Vaccinations - Columbia, SC

Hi F.,

Yes you can. My doctor gave my son his shots seperatly. She explained why. Unfortunaly I can't. Here is her number I hope she can help you. Dr. Michele Segal ###-###-####. Nutley, NJ :)

Hi F.,

It is so difficult to be a new mom, anyway, and then all of a sudden you are completely responsible for these little lives. But I have to say, there is no credible evidence that links vaccines to autism. However, there is very real evidence that if your children get the diseases that the vaccines prevent, they could die (or be neurologically or physically impaired, etc.). You'll see, even when they catch a cold you won't be able to rest easy. Suppose they came down with measles, or worse?

Good luck and enjoy your babies!
B.

It is your right to refuse any or all vaccinations for your child. Most Doctors will try to convince you not to however. If you decide not to they will make you sign a form saying you've been advised to get them but have refused. I am the mom of a 6 month old daughter whose dad doesnt want her to be immunized. Be prepared to defend whatever position your family decides on. Do your research on the pros and cons.

I hear you. It's a hard decision to make. I've done a lot of reading and if you can delay the vaccines until they are 2 years of age and then have them administered far apart from each other that would be ideal. You are the parent and you are in control. It's not against the law not to vaccinate immediately. But once they start any type of school, it's a big dilemma. You pediatrician has to honor you in delaying vaccines, but they can also refuse to be your doctor as well, it depends on the doctor. If your not happy then you just find another one.

I'm actually in the process of finding a pediatrician for the birth of my first baby, a boy due August 22nd!
I definitely do not want any vaccines given at the hospital, which means we have to write a statement saying so. Along with my husband not keeping our son out of his site. Because sometimes the nursing shift will change and they will not get your statement and they give the vaccines.

Good luck to you!

Hi F.,

Here is a website I received this morning, with information on the pro's and cons of inoculating your children. I found it quite comprehensive. All the best with your decision!

http://www.everydayhealth.com/family-health/national-vacc...

Check out the Association for Science in Autism Treatment and autismwatch.com (a division of quackwatch), which both focus on science of autism treatment and research. The research on vaccinations has not shown a link between autism and vaccinations.

That being said, many pediatricians are open to alternative schedules, so it can't hurt to ask. Although we plan on vaccinating our son, and I personally do not believe there is not a link to autism, we have asked for an alternate schedule. In part, this was because I went to Africa last year and the advice I received as an adult was to break up vaccinations as much as possible and the side effects were pretty uncomfortable. However, because so many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children, whooping cough (very dangerous to infants!) is now becoming a public health problem after many years, so I definitely believe vaccinations are important.

Good luck

I have twin daughters who just turned 4 last month. They have had all the vaccinations recommended at the time the Dr. recommended with no adverse side affects. I often wonder if I did not stress out about this decision because a was sleep deprived and it was just easier to go with the flow. I do think it is important that you have a Dr. with whom you can discuss this with, but remember this means listening to what he/she has to say as well as he/she listening to you. I do wish my doctor had advised me to give my girls tylenol prior to the vaccinations, because after the first ones they screamed for quite some time after. Many mothers since have told me that tylenol prior made their children much more comfortable. Also to keep in mind, the diseases that this vaccinations prevent can be deadly. We often forget this because these very vaccinations that everyone is so afraid of, have made them almost non existent.

Hi F.,

Completely understand your concern, I had it when my son was born too. So I decided to find as much as I could about vaccines, on both sides of the issue. I have to say I have an advantage over most people: I am a scientist by training, so I know how to read scientific articles and interpret the numbers directly rather than rely on the interpretation given to me, and spot weaknesses in methodology.

I read articles, both in magazines and in scientific journals from both sides of the issue. A couple of things struck me re. the issue of autism: most articles making the link use anecdotal evidence or very small groups of people, and you can't draw any valid conclusion from a study, even the best, most rigorous study in the world, on a very small group of people. the best you can say is that this warrants further study on a larger group. Second, while it is very well established that most cases of autism appear at the time of some major vaccines, it doesn't mean the vaccines are the cause. There is a difference between correlation (two things happening at the same time or in rapid succession) and causality (one thing causing another). I have seen articles outlining the correlation, but none demonstrating causality.

To illustrate what it means: we use central heating in winter; there is a spike of deaths of the elderly in winter. You notice that the two happen at the same time, and may or may not be related (and we know they aren't) - there is a correlation. If you conclude from this data that central heating causes elderly deaths so we should stop using central heating, you are concluding causality. In this case it's obviously an absurd conclusion, but in many cases it's not as obvious. You need more than just a timeline to be able to infer that one causes the other. Very often the first signs of autism appear shortly after a major vaccine, so it must be caused by it. In preliminary studies, it is legitimate to raise the issue as a possibility, but I have found no convincing evidence showing that it is what happens. Quite the contrary, I've seen several articles indicating that it is just a correlation, and that the causes are to be found elsewhere.

But even if you discard everything I said above, there is one element that to me closed the deal: The element in vaccines accused of triggering autism is thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative. Thimerosal was banned from vaccines in 2002. If it was indeed causing autism, we should have seen a decrease in the rate of autism in the children born after the ban. But there is no such dip in the cases of autism. The last numbers I've seen actually tend to show that the rate of autism is still increasing... Oh, and if vaccines were the culprit, we should have no or very little autism in the non-vaccinated population, and, while the population is small so we need to be careful, the numbers I've seen indicate similar proportions of children with autism in both the vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations.

Personally, I think a much more likely culprit for autism is the uncontrolled experiment we're running on our children and ourselves by exposing everyone to a collection of chemicals whose interactions have never been studied.

It's not to say that vaccines are completely safe. Rare but extremely serious reactions do happen, and it's cold comfort to know that your child is one in a million. Should we give the vaccines individually rather than do combined like the MMR? Maybe. Should we vaccine for everything we do? I think tetanus and polio are more than worth it, not so sure about mumps and the like.

Also, remember, if you choose to not vaccine your children, you are in essence counting on the population around them protecting your girls because everyone else is vaccinated, and hence cannot give them the illness. But should they go somewhere were those illnesses are still there, and many of them are still present in many areas of the world (polio among others), your girls will have no protection whatsoever and can absolutely catch it.

I hope this helps you make a decision - no matter which way you choose to go. :-)

K.

Hi F.-
You can request that the MMR shot be given separately rather than all in one.

You are the mom and you can choose what you want to do. Do not let ANYONE strong arm you into something that does not feel right for you or your girls!!! I had to go on numerous interviews until I found an okay doctor but have since changed 2 times until I found someone who I adore ...... make sure you have a doctor that you can have an open conversation and relationship over this issue. Yes indeed it is a hot topic all the time. You can have the MMR split and I am thinking that is not until the age of 2. I cannot say for sure because I have not had any of children vaccined. I have 3 children. I have not decided if I will do it when the oldest starts school or not but for now I am more then okay with mine and my husbands decision. There is a ton of info on the web and books. You should start reading and let the info that you take in be your guide.

Good luck. Remember you are the mom and many decisions we make are from our gut and you sound like the kind of mom that will do what is best for your family!!!

Again do not let anyone push in any direction that you do not feel comfortable with when it comes to your children. My first doctor tried to make me give 1st baby formula on day 5 because she had not regained her birth weight she was 9.2. Told me I HAD to give formula or it would be dangerous for the baby. I KNEW better in my heart and I knew I was making for her what she needed. I was new mom and scared of what would happen but that quickly went out the window. We came home and I nursed and nursed and when we went back the next day she had gained 2 oz. She was so quick to point out how she was right and how it is important for us mothers to listen to the professionals. I was not going to say anything but let's put it this way..... we found another doctor.

You will do the right thing!!!

Hi F.,

I agree with Sue wholeheartedly. I was horrified to find out that my son got his first vaccination the day he was born. He has had all his vaccinations only because he went to daycare and I did not know that there is a legal, albeit, not easy way of getting waivers.

Vaccinations have to be given within a certain time period, so if the range was between 6 and 12 months, I choose 12 months. If I knew then what I know now I would not have given him vaccinations or the flu shots. My son developed a long list of allergies 2 weeks after getting his first flu shot. Just a coincidence, I will never know for sure.

All this to say, trust your mommy instincts. You are in charge. All the best!

CTBJ - wife, mother and entrepreneur of the Royal NapMat (http:www.royalnapmat.com)