Anyone Delay MMR Until Age 5? - Kenosha,WI

A fever after a vaccination is a good thing, it indicates an immune response to the vaccine and that is what we want from the shots.

There is no reason to expect that the MMR is going to cause a problem in an otherwise healthy child. I have never known or heard of a child who had any adverse reaction to it, but like the parents you mentioned who claim their child "changed", this is merely anecdotal. The research supports the safety of this vaccine.

Is she going to be starting school this fall? Or are you home schooling? If she is going to school they will require a copy of all immunizations and will not let her come if she is not up to date.

What do you mean their child changed? Like Autism? My son has Autism and I don't believe that his shots did that.

Good luck... I hope some more Mamas have good tips for you! :-)

Please do some research. Immunizations are not linked to "regression," or autism. They simply do not cause these things.

Correlation does not equal causation.

Autism is GENETIC and the fact that the child regresses after the normal time they'd be due the MMR is simply coincidence. If your child is going to have a diagnosis of autism or another congentital issue, you can place blame on nothing more than your child's genes and/or inutero development. Nobody likes to hear that, but that's the truth.

That regression you're referring to occurs when autistic children usually regress....with NO immunizations.

Read here: http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/advice_from_doct...

P.S. I spent 4 months last year researching autism and Asperger's. As the immunization/thermasol argument is common, it was the very first one I worked through. A little research will show that it's a myth that has been thoroughly debunked. Anyone who tells you that they are related is either misinformed, or a quack.

ETA: Also, by delaying in immunizing your child, whatever the immunization, if your child ends up contracting a disease, you are putting others at risk. I say this every flu season: Don't get the shot to protect yourself...because a healthy person can usually beat disease with no problem. Get it to protect the immunocompromised old lady or person going through chemotherapy who CAN'T beat the disease. Immunization stops the spread of those diseases and protects us ALL.

As a mom of a son who's immune system failed to respond to several of his vaccine series given per the schedule, in part due to mercury toxicity from flu shots in utereo (to me) and in his infancy which led to a severe toxic reaction and regression at age 3 after his 4th mercury containing flu shot exposure, I commend you for deciding when and which vaccines to give your child. In hindsight, I would have skipped the chicken pox one and perhaps a few others and I would have spaced them out later and more separately. With my scientific training and professional access to journals (as well as all sorts of news stories and anecdotes on the web) I have come to know through my research that some kids do regress as a result of immune or toxic reactions to shots or to the synergistic effects these shots have when combined with other environmental toxins in our babies. That said, vaccines work without harm for mose individuals and are even more effective when given to someone who is healthy with a more developed immune system and maintains a good diet. MMR is one of those vaccines I personally would not skip, but if I had any more kids I would have waited as you have. If she has no health problems (in particular no asthma, allergies, GI issues, speech issues, etc) and is healthy at the time of the visit, I would feel the benefit of the MMR would outweigh the risk. But it is a decision for you to make. I had my daugthers titers checked at age 5 when she was due for her MMR booster dose, and due to her immune status I declined the booster.
BTW, Wakefield and his 12 collegues reported the data they had in their possession fully and accurately and per their professional standards in their case series study, making no claims either of causation-- only that further study was needed to follow up on their observations. Further, other researchers have published similar bowel disease findings in autistic patients corroborating their Lancet work (and I wont even go into the political farce of the GMC hearing or the libel suit pending against that the journalist and the pharmaceutical owned BMJ). I don't believe my son's regression was related to MMR, but I can't discount that it contributed to his decline either, as a scope of his gut with biopsy did show some abnormalities of inflammation. But he no longer has severe chronic GI symptoms at age 8, unlike the poor teenagers/young adults who suffered their regression and GI disease after MMR. Hope this helps and good luck with your decision! BTW, if she does have a fever after vaccination, DO NOT give Tylenol--the acetaminophen depletes glutathione which is needed to help detoxify the body. I give Ibuprophen per recommended dose only when necessary.

Good for you for waiting! I stopped immunizing at 18 months. I will eventually get my son the MMR and maybe some boosters much, much later on, assuming he needs them. I am going to wait until at least 5, maybe even 6 for my son. Usually, those children that "regress" are much younger. I have never heard of an older child doing that. I am sure your daughter will be fine...don't forget to update us!

And autism is not purely genetic. There is an evironmental trigger and it may be different for different people. If it was purely genetic, then how would one explain the dramatic increase in cases? More liberal diagnosis alone? No. I can tell you that my son's neurodevelopmental pediatrician reccomends delaying and spacing out vaccines. People like to cite the Wakefield study as being debunked. And it has. But there is too much anectodal evidence to dismiss the vaccine link entirely.

Read more about vaccines in general at www.thedoctorwithin.com or his book is called the sanctity of human blood. My doctor friends only do hib when kids are one and dt (without the pertussis component) or nothing at all. Good for you doing some research and finding out what's best for your family! Chicken pox is one shot I would never do personally, so rethink that one or do more research on it. There are certain vaccines that can shed for weeks afterward, so look into that too. I'd personally do rubella only when they are of childbearing age, if they aren't immune to it naturally. And while it's true that "most" reactions are mild, there truly are worse reactions, ask any mom who has experienced it firsthand. Check the vaers website!

And SO not true about schools! People who don't research what they put in their kids bodies and are so ignorant to just blindly believe what "everyone" tells them are the worst. You know what's best for your family. All states but two have religious and some have philosophical exemptions. Look up your state's exemptions for school. I bet those people who think you can't go to school without being up to date never speed or jaywalk either. ;)

I decided to hold off until 3. He did fine. I've held chicken pox for now. I think it's logical that we are giving little bodies too many vaccines too close together. I think you were wise to wait. It may not link to autism but I know how I have felt after boosters and I am an adult. Nothing wrong with an altered schedule. I did use homeopathic supplements with the mmr. You should check into it.

I did not wait but I just wanted to let you know both my daughters had the MMR at the suggested time....neither "changed" and only one daughter ran fevers from shots and the other had no reactions at all.

Best wishes!

I didn't delay, and I had zero issues with both of my kiddos.

And, as ChristyLee says, correlation does not equal causation. Furthermore, studies have shown that there is zero correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism. (The study by Wakefield was debunked and his medical license revoked. He made up the data.)

Finally, a fever is the proper response to immunization. It says that the body's immune system is working properly and fighting the new invader (which is how the immune system is supposed to behave). If you let the body fight it naturally and have the fever (i.e., don't give tylenol or ibuprofen to reduce the fever unless your child becomes very uncomfortable), your child's immunity to the diseases will be even greater.

And your younger child will not catch anything related to the MMR from your child who is vaccinated. If she gets measles, mumps, or rubella, it will be becasue she hasn't been vaccinated yet and has been exposed to a different child who has measles, mumps, or rubella.

Good for you for catching your 5 yo up.

I wished I waited. My daughter had severe reactions and I think in general we totally over-vaccinate. I wish at the very least I had them administered separately.

We did not delay, but I might do it differently today knowing what I know now.

Re: school - as I understand it every state but two (W.Va and Mississippi) have non-medical vaccine exemptions.

Good luck with your decision.

I delayed the MMR for my son until the school system forced me to do it. He had his first shot in the fall when he was was 5 and just had his second last week. He will be six in March. I feel great about my decision and have not experienced any delay. I plan to do the same with my 3 year old.

I think you've heard the "stories" we've all heard about regression and autism, and they've all been disproven. I also don't believe you can catch anything from a sibling if they have a reaction to a shot. Make sure you ask your doctor these questions, and not just a bunch of moms online who may or may not even be real moms.

My oldest got his MMR shot at 6, and had no problems with it at all. It's my understanding that it's not a live vaccine, so shedding should not be a problem.

No. My daughter has had all the recommended vaccines at the recommended ages and has never had a reaction to any of them.

Nothing about vaccines or any possible reactions are contagious.

I really agree with the answers you've received about moving forward with the immunizations now. It's good that you're going ahead a having your daughter immunized. This is such a positive community that people didn't attack you for your decision to wait. I'm glad. Please know that by immunizing your child ( in a safe an appropriate manner) you're helping reduce the risk of illness for all our children. Thank you for thinking about our children as well as yours with this decision.

A vaccination can only account for a fever of up to 100.4*. If your child had a fever that was higher then it was due to an unrelated illness.

Most "reactions" are mild and are limited to site tenderness/soreness that is manageable; very lowgrade fever; tiredness; grumpiness; a bruise at the site; slight nausea.

But your worries about what could happen in worst case scenarios needs to be discussed with your child's practitioner. You're panicking yourself when you shouldn't be and that panic will transfer to your children. The risks you're worrying about are so miniscule that the benefits far outweigh any risk you can dream up.