days. ALL KINDS of animal products in just about all vaccines (ugh), not to mention aluminum (a known neurotoxin) and other preservatives if you aren't lucky enough to locate a doctor who uses the preservative-free ones. 3) The possible connection between SIDS and vaccines. I read about this somewhere online and thought it was a bit kooky. Then, a friend of mine went to a lecture by a doctor who has spent most of his career studying vaccines etc. across many cultures (name escapes me right now- if anyone is really interested, I can get the name from my friend). Apparently, in Japan no vaccines are given until age 2 or later; their rate of SIDS is practically nil. Online there are plenty of sites that will tell you that the CDC cooked up the anti-SIDS 'Back to Sleep' campaign as a means of disguising what they knew was really causing the huge rise in SIDS- the rapid increase in the number of recommended vaccines (and the two did occur at roughly the same time). Again, I thought this was WAY over the top when I first read about it, but now I'm not so sure. And of course, this really only concerns newborn babies, but it is one factor so I thought I'd mention it. I highly recommend the Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book. It is neither pro- nor con- vaccine but presents much info and arguments on both sides. Annual death rates from assorted diseases, vaccines by brand with complete ingredient lists, statistics on side effects from vaccines, etc. This book is beyond thoroughly researched, and on the Drs. Sears' website (they all share a website), there are constant updates as to ingredient lists, etc. I totally agree with all the others who said we all ultimately have to do what we think is best for our families.I also agree that if one of my kids contracted a disease they 'should' have been vaccinated for that proved serious or fatal, I'd never forgive myself. Same goes for the serious-and sometimes life-altering- side effects of some vaccines. j. ________________________________ samathiathewriter <samathiathewriter Wednesday, July 22, 2009 7:19:00 AM How do you feel about immunizations This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was wondering how everyone here felt. Thanks Samathia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 One note on flu vaccines- I haven't ever vaccinated against flu (anyone in the family- we also have at least my husband's allergy to eggs, a good reason to beg off for the little kids), and am REALLY against that one for a variety of reasons, but the flu vaccine is re-formulated each season by way of a fairly sophisticated model projecting which strains will be widespread. Most of the time this model is scarily accurate, although not always. For those who get the flu within a week or two of the vaccine, this is a pretty common side effect of the vaccine. My parents normally don't get vaccinated for flu, but are both in their early 60s and were strongly 'urged' to by their doctor- and just as strongly DISCOURAGED by me. My med student brother also urged them to do it. They both ended up with a flu within a week or so of the vaccine that it took them 2 months to fully recover from. I'm hoping this year my mom reads HER OWN handouts from the chiropractor re:risks of flu vax! j. ________________________________ Lorraine <ldemi Sunday, July 26, 2009 9:38:26 AM RE: Re: How do you feel about immunizations  Hi Ange, Just an aside, we also can’t forget that vaccines are not 100% effective. We’ve had recent disease outbreaks here in California, where 3/4 of the kids who got the disease were vaccinated for it and ¼ were not. That makes it seem that either the vaccine is only effective 25% of the time or that maybe the chance of getting the disease is somehow lessened in kids who weren’t vaccinated, like you said, due to strong immune systems or something. I’ve been vaccinated for things that blood tests don’t show an immunity to – meaning I got the vaccination but my blood tests look like I didn’t, so I don’t have immunity, but went through the risks of the vaccine anyway. Oh, and due to that, I also learned that some vaccines’ immunity period is short and so you only have immunity to a disease for a short period of time. And some vaccines are unnecessary after a certain age since the disease is predominantly contracted by a child younger than xyz age. And we also can’t forget the financial benefit to the pharmaceutical companies to mass vaccinate everyone, necessary or not. A great example is just what you were talking about with the flu vaccine – it only applies to specific flus that year and then you get the other ones anyway. I know just what you’re saying about that! I used to get the flu vaccine every year when I taught preschool, and – I got a flu every year, usually within a week of the vaccination. Ugh, that was frustrating. And so now, with more research and adding up all this info (and the animal products in vaccines), I’m looking at it all differently now. And I agree with you – how grand that this discussion is so informative and so respectful! Have a wonderful day! Lorraine  @gro ups.com [@gro ups.com] On Behalf Of Angela Nagle Saturday, July 25, 2009 3:39 PM @gro ups.com Re: Re: How do you feel about immunizations  Hi all, I vaccinated my son. I have many friends who do not vaccinate and some have had problems and others havent. My son reacted badly to his 1 yr old vaccination with a high fever etc. Ultimately i am glad to have vaccinated as it has helped me to feel less concerned about him catching things such as whooping cough. There is an area in NSW where many parents do not vaccinate but the kids all live healthy lifestyles (its an area with a lot of communes) but whooping cough spreads through there every year. Many of those children contract it. As i often encounter traveller friends with kids im glad to have provided my son with a bit of extra protection against whooping cough. I chose to vaccinate mostly because i feel it was a social responcibility. There are vaccination which i wont give my son and they are the influenza vaccine as i have seen friends get it but then go on to get influenza every season anyway. I think something like influenza is changing so quickly each season that no vaccines would be up to date. But on the other side of things, i have a friend who travels with her son constantly. He is not vaccinated and it always concerned me as we were often at protests and camps where people from all over the country were in close contact and she was also travelling to areas with high rates of whooping cough. He is now 3 and has never had a problem, but my friend decided to talk to a doctor about vaccinating now. The doctor basically told her it was fairly pointless as he obviously has a strong immune system and if he were to get whooping cough now it would probably not worry him too much, as opposed to if he had been a baby. He also went on to say that new 'outbreaks' of diseases that are hyped up on television are generally broadcast at the same time as a drug company has released a new vaccine. So she has decided not to vaccinate. The part in that argument which is often not stated is, it may be well and good to get whooping cough and be ok with it but what about the babies that you come into contact with that may not deal with it well? I guess ultimately it is a decision that needs to be based on your beliefs about such things. Im sure most ppl dont travel around with sick kids anyway. I think this discussion will always be there and its great to see everyone being so respectful of each others opinions. Ange On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 3:16 AM, Tara J Petite <tara (AT) petite (DOT) net> wrote: > > > Doh! I'm obviously a sleep-deprived mom. First sentence should read " This > is SUCH a touchy topic. " LOL But, you get the point. J > > > *^*^*^*^*^*^ *^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara (AT) petite (DOT) net <tara%40petite. net> > > www.petite.net > > @gro ups.com <% 40. com> [ > @gro ups.com <% 40. com>] On > Behalf Of Tara J Petite > Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:29 AM > @gro ups.com <% 40. com> > RE: Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > This is touch a touchy topic, but it is my feeling that some of these > diseases MAY be on the rise due to the degraded quality of nutrition many > children have these days, which depletes their immunity to everything. I > believe if you're not going to vaccinate, it is important to use superior > nutrition and lifestyle to develop a healthy immune system. I don't think > there will ever be a clear cut choice with regards to vaccination. Parents > just have to go with their intuition about their child. Just my 2 cents. J > > *^*^*^*^*^*^ *^* > > Tara J Petite > > tara (AT) petite (DOT) net <tara%40petite. net> <tara% 40petite. net<tara% 2540petite. net>> > > > www.petite.net > > @gro ups.com <% 40. com> < > %40g roups.com <% 2540. com>> > [@gro ups.com <% 40. com> < > %40g roups.com <% 2540. com>> ] > On > Behalf Of monica abernathy-greer > Friday, July 24, 2009 8:45 AM > @gro ups.com <% 40. com> < > %40g roups.com <% 2540. com>> > Re: How do you feel about immunizations > > i am on the other side. i immunize and am an advocate for it. you discuss > numbers of potential illness/death from the vaccine but you never mention > the number of illness/death for the disease it PREVENTS. this is much much > more than the immunization. i almost lost a friend and her daughter to > whooping cough last year (my friend had been vaccinated as a child and not > received the booster and her daughter was to young). a lot of these > diseases > are on the rise due to people choosing not to vaccinate. just another side > to think about. > monica > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hi- My understanding of the DTaP vacine is that it isn't the 'P' that's the issue; it's the Diptheria and Tetanus parts. So I pulled out my trusty Dr. Sears Vaccine Book and looked it up (you also might search their website, too). The tetanus portion of the vaccine contains mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, and the same goes for the Diptheria portion. Dr. Bob Sears final 'opinion' of the vaccine is that it's one of the most important to get- too bad you can't get just the pertussis by itself, because he said he sees NO diptheria or tetanus in his practice, but at least one case per month of whooping cough. He also states he has to hospitalize some children for it, too, although he hasn't lost any yet. Virtually 100% of the cases he sees are in unvaccinated children. There's more info in the book about exactly how much of the above ingredients are in the vaccines, and what that means. There's a whole chapter about this vaccine, I can't tell you how much I refer to this book! j. ________________________________ Rachel Morones Black <Exudepeace Friday, July 24, 2009 7:51:57 PM Re: How do you feel about immunizations Thank you so much for this question Samathia. We've really been struggling with this question lately. I was fully vaccinated. My husband was never vaccinated. Both of us claim we're healthy and disease free because of it. Agh. So, what do you do? I have a resource for you that was helpful for us. Dr. Jay Gordan, a veggie- friendly-attachment -parenting pediatrician in Southern California, has a video on vaccinations. It was really helpful for us. It gave a lot of information about the different diseases. It describes the risk American children run of contracting each disease. He describes how to strengthen your child's immune system naturally. He goes over the pros and cons of vaccines in a way I couldn't do with my pediatrician because of time. Here's the link http://www.vaccinationsdvd.com/ His basic position is that vaccinations are good for the group as a whole, but that they may not be good for individuals within that group. He believes that each family needs to assess their risk factors (i.e. what diseases are active where you live, are you traveling to countries with polio outbreaks, what's your family's health history, etc). Although he states that he chose not to vaccinate his own kids, he does vaccinate children in his practice everyday and is supportive of their parents' choice to do so. Anyway, I thought the video was helpful. I have a 3 year-old and a 1 year-old who have not yet been vaccinated. My 3-year-old is scheduled for her checkup next week. I was planning on having her get her first DTaP shot then, but I'm feeling really nervous about it. One of the posts mentioned that their family had specific concerns about that particular vaccine. I can't remember who said it, but I would be interested in learning more about what those concerns were. Our research had suggested that this was the safest vaccine and that whooping cough was also the most prevalent of the disease we vaccinate against. He said about 1 in 1000-2000 people will get it which translates into about 50-100 people a year in our town of 100,000. The people I know who have dealt with whopping cough in their families say it is absolutely horrible. Every winter, I end up terrified every time my kids cough or someone coughs near them that they're going to contract this gnarly illness. I was hoping the vaccine might calm my fears some, but now that we're coming down to the wire I'm having doubts again. Anyway, I would love to have more information on this vaccine especially if there is a concern about it that we've missed. Thanks!! Rachel On Jul 22, 2009, at 7:19 AM, samathiathewriter wrote: > This is the first time I have posted. I was wondering how every one > felt about immunizations. I have friends who have had their children > immunized and I have friends who are strongly against it. I was > wondering how everyone here felt. > > Thanks > Samathia > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.