PCV13 Vaccine: Yes or No? for My 3 Year Old

So I have done some research into this and here's what I know....
PCV13 (aka Prevnar) is just a version of PCV7 with some newer strains that have become more common in the recent years. The original PC vaccine contained just the most common forms of the virus, which are very uncommon due to the use of the vaccine, so they developed a new one for the newer (now more common) strains. (The problem with this is once we have this vaccine around for awhile the strains it vaccinates against will become more uncommon and newer strains will develop...Possibly more dangerous/antibiotic resistant strains)
The only reason you would vaccinate your DS with PC13 is so he will have SOME immunity to the newer strains. But in my opinion, PC is really normally not serious in anyone over 2, so I don't think your 3 yr old is at risk that much. I wouldn't do it. But that's your decision as his mom. I LOVE Dr. Bob Sears for vaccine info. His site is www.thevaccinebook.com. I got this info from his Facebook...
"The latest CDC study estimates that in 2007 there were about 4600 cases of severe PC disease (meningitis, hospitalized pneumonia, bone and bloodstream infections) in children less than 5 years of age. About 64% of these infections were caused by strains covered by the new Prevnar 13. Only about 2% of these infections were caused by the 7 strains in the old Prevnar 7. That means that about 34% of serious PC infections are caused by strains NOT in either vaccine. Future vaccines will likely incorporate more and more strains."

Here's a link to where Dr. Bob Sears talks about the new PCV13 vaccine on his FB.....
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=116317855073374&amp...

EDIT: Just wanted to add, that your state, MN, does not require kids to be fully vaccinated to attend school. You have the option to state that you do not wish your child to be vaccinated due to philosophical reasons. (You can also use religious or medical reasons as well.) Don't let anyone make you think you legally HAVE to vaccinate your kids!!! YOUR CHILD, YOUR CHOICE! Here's a link on how to use vaccine exemption in your state...
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requiremen...

Oh, and I wanted to add that according to the CIA world fact book, the United states has one of the highest infant mortality rates of any developed nation. Higher than Cuba and North Korea. We also have the highest vaccination rates....hmmm...just a thought.

My 3 year old got hers. She's fine.

No!! Why fill your kid with more poison, especially when you have already gotten him vaccines. He does not need it. If you are worried they can do a blood test to find out if he is immune. Also, you don't have to have any vaccines for school. I have 2 unvaccinated kids in public school.

Lisa

Please vaccinate! I would much rather have a little ache from a flu shot that risk getting THE FLU and all the potential complications that go along with it. Somebody was talking percentages and said that 34% of the PC (Pneumococcus) infections were from strains not covered by vaccines. Okay, but would you rather have your kid vaccinated to protect to the best of our scientific ability or have your kid be the one who gets sick from a strain that WOULD HAVE been prevented by vaccine--and develop meningitis? My girl was sick for 3 days (fever spikes up to 104.6) from a PC infection--that MAY HAVE been prevented if she had the PCV 13 vaccine (since her vaccinations were before the 13-series started in July 2010). At her next vaccination appointment, I will request the PCV 13.

It may seem like all "toxic" and "poisonous" materials, but this is why we live in a country where our kids are healthy and we live to ripe old ages! Vaccinations do not just protect the person who receives them, they also protect those who we are around (aka "herd immunity"). That means that those of you who claim that your kids aren't vaccinated and "never get sick" can claim that because the majority of the kids (and adults) around them ARE vaccinated!

(I work in a Public Health lab and run the scientific laboratory tests for these illnesses. I have also attended training at the CDC, and have met scientists who DEVELOP the vaccination protocols. It's sad to run tests to CONFIRM the cause of death for a 4-week-old baby--from a disease that is vaccine-preventable--that is, if the MOM had been vaccinated!)

current CDC recommendations:

Should children who already received the full 4-dose vaccine series of PCV7 be vaccinated with additional dose(s) of PCV13?
Yes, children 12 through 59 months of age who are fully vaccinated with 4 doses of PCV 7 should receive a single, supplemental dose of PCV13 no sooner than 8 weeks after the last dose of PCV7. It does not matter whether a child received the PCV7 doses on time or used a catch-up schedule and may have received less than 4 doses as part of an age-appropriate complete schedule. For older children (up through 71 months) who have an underlying medical condition (e.g., sickle cell disease, HIV infection, or other immunocompromising condition) and are completely vaccinated with PCV7, a single dose of PCV13 is recommended.