15Mo Vaccines and Autism, Spreading It Out

I do know that a 15 month old had a bad reaction, fever around that time. I was told to request no more than 2-3 shots at a time.

I spaced out the vaccines because the MMR is 3 live viruses, and I don't want my child exposed to that. He is not in daycare and is not high-risk for any of the diseases. I intend to administer the MMR when my son is 2-3 instead of 15 months. My pediatrician is very very against this, but I have already done my research and I'm firm. We followed Dr. Sears' alternative schedule for most of the other vaccines.

There are a couple of books with alternative vaccine schedules/ideas. One is written by Stephanie Cave, MD and the other is written by Kenneth Bock, MD ("Healing the New Childhood Epidemics . . . "). I loved both of these books. I have also heard of the book by Dr. Sears that another M. mentioned (haven't read it yet).

For a more complete story of Dr. Wakefield you may want to read his new book "Callous Disregard." Your library may have it.

BTW, Dr. Wakefield looked at MMR. Whatever one thinks about the controversy surrounding his study - it does not exonerate the numerous other vaccines that children receive very early in life (much earlier than most of us did). The leap from "Dr. Wakefield lost his license in Britain" to "therefore vaccines are perfectly safe for babies" is a logical fallacy imho.

I'm not anti-vaccine. I just believe that caution is in order and parents need to thoughtfully consider this medical intervention the way they would any other procedure or medication their children receive.

Good luck to you and kudos for your awareness.

This has nothing to do with autism, but my child has bever had more then 2 shots and a blood draw at one time. My doctor just always gave me the option to spread it out, and I always thought more then 2 was a lot. I also ask for 1 shot per leg. My doctor even makes sure and asks if 2 shots in one visit is okay with me. What I would do, before the visit, is leave a message for your doctor, asking if you have to get all the shots at once. Or if you can space them. If they tell you they dont want to space them, and in your gut you do not like that, try a different doc. Like I said my reason had nothing to do with autism, but I really didn't want her to get all those shots at once, and I would have done what I, as her mother, was comfortable with. Good Luck!

This is your decision, not the pediatricians! The pediatrician probably has seen a lot of kids being vaccinated at the normal schedule where it did go right with no problem, but if your child is the one developing problems afterwards that is not going to help you. I am an autism M. and I think the MMR was the culprit. Also, I talk to a lot of other autism moms and, sorry, I trust them more than doctors, when they say they saw the same thing happening. I am NOT anti-vaccine, but I think it is paramount to spread them out and be especially careful with the MMR. And watch out diligently for any problems after the shot, any signs of a problem should make you spread out more or even skip some which are really not so important. Do your own research on each of these shots - is this really a life threatening disease that you can get any time and that will potentially cripple your kid for life or is this something that we all had as a kid and did not die from it?

I know that this isn't going to answer your question but I just wanted to put it out there to those who don't already know this: The study that linked autism to shots (in the British journal Lancet 1998) has been completely discredited because the doctor in charge (Dr. Wakefield) falsified and manipulated the results. This was the key source that everyone who has associated links with vaccines to autism used as proof. So there is absolutely NO proof that vaccines have anything to do with autism.

It is up to you to space your shots but please get them Unfortunately we are now at a MUCH greater risk from kids who do not get their shots and the reoccurence of fatal childhood diseases.

There are a lot of vaccines that they give to babies that are really not necessary. I decided to NOT give my son the meningitis shot when he started college based on info I read at www.nvic.org. The shot didn't prevent kids living in dorms from getting meningitis any more than those who didn't live in dorms, and that's why they promote the vaccine.

Having said that, you need to do your research. I recommend a book by Dr. Bob Sears, The Vaccine Book. Dr. Bob is brother to Dr. Jim of the ABC show The Doctors and son of Dr. Bill Sears and Martha Sears, authors of MANY books about pregnancy, babies, etc. You may find some info at their website, www.askDrSears.com. I believe that Dr. Bob's book offers an alternative schedule.

I can't help but think that so many vaccines at one time have to overload many infants immune systems. Is there a link to autism? They really don't know. I believe that some are vulnerable and that there is something that pushes these kids 'over the edge'. Be absolutely sure that the vaccine is necessary based on info from both sides, and then stick to your guns. Find a doc that will work with your wishes. They do work for you, you know. There is a lot of info and research that show that many of these vaccines are not necessary and can even cause harm. If there are any M.'s considering the HPV vaccine, PLEASE visit the nvic website. It is very dangerous and not necessary.

Another note. Be sure you and your babies are eating optimally. Mostly fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These foods offer the nutrition to help the body's own internal medicines, helping the immune system to be able to do what it is capable of doing. We are to eat at least 10 servings each day in order to reduce our risk of disease to the lowest levels possible. THEN, be sure to avoid or minimize negative ingredients: HFCS, MSG, artificial colors and flavorings. Even all of these highly processed compounds are 'generally recognized' as safe, no research has ever been done on the interaction of them in the body. Combine that with all of the external toxins we are exposed to today and it's no wonder our health suffers.

If you have trouble getting all of those fruits and veggies every day, I have some great strategies to help you eat more. I also have charts/handouts that tell how many servings kids of different ages should eat so let me know if you would like those.

Good luck and I applaud you doing research so that you are making the best decision possible for your baby. In health, D.

I intentionally spread out my vaccines for both kids 3yo and 10mo, I have also rejected vaccines i was not familar with or was new, I did my homework and read up on what was being offered for that visit and later scheduled a nurse visit to do the vaccine. You are your child's advocate and you pay the copay and insurance so why can't you spread it out. As long as your child's shot are up to date by the time they enter pre-k or kindergarten hey you are fine:)

It is up to you whether to spread out the shots, and as long as you get them all in, the Doctor should support whatever schedule you choose to follow. I have followed the regular schedule and had no problems, but all kids are different. I do know that vaccines do not cause autism, that has been proven a hoax, and that doctor had his license removed.

I do think that Mr. Wakefield (he is no longer a doctor) should be jailed for the hoax her perpetrated. He did it because he wanted people to get the MMR spread out, because he had just patented a replacement shot for one part of the MMR, but only by discrediting the MMR would he be able to get rich off his new vaccine. There is nothing wrong with caution and not wanting to overload our children, but please do it for the right reasons, not because of this criminals claims. The med. mag that ran his article published a retraction and stated that none of his research was correct, but no one ever hears about the retractions, they just remember headlines.

Spread it out!! That is what I have done...It may be painstakingly slow...I only do one at a time that way if there is any kind of reaction you know which shot caused it....Both my son's get one at a time....My older boy just got his MMR shot and he is almost three...I think vaccines are good to have but spacing them out is just fine...The pediatrician I work with allows me to do this without a hassle and if I go back to have another shot I am not charged an office visit....Give yourself piece of mind and space it out :)

I didn't read the other answers, but YES, spread them out! At 18 months, there are NO vaccines at that well-check appointment, so you could do the MMR then.

My pediatrician wasn't thrilled with spreading it out, but was okay to do it at 18 months. Then we missed the appointment. My son is 2 yrs and hasn't gotten the MMR yet, but is up to date on other vaccines.

A friend who worked in the pharmaceutical industry said her son wouldn't get MMR till 3 yrs old if her pediatrician will still keep her and allow that. She suggested the book "Changing the Course of Autism" which I still haven't read completely. What I did read was an eye-opener as far as what the illness actually entails.

My 2 1/2 year old has only received one vaccine at a time since he was born. He receives a vaccine every 2 months or so. We decided to spread them out after our oldest son was diagnosed with Aspergers. We're not convinced that they had anything to do with it (in fact we're more convinced that they did not) but we also really saw no negative to spreading them out. Our son will be completely caught up on his vaccines by the time he is 3 or 3 1/2 and he does not attend daycare or any other activity (such as traveling outside the country) that would put him at risk for any of these diseases. The only downside is that we have to pay our copay every time so it is costing us a little more out of pocket.

Good luck,
K.

Ours have been spaced out since my daughter was born. She never gets more than two at a time and the MMR she got by itself at almost 16 months. I too have my reservations and have done enough research to convince myself that something is triggering it we just haven't figured out what it is yet. My doctor didn't really care about our choice just as long as she got them at some point. If your doctor has a problem with YOUR choice to do what YOU think is best for YOUR chid then you need to find a new doctor. The doctor works for you don't let him/her bully you into doing something you are not comfortable with.

My daughter's were spaced out, I only want her to get 2 at a time, because they are something that the body has to adjust to and deal with and did not want to overload her body (which in turn if she caught something like the cold/flu while at the pediatricians/home/school she would have to fight that as well as her immune system adjusting with the new vaccines).

Her pediatrician has no problems with it and we usually space them out about two months apart, one can also spread them out further or closer, also depends on if the shots are time senstive but you just do those as needed and the others can be moved around a little. She is almost 4 years old and is completely up to date on vaccinations with no issues. I would talk with your child's pediatrician, I would think most now are willing to do this, and work something out that you feel comfortable with but will protect your child.

i would definatly verify with the doctor on the 4 shots. i know when I took my daughter in at 18 months, i was told at her 2 year check up she needed 5 shots, and that was based on the records they had. Well, at the 2 year check up, she got 2 shots, becasue someone on the staff didn't fill the chart in the correct way and missed some of the shots in her chart. But in MI they have to updated the health department on every shot, so they verifiy with the states' site before they give shots out, and that's how we figured out the mistake in office. They show me the states records every time i am there, and i get a copy as well every time she gets a shot.

you can always ask if there are any vaccines done at 18 months, and have them give some now at 15 and the other ones at 18 months. There are some vaccines that are a series of shots, and if you started the series, you have to get those on schedule otherwise, they have to start the series over, and your doctor can tell you if you have any of those and have to get those.

One shot at a time. Space it out 1 month per shot if you can. Make sure that your child is at his/her healthiest when he/she gets the shot -- not just coming down with a cold or just recovering from a cold.

Some pediatricians suggest giving your child Tylenol before your child receives the shot to reduce the pain. Don't do that! Acetaminophin reduces the body's glutathione level and glutathione is what's necessary for the body's natural detoxification process. When your child is given a shot, your want his/her body to do what it supposed to do and sweep away all the elements of the shot that it doesn't need and shouldn't hold onto.

Children are not one size fits all. And there is a difference between Classic Autism (where you are born with it; genetic) and Regressive Autism (developing naturally, no signs of autism and then all of a sudden . . .).

If your child has immunity issues (colds, ear infections, flu) and has taken a lot of antibiotics, you should really think twice about getting your child immunized. You will want to hold off on getting the shots until after your child's immune system has returned to health and can handle the foreign matter that is introduced to his/her body via the shot.

These are things that I wish someone had told me when my child was just an infant.

My first 3 were vaxxed my last is completely non-vax. She is very healthy. I don't even consider it anymore. I'm sure plenty of people will think I'm crazy but all the toxins that are in vaccines are not worth the risk. There are too many dangerous things in them. They really are not preventing anything.
http://www.animaltalknaturally.com/2009/04/21/mark-of-the...
Check out that link, while it is geared towards pets if you listen to the podcasts they have a lot of information about vaccines and how they effect things.

We spread ALL the vaccines out, not specifically related to autism, but because if he had any kind of reaction to any of the vaccines (say a really high fever, or a lot of swelling) it would be a heck of a lot easier to tell which one caused it. Our pediatrician was fine with it, that's actually one of the things we asked him when we interviewed him while I was still pregnant. He's also about five miles down the road from us so having an extra appointment or two to get caught up on shots if needed is not a big deal for us travel wise at all, we just pop in to the office.

Your child will have already exhibited signs of autism if he is prone to this problem. It's not a magic bullet that randomly affects children. If there are other signs your child MAY be autistic, then by all means, spread them out. I was the same as you - I wanted to spread them out. My doctor was fine with it. He also told me there was no need, in a very nice and not condescending way. He was happy to do whatever I wanted, and I am lucky enough to have specialists in "special ed" in my family who also assured me the same way.
Now, if we travel internationally, I have no worries. We did the regular shedule and things are fine.

We started spacing out our son's vaccines since birth. Just so you know, they have gotten more than 4 medicines at once since 2 mos. of age, if you're following the AAP's recommend vaccination schedule (which I believe most pediatrician's do).

From what I understand, no only are/were the preservative ingredients in vaccinations a point of contention, but it is also the belief that perhaps some kids bodies' can't process or metabolize the barrage of vaccines they get - be it all at once or the cumulative effect within the first several years.

Personally, I don't see any harm in spacing them out. Talk with your ped about your concerns. See which ones are time sensitive, as they are supposed to be giving at certain intervals to maintain protection. And then find out which ones are more critical.

For example, there was supposedly a whooping cough outbreak this past winter. Our ped recc DEFINITELY getting that vaccine for our son, so we postponed another one until the next month. Also, some people never get their kids vaccinated against chicken pox. Their view is, it's usually NOT lethal, so why subject my kid to all the added chemicals and overwhelm their system with ANOTHER vaccine?

That's what we do....our baby has gotten 1/2 of his 2 mos shots, then the other 1/2 at three mos, then his 4 mos shots, the other 1/2 at 5 mos...we broke them up a little bit. However I am unwilling to delay his vaccinations more than that. I could never live with myself if he got badly ill or even died when there's some way we could have prevented it. This "educated balance" worked for us.

Come up with your own gameplan. Then at your son's next appt, talk with your doctor about your concerns, your gameplan and see what s/he says and thinks. Ultimately you need to come to a decision that YOU are comfortable with.