Breathe in, breathe out
In a departure from our regularly scheduled programming i.e midwifery/breastfeeding and all things crunchy I'm gonna just take y'all on a little scenic drive through another, less granola/muesli locale: vaccinations.
I just made an appointment for toddler to resume his vaccinations. This will shock the pants off a bunch of you faithful readers who had me for an uber crunchy (read: natural birthing, Mothering reading, exclusive breastfeeding, intactivist, attachment parenting, yada yada) mama. Yeah. I'm gonna start vaccinating my kid. Again.
Eldest son, like me and his dad and most of his contempories are fully vaccinated. Why? because they started the day he was born and I just thought that that was what you did to keep your kid healthy. I thought that until I started mixing with a bunch of granola types who informed me that there was another side to that discussion. I started reading: Autism, Thimerisol/mercury, vaccine injury... so it went on. I was only a little leery when Baby rocked up and so we proceeded with jabs. At his 8 week visit he received a bunch of shots. And I mean a bunch. He got 4 shots which accounted for 7 different illnesses. I'm not sure of which vaccination it was (docs were adamant -as you'd expect - that vaccines can't make you sick) , or if it was exposiure to some nasty germ at the clinic which did it, nevertheless Baby got really, really sick. Having real trouble breathing RSV sick. Scary sick. Partly because I was pissed at the docs for their holier-than-thou take on my very sick baby and partly because I'd done my homework and understood the principles of immunology I decided that, given that baby wasn't in daycare, was breastfed and later well-nourished and we lived in prosperous, first world nation with huge herd immunity and access to excellent healthcare, I would suspend vaccination the campaign.
But here I am now with almost 2y/o, only partially vaccinated healthy rugrat, about to get back on the vaccination bandwagon. Why? Because he's almost 2. His immune system is about 1000x stronger now than it was when he was a tiny baby I feel that there's a good chance that he'll cruise through those jabs with only the requisite scream of protest at the needle. I'm also going to do away with the 'P(ertussis/whooping cough)' part of the DTaP shot, as this is the one which I feel most likely triggered his RSV. He won't be getting the chickenpox jab and he's not completing his Hepatitis B shots. If, when he's headed off to middle school and he hasn't danced with the pox courtesy of another kid he can get that jab then. Likewise with the Hep B series. Until/if he's at high risk for Hep B we'll put it off.
That leaves MMR. Measles Mumps and Rubella. Possibly the most feared Vaccine. The one that gives me the greatest pause, not least of all because I received this vaccine and boosters and still came down with the mumps at about 11. Mumps is no fun but what was the point of the vaccination if I got the illness anyway? Measles: also mean and nasty. A highschool classmate of mine who was also vaccinated succumbed to complications of measles and died in our senior year. Rubella: Every pregnant woman's worst nightmare. According to the CDC in 2004 only 9 cases of Rubella were reported in the US and only one of those was the Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Fully 95% of school aged children in the US are vaccinated for rubella. I can't help thinking though, that it's probably a good thing that my kiddo will be contributing to that herd immunity.
Next wednesday he'll receive his DT (diptheria and tetanus) and the relatively innocuous Hib (Haemophilus influenzae bacteria). At or around his 2nd birthday I will offer him up for his MMR. I'd split them up but the Docs office is refusing to. This represents a significant departure from the vaccination schedule which is reccommended by the AAP and CDC. I will not be vaccinating him for Varicella (chicken pox) or Pneumococcal pneumonia (prevnar)- though he had two shots of this before I suspended his vaxes. I refuse to carpet bomb his immune system the way they typically do. I'm going to allow his immune system the opportunity to respond as well as possible to each of his vaccines
Oh, and because I feel like he'll need some moral support, I'm starting my Hepatitis B series. I'm nervous about resuming his vaxes, but I definitely think that he's old enough and strong enough to handle them, especially if they're spaced. I wouldn't be thinking twice about it if we were about to jump on a plane to India or Africa so it seems appropriate for us to continue carefully. After a period of being scared as all get out about vaccines I find that I'm not anymore. Now I'm just a bit nervous. I think I'm siding with the greatest good for the greatest number here. I am reasonably sure that my boy is now fit enough to handle the rigors of the modified vaccination schedule I've devised. We'll proceed with caution.
I just made an appointment for toddler to resume his vaccinations. This will shock the pants off a bunch of you faithful readers who had me for an uber crunchy (read: natural birthing, Mothering reading, exclusive breastfeeding, intactivist, attachment parenting, yada yada) mama. Yeah. I'm gonna start vaccinating my kid. Again.
Eldest son, like me and his dad and most of his contempories are fully vaccinated. Why? because they started the day he was born and I just thought that that was what you did to keep your kid healthy. I thought that until I started mixing with a bunch of granola types who informed me that there was another side to that discussion. I started reading: Autism, Thimerisol/mercury, vaccine injury... so it went on. I was only a little leery when Baby rocked up and so we proceeded with jabs. At his 8 week visit he received a bunch of shots. And I mean a bunch. He got 4 shots which accounted for 7 different illnesses. I'm not sure of which vaccination it was (docs were adamant -as you'd expect - that vaccines can't make you sick) , or if it was exposiure to some nasty germ at the clinic which did it, nevertheless Baby got really, really sick. Having real trouble breathing RSV sick. Scary sick. Partly because I was pissed at the docs for their holier-than-thou take on my very sick baby and partly because I'd done my homework and understood the principles of immunology I decided that, given that baby wasn't in daycare, was breastfed and later well-nourished and we lived in prosperous, first world nation with huge herd immunity and access to excellent healthcare, I would suspend vaccination the campaign.
But here I am now with almost 2y/o, only partially vaccinated healthy rugrat, about to get back on the vaccination bandwagon. Why? Because he's almost 2. His immune system is about 1000x stronger now than it was when he was a tiny baby I feel that there's a good chance that he'll cruise through those jabs with only the requisite scream of protest at the needle. I'm also going to do away with the 'P(ertussis/whooping cough)' part of the DTaP shot, as this is the one which I feel most likely triggered his RSV. He won't be getting the chickenpox jab and he's not completing his Hepatitis B shots. If, when he's headed off to middle school and he hasn't danced with the pox courtesy of another kid he can get that jab then. Likewise with the Hep B series. Until/if he's at high risk for Hep B we'll put it off.
That leaves MMR. Measles Mumps and Rubella. Possibly the most feared Vaccine. The one that gives me the greatest pause, not least of all because I received this vaccine and boosters and still came down with the mumps at about 11. Mumps is no fun but what was the point of the vaccination if I got the illness anyway? Measles: also mean and nasty. A highschool classmate of mine who was also vaccinated succumbed to complications of measles and died in our senior year. Rubella: Every pregnant woman's worst nightmare. According to the CDC in 2004 only 9 cases of Rubella were reported in the US and only one of those was the Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Fully 95% of school aged children in the US are vaccinated for rubella. I can't help thinking though, that it's probably a good thing that my kiddo will be contributing to that herd immunity.
Next wednesday he'll receive his DT (diptheria and tetanus) and the relatively innocuous Hib (Haemophilus influenzae bacteria). At or around his 2nd birthday I will offer him up for his MMR. I'd split them up but the Docs office is refusing to. This represents a significant departure from the vaccination schedule which is reccommended by the AAP and CDC. I will not be vaccinating him for Varicella (chicken pox) or Pneumococcal pneumonia (prevnar)- though he had two shots of this before I suspended his vaxes. I refuse to carpet bomb his immune system the way they typically do. I'm going to allow his immune system the opportunity to respond as well as possible to each of his vaccines
Oh, and because I feel like he'll need some moral support, I'm starting my Hepatitis B series. I'm nervous about resuming his vaxes, but I definitely think that he's old enough and strong enough to handle them, especially if they're spaced. I wouldn't be thinking twice about it if we were about to jump on a plane to India or Africa so it seems appropriate for us to continue carefully. After a period of being scared as all get out about vaccines I find that I'm not anymore. Now I'm just a bit nervous. I think I'm siding with the greatest good for the greatest number here. I am reasonably sure that my boy is now fit enough to handle the rigors of the modified vaccination schedule I've devised. We'll proceed with caution.
posted by Louisa at 11:51 AM
5 Comments:
I hear what you are saying Louisa. I've 'selectively immunized' my last six kids. I felt oh so justified these past few years as they've removed the oral polio, mercury, and modified the DtaP. I added the chicken pox vaccine back in when 2 of our kids came down with post-chicken pox shingles (ouch, must run in my husband's side of the family). My kids never got the hep B series, which caused us to have to educate our kids across the state line in KS, as MO wouldn't let them in the schools without hep B! Why would I immunize my infant for a sexually transmitted disease?
I too have a 2yo who has not received the vax as AAP-scheduled, but is getting most (not pox, not hep) on our own terms. I think we'll be done by the time she's 3. I hesitate most over the MMR. My knowledge of vax-safety concerns doesn't change the fact that I want her to have it so much as undermine my confidence that I want the right thing. We do travel, we do work/attend child care out of the house and our work is in the public sector for both myself and my partner. I do think that my family needs to be a part of the herd on the vax issue. Our next baby is due at the end of January and we plan to not vax at all the first year, then slowly work our way from there. It’s not an easy decision or one that we take lightly. Thanks for posting your thoughts on this.
My feelings about vaccinating are that parents should do what they're most comfortable with after researching. For me, that means not vaccinating at all. Just a few of my personal reasons are that the incidence of disease fatalities dropped well before the advent of vaccines due to nutrition and sanitation. If I lived in certain parts of the inner-city I might choose differently... but I'm quite confident with our diet and area of living. Also, I had pertussis when I was fully vaccinated so I really don't trust the efficacy rate. And I had reactions to several of the vaccines as a child... not to mention sundry religious beliefs that don't exactly support messing with my children's immune systems.
Making an informed decision is the choice that I support. We know our children better than any doctor could (unless a parent is a doctor of course :-) and should make the best informed decision that we can. Which is what you did. And there are many families around here who either don't vaccinate or don't vaccinate for chicken pox, so I'm sure you can find a case for your boys!
And I don't know anyone who would condemn a parent for deciding to vaccinate or even not after doing the research. It's really a tough call either way...
love and peace.
We decided to stop vaxing with our fourth baby. My second son also had post-chickenpox shingles, but the ped told us that since he had them so young, he most likely would never get them again.
However, I have a cousin that developed autism after the MMR vaccine, and I have religious objections to the Rubella portion.
I would probably do the DT, but did you know they are now adding a pertussis booster to all DT shots and boosters, even for adults? Check up on that....
Someday I suppose I will get the Hep B series just because of what I do and my risk of exposure, but none of my children have it, and they won't be getting it while I'm in charge of their healthcare. My daughters wont' get the HPV vaccine either.
Hi Louisa,
Today is the first time I have stumbled across your blog, and I like what I see. :)
My husband and I have recently (as in, the past year) started a dialogue on this topic and have struggled with what the "correct" thing to do is. So, instead of making a decision to go ahead with a full vax schedule and regret it later on, we have decided to fully suspend all shots until further notice.
Funny, though. My pediatrician has accused me of being irresponsible and that my 1 year old daughter is a danger to society, "she shouldn't leave the house", according to him. I *almost* let him sway me, but in the end we are happy with the decisions that we have made. Much like a circumcision, you can't take a vaccination back.
Thanks for your wisdom,
Angela
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