Vaccinating

My kids are being vaccinated, but just not at the rate that most kids are. I don't believe in giving them more than one shot at a time. We have not had any problems doing it this way AND I have very healthy kids.

I'd be tempted to start calling her Typhoid Mary but it would just give her a reason to rave, so just block her or de-friend her.

These are real stories about preventable diseases.
Some of them were not vaccinated, and some of their children died.
It's about as close as you can get to "This is what I did. I was wrong. Please do not do as I did." as you will ever find:

http://shotbyshot.org/story-gallery/

Hi,
I am a parent who has made an informed decision along with my husband to not vaccinate our children. I really dont understand your concern for your children if they ARE vaccinated. If you believe that these vaccinations are going to protect your children then you should believe fully. If you think there is a likelyhood that your child could still contract the desease which they have been vaccinated for then what was the point of vaccinating them anyway??? Every parent has choice believe fully in yours!

I think it's crazy that provaxers think that because you get a vaccine, you are immune. NOT TRUE! I have had chicken pox, and measles after being fully vaccinated. It is NONE of your business. I don't vaccinate my kids. I have done over a thousand hours of research from both sides. Look at the history of these diseases before you THINK you know what you are talking about when you jump down anyone's throat about not vaccinating. You don't get it! Before you do anything disrespectful to your sister, I suggest you fully educate yourself. Go to Dr. Tenpenny's page and read all the awful stories about people's kids who died from a vaccine, or now has to live with their messed up kids now. Remember, I use to be rabbid about people who didn't vaccinate their kids, but now I am rabbid about people who do vaccinate and especially about people who think they know what they are talking about when they just parrot what they have heard from doctors.

I think I would like to see a study about vaccines that is funded totally independently. I would never go so far as your sister, but I have slowed the schedule down for my kids. They tend to get very sick and need hospitalization after vaccines. I can understand your sister's position as well as your own. One of my huge complaints is that there are some vaccines made with cell lines from aborted babies. I whole heartedly do not condone it. I have found a company that is working towards ethical vaccines and am supporting their work. I have many friends that don't vaccinate their kids. I treat them with respect and our children play together.

Just hide her posts on facebook and ignore her. It's really not your place to offer an opinion, and trust me, nothing you say or do will make a difference. If she tries to bring it up in person, just tell her you don't want to discuss it. Just make sure you do your vaccinations, so that you are at least covered with your own children.

I am an infectious disease doctor and a mom. My problem with antivaxxers is their complete rejection of science. It is also a public health issue if a lot of people stop vaccinating. Not everyone can be or responds to vaccines. I do not have antibodies to mumps even though I have been vaccinated and had 2 boosters. Those immune compromisd also do not respond as well or cannot be vaccinated with certain vaccines. So not only is your child at risk if you choose not to vaccinate so are those I just mentioned. Everything in medicine is risk/benefit. Yes there are risks to vaccinating but the benefits far outweigh the rare events associated with them.

Hide her from your news feed and go on about your business. You're not going to change her mind on the subject any more than she's changed yours.

Vaccination debates fall into the same category as politics for me- don't discuss them around the dinner table unless everybody wants indigestion!

Every parent is givent he right to raise their child how they choose. My husband and I believe that vaccinations are in the best interest of our child so we do the regular appointment and shots as recommended. As someone else mentioned, what are you afraid of? Your kids are covered, it is theirs you should be worried about if anyone. The other thing, why are you putting so much energy into this? It is what they choose to do whether you like, or if their parents are aware, or not. My sister and I differ on things such as letting our children make certain choices on their own like what to wear, when to get ears pierced etc. but I don't judge her on that. We are simply raising our children differently and what is best for us. My recommendation, just let it go. Not your burden to bare! :o)

I'd take a deep breath, hide her on Facebook, and move on. If you really care, then stop scheduling get togethers... but please don't make this your crusade. She's silly and misguided but you're only going to create family tension by freaking out to your SIL and MIL and everyone else. There are bigger things in life to worry about than what someone else is doing.

I'm just going to say that I don't agree with your SIL at all, but also if your children are vaccinated and up to date on their shots then they should be fine playing with her kids. Who ever has every single vaccination ever made?

But as for her Facebook, it's her page to do with as she pleases. You can adjust your settings in your news feed so that you don't see any of her status updates, links, or any of her activity at all. That way you only see her when you choose to go to her profile page. Limiting exposure to her diatribes may just be the way to go.

I am confused. If your child is vaccinated, and hers are not, then when they play together, your child should be safe, right? Let's say her kids carry a strand of the measles. If your kids are vaccinated, they WON'T get the measles, right? I'd only be upset if genuinely worried about your neice and nephew's health.

Vaccinating is still a choice, just like religion and how to educate your children and what food to eat. You might not like your SIL's choices, but they're hers to make. Is her husband (your Brother/BIL) on board with her regarding non-vaccinating? That would worry me, if he wants them vaccinated and she doesn't. But if they both agree, then respect their decision. Pray for the health of their kids. Drop the subject, and ask nicely that she stop trying to cram her views down your throat. You obviously feel one way and will not be changed. She obviously feels another way and will not be changed, so there's no point in arguing about it. If one day during flu season, she wants to get together and you fear your kids getting sick, simply telll her why you don't want the kids to play together. But also consider the 100s of other people at the grocery store or at the playground or at the church nursery or at school that are not vaccinated with certain vaccinations. There's no way to tell who is and who isn't vaccinated just by looking at them, so you could be surrounded by non-vaccinated kids all the time.

I am in agreement with you on vaccines.

Of course it is any parent's choice to vaccinate or not and that is ok if you choose not to. I personally choose not to put my child at risk but you do what you want with your child, it is a free world. Do I like it, no, but I'll keep my mouth shut and probably would not socialize except minimally since it is family.

What does get on my last nerve are people like your sister in law who get on this bandwagon that she is the only one right and goes on to slam everyone else for their choices. That part is not acceptable.

Everyone has the choice to do what is right for their family... People like your sister in law need to just shut up with the bashing and lecturing. It is different is someone ASK her opinion. Just not right to lecture everyone.

I'd remove her posts from FB and not be associated with her on FB.

I agree with you about vaccines. People who don't do them are allowing their children to be exposed to numerous diseases, I really hope they never see a child with polio or some other preventable disease. It is so very very sad for these children.

On the other hand, your children have the greater risk of her kids getting something from your kids than you have of them getting something from hers. Your children have been vaccinated so they might have some germs or something if they had been exposed but fought it off so her kids could get it from yours...maybe? That's what I am thinking.

I would think her children are the vulnerable ones.

She shouldn't be shoving it down people's throats. But it is SO not worth avoiding people, or shoving your thoughts down their throats either. All the people I know who don't vaccinate are very well educated, well-off families, most doctors, that have researched their decision to no end.

To understand her point of view, read some of the stuff she posted, or some information at www.thedoctorwithin.com. You may still choose to vaccinate your children if you think that is what's best, but there is some valid, scientific information out there to support her beliefs and decision as well.

Just because children aren't vaccinated doesn't mean they carry all the diseases you vaccinate against! Some people who don't vaccinate are more worried about kids who have been , because of "shedding" some who have been recently vaccinated can be contagious, not an unvaccinated kid. And the unvaccinated children I know are the healthiest children I know, even my pediatrician admits that!

The website I gave you will tell you the likelihood of catching these diseases, and how treatable most of them really are. You'll hopefully see that she isn't really putting your kids at risk.

Would you think she was putting them at risk if she kept cleaning materials in low places? Or let them listen to inappropriate music? Or did many seemingly harmless things other people do that some people think is bad for kids? Because this is just another thing that some people do differently, not necessarily harmful, you're just fearful of something you may not know much about, or that the government says is right. Have you never jaywalked or sped in a car either? ;)

I am like mom of 4, I only do 1 at a time. I feel so bad for kids who have to go and get 4 or 5 shots at a time. It's so hard on their system. I am thankful that my kids dr. does a delayed schedule because my son did have a reaction to prevnar. If he had had 4 or 5 shots at once we wouldn't know which one he was having a reaction to. But, since we only did that one, we know and he does not have to get it anymore. Also there is one vax that I am against and refuse to put it into my kids.
But, for your sister, it is her choice. Nothing you can say or do will change her mind. Just let it go. If you don't want to read her facebook status, then just skip over it or block it. I don't think you have any reason to worry about your kids getting a disease because of her. There are a ton of kids who aren't vaxed, not just your sisters kids that your kids will be around. Kids who are not vaxed doesn't mean that they automatically have a disease and you have to avoid them.

Answer with these articles
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/us/21vaccine.html

http://www.livescience.com/8948-myths-fuel-dangerous-deci...

http://www.whyichoose.org/notvaccinating.html

http://www.whyichoose.org/outbreaks.html

http://www.cdc.gov/measles/outbreaks.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/08/health/08iht-polio.html

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/01/24...

http://vaccinesandevolution.blogspot.com/2011/03/interest...

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-18/health/california.whoo...

All of these are PREVENTABLE.
She not only puts her children in danger but she also puts others that are either old and their vaccinations have worn off, are too young for them or those that have an immune defencancy. The reason why vaccines work is because everyone gets them. Or everyone used to , now these preventable diseases are coming back.
All it takes is contact with one person that has been exposed to these diseases to cause debilitating illness. Some of these illness can cause sterilization or crippling disabilities.

If you are getting your kids vaccinated then your kids are better prepared to be around her kids than her kids are to be around yours. Your kids are already building the immunities to childhood diseases.

As for how I would handle her and her posts and her opinions on it and the fact that she's not vaccinating ... I'd do absolutely nothing. There's nothing I could do. She has her opinion and they're her kids. I'd ignore the posts and not engage in a conversation about the issue with her. I'd continue to do what I felt was right (for me that's getting those vaccines) for my kids and hope that hers don't catch anything that could have been prevented.

I vaccinate. I look at it as I do every and anything in my power to protect my kidsand the take vitamins and they aren't out of my sight ever. So if a vaccination is going to help in any way to protect them I will do it. To each their own I guess. I agree with you.

Hide her on facebook and don't read her posts about the subject. I know, it's infuriating. I had an almost identical experience with a cousin. Perhaps only say something to her if she's lecturing you about it directly.