Vaccines

Before I start in on this one let me say two things....1) Sorry I have typos out the wazoo and 2) this is not to say I'm right or wrong or talk you into my choice. This is just what I do and I am sharing that and why I do it. This is a very heated topic of debate so I am going to try to be respectful and just share what I do and why (like I said before).

I do vaccinate. I do selective vaccinating. If we have another kiddo then they will recieve less than E and E has gotten less than V.

First I will tell you what I did with V. She got Vitamin K and Hep B in the hospital. She got her shots as normal after that for the most part. She did not get varicella (chicken pox), she did not get RV, and she did not get any sort of flu vaccine. She has yet to recieve her MMR.

Next is E....she did not get Vitamin K or Hep B in the hospital. She got DTaP at 2 and 4 months and she will get Pertussis at 6 months. She got Hib and PCV at 3 months and she will get it again at 5 and 7 months. She will get polio starting at 9 months.

Next baby if God blesses us will be the same as E minus the DT part of the DTaP (so she'll only get the Pertusis).

Pertusis scares the crap out of me. DTaP has many documented negative side effects on infants as well as adults. SIDS reports are higher after this combo shot for up to a month. This shot can cause brain damage and seizures. Once again, Pertusis scares the crap out of me....I won't risk that.

The flu does not scare me. I always got the flu when I had the vaccine and haven't had it since stopping. When I start teaching I will start getting it again. V had the flu when she was 8 months old. It was not fun. She had a fever for 3 days that required alternating Tylenol and Motrin. It was worse at night. After 3 days she was almost back to her normal self. She has not had it since. For me personally it is not worth the risks involved with giving it to her. It does have mercury. It is not much. It is around the amount of a tuna fish sandwich. In my opinion that's too much for my infants....as well as older kiddos.

My children will get Hep B after they are 11. I don't really see them sharing needles are having unprotected sex before leaving the hospital so it's not necessary in my opinion.

Rotovirus is a live virus. No thank you. Live viruses can definitely give your kiddo the actual virus.

MMR....hmmmm....do I even want to go there. For me personally, the possible side effects associated with this vaccine outweigh the risks of the diseases themselves so I will be skipping this one. Yes, the studies done by whatever English doctor have be overturned because he did not do them ethically or correctly. However, there is a court case that has been won that states that the MMR vaccine triggered a little girl's predisposed genetics and let to her Autism. Scouts honor.....here's the link.

Varicella.....really? What are they going to come up with next?! Here's what I am going to do. I am going to let my kiddos decide if they want it (after they have had blood tests to see if they are not immune naturally) after they are like 15 or older. I'll do the same with the MMR actually. Chicken pox can be super dangerous but it's more dangerous the older you are.

Does that cover them? Here's another link with more info and personal stories but it can be super scary and so I just want to warn you with that and you can venture at your own descretion.

My unvaxed kiddos are not going to kill your vaxed kiddos. Please do not attack my choice to vax or not. Yes, my children can even go to public schools. In most states this just requires a trip to the health dept. for a form. I feel like it is best for my child to develop their own immune system.

I feel like this is a very personal decision. Really, all parenting choices are. I do everything I do thinking it is the best choice I can make for my children. Everyone can do as they please. I just do what I want and everyone needs to respect each other. I hate getting attacked or getting speeches about why I need to vax my kiddos for whatever. I have a super understanding ped and he has never once fought me. He always says this is what is on the schedule....what do you want to do? It's never an argument.

ETA: somewhere up there I said RV shot.....RV is an oral vax.....just thought I should correct that so I didn't look completely stupid.