Immunizations - Seattle,WA

many offices have combo shots like the hep b & dtap & ipv are in 1 shot so on the first shots baby would only get three shots
the combo and hib and pcv
when they get to 12month the new shot out is MMRV which is mumps measle rubella and varicella all in one.

Hi B.,

You are doing the right thing by questioning something that CAN involve long-term effects. Unfortunately, some people have a susceptibility to immunization injuries. There IS Mercury used in the shots as a preservative. Just like some people are allergic to bee stings or peanut butter & others aren't, it depends on the individual. You are being responsible by not jumping in blind. That is very commendable. There are a lot of books that you can read & websites where you can get information. It IS ok to hold off on shots till you have all the information you feel you need. If your doctor pressures you, maybe you need to find a new doctor. My niece & my nephew both had long-term effects from their shots. Our family has it in their genes so I waited with my daughter. She will be four in August. The only shot she has ever had is the B12 shot she had right after birth. Now that she is older & bigger, I feel comfortable getting her ONE SHOT AT A TIME. Even if that means once a month till they're all done. Four at a time is insane. Good luck. And remember, this is YOUR decision & your child's father's. Not the doctor's...not your in-laws...not some other random Mom here on MamaSource. When it all comes down to it, you have to answer to your child, not us.
Here are some good sites to research.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fact_myth_i...
http://www.drgreene.com/54_17.html
http://www.mercola.com/index.htm

Dear B.

Just wanted to let you know I was in the same boat, my son is now 14 months old and I myself had a lot of questions. So I did my research and chose to selectively vaccinate my child, and you need to know it is your choice and let know one tell you different. One thing I choice to do is one at a time because if there were any reactions I would know what vaccine it was. I only chose 3 of the 6 childhood vaccinations. The best thing I can tell you is to get the book What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Children's Vaccinations, by Stephanie Cave. Chapter 3 will tell you all you need to know about Mercury. There are Mercury free Vaccinations but you need to ask your Doctor if they have them, because many Doctors still use the vaccinations that contain Mercury. Your best bet is a Naturopathic Physician. I have one and LOVE her, and I know if you have any questions at all it is well worth the paid visit to get educated by her. Her name is Dr. Candace Aasan. She will be soon relocating her practice so you still can call ###-###-#### for her new info. ____@____.com

Hi B.,

There is still thermosol in the vaccines, they can't produce them without using thermosol and even a minute amount is toxic. Some children are able to excrete it but many many are not. They cause and have caused damage to a whole generation of children. Also, the majority of states have either a religious or philosophical waiver that you can sign so that your children don't have to have vaccines, also you can get a medical waiver if you have the right doctor.

I don't know if you have heard but there are many studies that have been done which link autism to the mercury (thermesol) in the 36 vaccines on the official schedule that are given to children since the 1990's which is when the autism epidemic started. The good news is that because of this information children are being treated and tremendous results are happening.

Below are links to some very informative websites and studies as well as a very good book. At last there is hope for these children. Read all of this before you vaccinate your son, trust your intuition.

Dr. Amy Yasko's website

www.holistichealth.com

WEBSITES:

www.generationrescue.org (this website has links to studies)

www.putchildrenfirst.org

www.holistichealth.com

www.evidenceofharm.org

www.danwebcast.com

http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari-lists/us/..%5Cdanus.html

http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/index.htm

www.safeminds.com

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/

www.impossiblecure.com

www.enzymestuff.com

www.nvic.org



Groups:

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GOOD BOOK TO CHECK OUT

A Shocking Discovery: Observations of a
Speech/Language Pathologist
from 1975-2005: What Have We Done To Our Children?

(Paperback)

by Marcia Staggs Abbott (Author)

Book Description

This easy-to-read book contains information that is of interest to any parent. Over a span of 30 years, the author, a speech and language pathologist, observed a marked increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism, ADD, ADHD, learning and speech disabilities, etc. She hypothesizes that this drastic change is related to the childhood vaccination schedule.

Indoctrination versus education is the main theme of this book, as it challenges that which we have always believed about vaccinations and our children.

Hi B.,

this is a hot topic for lots of parents. From everything I've read there is a lot of scientific data pointing out that vaccines are not necessary and that they really don't do anything, the vaccine itself is science playing a guessing game as to what the specific virus will look like. If someone is going to get something they're going to get it despite a vaccine. Lots of people get vaccinated against chicken pox and they get it anyways! I've read a lot on the vaccine issue because like you I wanted to take middle of the road path. From everything I've read it's not just the mercury that was put in vaccines but they put other questionable things in there as well that I personally don't want inside my child. My child, and this is my personal decision, is best served by allowing his immune system to get strong on it's own which means his body gets whatever bug it's going to get and he fights it with lots of sleep, liquids and good healthy food. Another thought here: How did man kind make it this far without vaccines? For thousands of years we didn't have them and we survived.

You do not HAVE to vaccinate your child and your doctor, if he or she is good and respectful of your decisions, will not try to persuade you in either direction. Yes, you should call your doctor ahead of time because they operate off of the 'normal' schedule and will assume that you will too unless you state otherwise up front.

We go to Kaiser and I was shocked that my doctor not only supported my decision but worked with me to pick out the three specific vaccinations she thought was most important. I was very impressed.

Personally I feel ALL the vaccinations that are pushed on us by pharmaceutical companies are for their bottom line, money. That's my personal opinion though and I know others out in the world feel that vaccinations actually do good. I respect their opinion on this issue. I, for right now, opt not to subject my child to needless pain & pointless chemicals. I think it's also important to note that the United States Government has a reporting system, http://vaers.hhs.gov/, for any adverse reactions and in addition to that the pharmaceutical companies have been sued so many times that the government came up with this website and you can get financial assistance if it can be proven that your child was 'damaged' due to vaccines.

Here's a website that I've found to be extremely helful to me: http://www.vran.org/index.htm

Good Luck in your decision.

Hi!
I struggled with this same issue! The funny thing is I am an Immunologist by trade! I don't know if it was all of the case studdies in Grad school that scared me or what! When it came to my own children I couldn't bear the thought of injecting those viral bits into their boddies and watching their immune systems be forced to perform! I used a midwife for my pregnancies and births so I easily avoided the hospital injections. I talked to pur Pedi. about it and he, Dr Hepler with LaTouche Pedi., supported or decision to hold off on all injections until 6 months. Then I spread them out so that the most they got was two in one session.

My son is 3 now ans only had one fever from a shot ( may have been a teething too). My daughter is almost 1 and nothing so far! You are your child's only advocate and you have to do what you feel is right. I commend you on being aware of the risks associated with immunizations some many parents these days just think of them as standard practice and don't think twice!!

All the Best,
K.

First of all, I think you should go with your gut instincts and take what MDs say with a VERY LARGE grain of salt. If I had listened to them I would be dead. They (all, not just one) totally misdiagnosed ME, but that's another story. You have to be proactive and make sure that you are proactive working WITH the doctors, not just doing what they say and your health and your baby's health will be much better for it.

Suggestions:
Do not give a child any shots until they are 6 - 8 months of age. Then, go slow. 3 or 4 shots at a time maximum should be fine by that point. If it's a combined shot, just do one, then come back in a couple of months. Do it on YOUR time schedule, not the doctor's. A lot of children now have screwed up immune systems now because too many shots too soon. My children all have very healthy immune systems (aren't allergic and never had antibiotics, either).

Thimerosol (may not be correct spelling) is what used to be used in the Hepatitis B shot and in the MMR shot. The doctors have denied that mercury poisoning occured in kids where Thimerosol has been given, however, there are a lot of parents who say that their child was NOT autistic until after the shot was given to their 2 year old child. It has been proven outside of allopathic (MD vs ND) doctor circles that Thimerosol DID cause autism. (I have a friend who's son is severely autistic and says he has all of the symptoms of mercury poisoning) - but no one will admit to anything. NOW, the medical establishment has (without claiming any responsibility for this) turned around and taken all of the mercury out of the shots. So, you're in luck. You don't have to worry about it any more. However, I would NOT give my own child any shots until they were a little older, especially since I was breastfeeding. I also REFUSED to give my daughters the Hepatitus B shot when they were born, for 2 reasons. Why are you giving a little child a shot that was just born? They don't even have their own immune system yet, for goodness sake. 2nd, there was thimerosol in the shots at the time. Plus I'm not a drug user or addict, neither is my husband. We're both monogamous. The drug companies are eager to sell drugs, the faster the better. I think that's the push for having extra vaccines that really aren't needed or to push for more, ealier.

My advice to you is, take the shots, but go slow. I did things on a much later time schedule than the doctors suggested. In fact because I did that, the children ended up (all 3) with less shots than if I had given them when suggested. I would not give any of my children shots before 6 or 8 months of age. I also spaced them out so they didn't get more than 2 or 3 vaccines at a time. By the time they were 2 or 3 they had all of their shots, but on what I thought was healthy, not on the sped up timetable the doctors gave. 19 years ago when my son was born, the timetable was much different, much healthier than it is now. First shots were not started then until 6 - 8 month. To me, that is more reasonable. I think it was a year before I gave my daughters her first shots, but again, I was breastfeeding. Breast milk has your immunity built into it.

Hi B.. First off, I applaud you for even taking the step of investigating this yourself, as so many parents make these decisions w/o educating themselves at all!
My husband and I chose a delayed vax schedule. Our son hasn't received any of the hepatitis, chickenpox or flu vaccines (he's 19 months old). We did start Hib, pneumococcal, and DTaP at 2 months and did the normal schedules for those. We added polio at 6 months and did MMR at his 12 mo, which is normal. I'm actually pregnant with baby #2 and I think we may wait until this one is 6 months old to start any vaccinations, and then do the same sort of schedule as with my son.
As to the research...it's so hard to differentiate what is right and wrong. Data can be very misleading, as it is easy to skew statistics however the author of the study wanted it to be seen. My advice would be to research several different sources and go with what you think seems right.
I see you live in Seattle and you'll be happy to know that Gov. Gregoire just passed a bill that will take effect on July 1 that allows only trace amounts of mercury to be in vaccines given to pregnant women and children under 3. A certain form of mercury (thimerosol, I believe) was taken out of vaccines several years ago, as it was linked to increased autism rates, among other things; however, other forms of mercury are still permissible in vaccines as a preservative. The government has only SUGGESTED that manufacturers remove all mercury (and most haven't, as mercury extends the shelf life). Mercury isn't the only nasty thing in vaccines either though; other common preservatives are chemicals like formaldehyde! I worked in a cancer research lab when I was pregnant and had to avoid these things like the plague; why would you shoot them into your tiny newborn?
Lastly--I advise finding a doc that supports whatever you decide to do. We were living in Spokane and had a wonderful pediatrician who was open to what we wanted to do and was great about giving us info from "both sides". We moved to Vancouver this last winter and our new pediatrician was not so happy with us when we went to our 18 mo well baby check-up...very pushy about starting chicken pox and hep vaccines. Naturopathic docs are great, but I know our insurance only covers something like 10%, so it's not very feasible for our family. But your son is young, so you have time to find a good doc (though I know it's frustrating until you find the right one).
Another thing to take into consideration is whether or not your son will be around lots of other children...I'm a SAHM, so my son is not and he's not exposed to lots of illnesses. But a child in daycare may need the vaccines more.
Good luck! Sorry to be so long winded, but I think this is such an important topic that so many parents don't even give a second thought. In the end, I believe vaccinations are a very good thing (I WAS a microbiolgy major, too!), but I think we give young children way too much for their little bodies and developing immune systems to handle.
For some resources, I'd recommend looking at the CDC, NIH and WHO websites (mostly pro-vacc); Mothering magazine has some great articles available via their website that are more anti-vacc and for waiting until later in life.

Hi my name is C.... My son is four months. I had the same thoughts you are having, i brought it up to my doctor, He told me it is better to get them all at once. just so that its all done at once and you dont have to keep talking you baby back to get poked...
this might help.
-C.

I was the same way with shots it seems like they have so many to do. I only let them give my son 1 shot at a time. It may be a combo shot but at least it's only 1 and I know if he does have a reaction what it was to. I space them out about 2 weeks apart. I would just talk to you doctor when you get there and remember it is your child and the doctors are only there to advice you!

You are right to question anything to do with your child, it is our job as mothers to protect them. And since when does every single thing the government says or recommends mean that it's right for absolutely everyone? We chose not to vaccinate our daughter, as have many of my friends, and it's funny that someone commented to you about their friend's kid who always seems sick, because my child and the others I know who aren't vaccinated are actually much healthier than the kids I know who are. And to all of the moms who mistakenly believe that shots are required for school, they're not! That's a scare tactic used by the government and drug companies, there ARE exemptions, which you could use if your child does not have all of their immunizations on schedule, as you're planning. In Washington state, I believe the exemptions include medical, personal, and religious. Do what's best for your and your family, I'm just sharing my opinions, which are based on many facts and studies. We read a great book called "A Shot In The Dark", it's very informational. And there are children who die or suffer severe reactions, unfortunately, what drug company wants that information to get out? For more information on that, visit the National Vaccine Information Center's website. Good luck!

Hello B., your concerns are legitimate. its your baby. my husband and I told our doctor we only want 2 shots at a time.because we felt 4 at a time was to much and plus it makes them so cranky.your doctor will maybe say well if you only do 2 at a time it could put them behind on their shots. I did not know there had to be a time frame for shots to be completed. our daughter got all of hers at our time and she is just fine. stand your ground do not let your doctor or nurse talk you into anything else.our second daughter was way behind do to moving or her being sick and she was behind on all her shots she is now caught up and she turned out just fine.your the parent you choose. good luck.~L. B~

I was concerned with my first child too. I read everything I could and then talked to my doctor. I did decide to do with what the doctor recommended. If you think spacing the shots is better for you and your child you should do it. The diseases they are protecting your baby from are mostly non existent so the spacing will not effect your babies health. You don't need to call your doctor in advance. They get the shots ready when you come to the office so you should discuss it with the nurse before they prepare anything.

Good Luck.

As far as 2 mon. immunization go, it's not 4 shots it only 2 shots. Yes it's 4 immunizations. I think they mix them, so the little ones don't have to be stuck more than once. It is very important to get them done on time. When your son goes to start school that is one thing they look at. If you want to go a different rout talk to your doc and also the school's.

Hi B. -

I was extremely concerned about vaccines when my son was born, too. I'm no expert, of course, but with regards to your particular concerns, I can say that having four shots at once doesn't play any part in whether your son will have a reaction; however, *I* would personally space them out just because it sucks for anyone to have to get 4 shots! It's a lot to do all at once.

As far as the mercury thing goes, that is what I obsessed over when my son was born 4 years ago. Looking at the vial won't tell you anything (I'm not sure if you meant "see" the mercury as in a list of ingredients, or in the vial, but you won't be able to tell either way). I can't provide a link, but I remember several years ago I did a search to determine which pharmaceutical companies were still using Thimerasol; so when I went to the doctor's office I just asked which drug company supplied their vaccine. I think that now, though, in 2007, you probably don't really need to worry about it.

You can make up your own "schedule" for certain vaccines, but the ones that are given in series are probably best done according to the standard schedule, so they're most effective. My own son just turned 4, and I had been reluctant about giving him the chicken pox vaccine, but we finally did last month as he'll be starting preschool in the fall, so it's a requirement. Remember that vaccines are not required by law unless your child is in daycare, or they'll be attending school, so you do have time to mull over this stuff while your son's still young. But I feel more comfortable about vaccines these days than I did when my son was a baby. Probably because we're pretty much done with them now! lol

Good luck. Try not to worry too much.

I've felt the same dilema lately with my latest child. My others, well, to be honest, I'd never heard about this having too many shots at one time, plus, I was a working mom, so it was like, get as many shots done as possible. Now, I'm hearing that having a lot of shots at one time can lead to autism. I've been more cautious with my last child. The most I will let her have is 4 at one time. She actually only had 3 the time before last because they were out of one of the vaccines, and then this last time she had 2 shots. I was actually greatful.
I think you should call & discuss your feelings with the nurse or doctor. I feel really comfortable with our doctor, as he has been our pediatrician for 9 years! I feel comfortable talking to him about things, and he isn't pushy at all!
You are a mom, usually the doctor will say that you know what is best for your child.

Hi B.! I can understand that you are concerned, but don't be. If scientists and docters had proven that the mmr or any of the shots caused autism or harm to your child then I don't believe that they would be giving them to your child. I have 2 children, 5 and 3. They have both been vaccinated on time and are very very healthy. I have a cousin who is 7 and her mother refused to get her shots and she is sick all the time. I don't believe that docters are there to hurt children. They are there to help. I agree with the statement from Rebeckah G. She is right on the money! A women below also stated that some or most of the diseases that your children are being vaccinated for dont exist anymore, why do you think that is? Beacuse we were vaccinated. Also there is always a chance for everything to come around at some time. Pray not in our lifetime! I say better to be safe then sorry! Plus wouldn't you rather have a healthy autistic child then no child at all? (meaning if shots cause autism) I know I would. Please think about your decision before you choose not to. N.

Immunizing:

With all of your findings, I would sit down with your doctor and present all of your questions. Then, just to solidify things, get a second opinion. Make these appointments not for your child, but for you to do a consultation w/the pediatrician/family DR. There is nothing wrong with checking, double and even triple checking when it comes to your baby. You want to feel secure in the decisions you make with the most precious addition in your life. But don't just go off of what you read on the internet. Again, check with the doctor.

As far as the "No" on immunizations...Ive witnessed one child where the parents decided to not go with them. Wow...he sure gets sick a lot. Plus, it just seems to me that they have to be so much more cautious with him. He seems like a fragile little boy. For me, I got my kids their shots on time and in normal sequence. I know I had mine in normal sequence as well. I, personally, feel better knowing that its one less thing I have to worry about. Our world is ever changing and disease is slowly mutating and becoming stronger in many areas. -My thing is antibiotics...in a nut shell, I just don't want to over use them in case of something severe happening in the future where they would otherwise work but do not due to over use in the past.

A little about me:
2 beautiful children, a son age six and a daughter age 3.

It was so hard for me to watch my children be in pain from the actual shot that I decided that doing all 4 at once was better than the trauma of spreading it out. (One time we got lucky enough to have two nurses at once so each did two and it went really fast!) It is over quickly, the tylenol covers the discomfort of any symptoms afterward and I don't have to watch them go through it 3 other times. (PS I vote for not getting any bandaids, ours always seemed to stick and it was just as traumatic trying to get them off afterwards). Good luck!

If you trust your pediatrician, schedule an appointment with him in advance to discuss your concerns. (He won't be at all offended if you ask for a referral to get a second opinion so if your questions aren't answered to your satisfaction, ask to speak to someone else.) If you don't trust your pediatrician to do what is in your baby's best interest, then you need a new pediatrician. You really should discuss your concerns with a medical professional, as you are right on the money saying that there is SO much information that is not scientifically based. The vast majority of children in this country are immunized on schedule, and only a tiny fraction of those children have any reaction other than a mild fever. I personally think failing to vaccinate is much more risky than vaccinating, but please don't take my word for it. Discuss this with your dr. He's a pro and he's had this type of a meeting many times because we're ALL nervous mommies!

Hey Barbra,
Well you are doing the right thing by taking action and learning about what you feel is the best situation for you and your family. My advice to you is to KEEP READING and LEARING. There are many websites out there that have very very very scary information on them that talk about how "vaccines killed their children" and "how children are autistic because of vaccines" These websites are very moving and also disheartening because they get you deep down inside. The last thing you want is for your child to pass. I will say this, I have been in pediatrics for the last 8 years and have resuscitated a 4 month old who had pertussis and could not breathe for himself. There are vaccines for a reason and a schedule for a reason. There might be a link with autism and vaccines......nobody knows, but I know that I would rather have a child with autism than a child that dies of pertussis, or any other vaccine preventable diseases for that matter. My advise is to keep reading, a website that we direct a lot of our patients to is www.immunize.org and the American academy of pediatrics website: www.aap.org
TO ALL THE PARENTS
There are very early signs of autism that can be seen around 6 months. The vaccine that is “linked” (MMR) to autism is given at 1year. If you are at all concerned about your child’s development you should talk to your pediatrician right away. This might help solve the mystery to autism and create awareness.

I think first of all you should go talk to your doctor about the schedule he uses for shots. Some of my friends take their kids to different MD's and they can sometime vary as to how many and how often. For example, some MD's give shots at 9mo or 15mo and others don't. All three of my kids have had 3 or 4 at a time and they are all fine. I can't stand taking them for shots, so my personal preference is to get it all over with. I think you just need to talk to your doctor and figure out what preference you have. I don't think it is harmful to them to have multiple shots at once though. Whatever you do it has to work for you.

i can't tell you which decision to make, all i can say is i went the standard way with both of my kids and so far so good. niether of them have had reactions, and if your doc says there is no longer mercury, i'd believe him. if they passed a law saying it can no longer be used, then any vaccines with mercury in it would never make it out of the lab. also, negative reactions are far less likely then they used to be as they have changed vaccines a lot. they used to use a partially live virus in vaccines, but they have stopped that. they now just use a dead virus, and it works just as well, with much less chance of having a reaction of some sort. i don't think spreading it out will make much of a difference, if they are going to have a reaction to a particular vaccine, it will happen regardless of how it's givin. getting 4 or 5 shots at once i think is also easier for them, cause its done and over with instead of going in numerous times and getting poked in the leg.

With our kiddos, we have always done the vaccinations just as the doctor recommends, 4 or 5 at once. The only reaction our kiddos have ever had was a slight fever the night of the shots, easily fixed with a dose of Tylenol.

I don't mean to sound snarky at all, but this is something I think can be one of those things that parents like to make into something it's not. Over the past couple of generations, no one has been traumatized, with lingering effects as an adult, by having 4 shots at once as a baby.

Neither of my kids had any complications with four shots at once, and neither did I as a child. Most children don't. Did they cry? Yeah, of course. But I gave them Motrin before hand and there were no lingering effects. I can't think of a single case where having 4 shots at one time has traumatized a child so badly that they can't make it in this world as an adult. Yeah, some people have needle phobias, but that doesn't necessarily come from when they were a child getting shots.

Anyway, as an adult thinking rationally, I'd rather get 4 at once and get it over with than have to worry about getting one and then another the next month and so on. I think that's far more traumatizing getting one at a time, teaching your child that every time you go to the doc, you're getting shots than it would be just to get them all at once and get it over with. Of course, that's just my opinion. However you decide to do it is up to you, but I'd just get it done and over with.

Oh and as far as the mercury, I'm pretty sure that no respectable MD is going to have that in their vials these days. If you ask though, I'm sure they'd show it to you.

my friend spread her daughters shots out over time, and preferred it that way. i made sure to ask the doctor about the mercury because i was worried about it too -i believe its only the mmr shot that you need to worry about- and was told theirs didn't have any. they stopped putting mercury in them, but didn't take them off the shelves (not sure why)...i would just have a discussion with your doctor (they claim that it doesn't do anything, but talk to him anyway about spreading them out) if it makes you feel better. its better to get them immunized than not. they're more succeptable to things like whooping cough and stuff if their not. you can discuss it when you get to the office if you want. good luck!