Do You Protect Your Unvaccinated Child?

I so agree with Shane. Sorry to offend you dear, but you will still have that 1 on 110 chance of ending up with an autistic child whether or not you decide to vaccinate. And speaking as one with an autistic kid, they are not in the least cut out to have anyone of these horrible killer deseases that everyone has forgotten about. As for the "herd" all the unvaccinated put the entire herd at risk because vaccines aren not 100% effective, and what happens is some with the weakest imune systems, like those of autistics, cancer victims, and chronically ill (and vaccinated) will die when the unvaccinated become a breeding ground for the old killer, and nearly forgotten, viruses. If you really think that eating right and exercise is going to prevent you from dying of polio or pertussis, then I have a some snake oil (and a bridge) to sell you...

I haven't vaccinated my son and my doctor told me that unless he was sick there was no need to bring him in. Apart from that we don't do anything different.

Dear C.,
I am a mother who chose to vaccinate so you might not want to hear my reply. But, I'm still a mother, none the less.
I know that vaccinations are a heated subject, it's a parent's right to decide, but I am confused by your question.
If you don't believe in vaccinating your child, why are you worried about diseases? It seems to me that you would be much less worried about diseases than you are worried about possible side effects from vaccinations and that's why you chose the way you did.
At the pediatrician's office, many kids are there to get their vaccinations and keep them current. Your child has a far less chance of catching a disease from them. That's a good thing.

Regardless, I don't think you should avoid people to prevent illness. What's the point in that? Children need to be around people to learn to socialize. A few germs here and there are actually good for kids and build their immune systems.
You can't keep your baby in a bubble. Vaccines or no vaccines.
I hope I didn't offend you.

It will be interesting to see the responses.

Since one mother mentioned that at only way to get polio is from the vaccine and another mentioned that we had a president with polio but not one with autism....and yet others who think people should have their facts straight before commenting....
I urge you all to view this. It was aired on PBS.

My family was affected by polio prior to the vaccine and we have had no cases since.
For those who have no experience with polio, I urge you to view this very informative historical piece.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/polio/pl...
It's titled, "The Polio Crusade".

I have not vaccinated my 2.5 year old. I struggled with the decision like all the moms out there... Some things that came to mind...

We have had a president who had polio, we have not had a president with autism.

Even if the injury is not as extreme as autism, I am afraid, nonetheless, of causing some level of brain damage in my child by injecting so much weird stuff into her blood stream. See vaccine ingredients: http://www.rense.com/general59/vvac.htm

Many of the diseases we are vaccinating against are not life-threatening in a healthy child. Many have been virtually eradicated. And many are not a threat after the first two years of life.

I am not keen about the methodology of vaccinating. We do not give oral vaccinations, we stick needles into kids.

I have a pediatrician that supports not vaccinating.

I am doing extended nursing to provide her with some level of immunity. But other than that... we are just living life. She takes classes, she goes to the park, we socialize, she has been to Europe with us four times.

She is not a threat to other children. She is a healthy child and I am a responsible member of our community. If she is ever ill, keep her home or take her to the doctor, whichever is appropriate.

Some links that may be of interest: http://drjaygordon.com/category/vaccinations

Life is full of risk. As parents, we have to weigh some risk over others. Please read Dr. Sears book "vaccinations". Its a thoughtful and balanced take on the real risks of some of the diseases we vaccinate our kids for.

That being said, I don't make any huge efforts to protect my children. I just make sure I boost their immunity, keep their diets free of preservatives and chemicals, and make sure they get drink a ton of water and get lots of rest. When my youngest was under one, we did all the normal activities, parks, play dates, museums, hikes etc. I just make sure I washed her hands and changed her clothes after any activity that got her crawling or interacting with a lot of other kids. Not unlike what most moms probably do after those situations.

My Doctor advised that we kept her away from very large crowds until she was 6 months and we wore her in a sling to keep her close when we could.
Just remember, exposure to germs and getting sick builds immunity. Its an essential part of growing up and I would argue that NOT having vaccines so quickly and at such a young age actually helps your child's immunity develop at a more beneficial rate.

Just make sure you don't share the fact that you don't vaccinate with parents that you don't know well. That way you can protect yourself from the onslaught of misinformation and emotion that many parents have when they hear you have not vaccinated YOUR child.

I know its not an easy decision either way so good luck with everything!

I am a believer of vaccinations, so ignore me if you must. I can understand why people want to delay and spread out vaccinations, but I can't find any logical reason not to vaccinate at all. A vaccine protects against one specific disease (or more if it is a combo). As far as toxins...your child is exposed to more toxins/preservatives in foods. There is probably more mercury in ketchup, then there is in a shot. And MMR does not cause autism. There was only one study done that said it did. That study was retracted because no one could reproduce the same results. (No one mentions that the doctor that "proved" MMR caused autism, also developed his own MMR vaccine that he said would not cause autism $$$$) Purell isn't going to protect your child from that any disease that a vaccine can protect you from. In fact, most studies show that overuse of hand sanitizers is more dangerous. I think it is a great option when you are somewhere that soap and water is not available. Have you googled pictures of children with measles or mumps (diseases that are on the rise because we are loosing herd immunity). As far as Polio..it still exist (mostly in small countries). But until it is completely irradiated, people still need protection.

I selectively vaccinate.

I do not use hand sanitizers EXCEPT when we are at the doctor's office or I am at work (hospital). The germs we are exposed to every day help to maintain the function of our immune system and keep our bodies strong. There is a lot of emerging research that we are creating strains of germs that are resistant to hand sanitizers so soon we will have created bugs that are stronger and resistant to anything we have and people will be getting very ill from them (this is how MRSA and VRE came into being- overuse of antibiotics).

We eat a healthy diet, excercise, etc. I do not restrict who my kids come into contact with but I would avoid public places if there was an outbreak of something we were not vaccinated against (such as measles a couple of years ago).

By the way- my son got the chicken pox from his vaccine a couple of weeks ago! So not only did he end up getting it anyway but we exposed everyone in his school to it! The best of intentions...

Hi.
Kids are always going to get sick at the park but they don't pick up Hep B!!! I vaccinated my 1 born (girl) but decided against it for my second (boy). We have never even thought about doing different activities or avoided public places. The vaccine schedule is too aggressive for our little babies and their bodies should not have to process all the known chemicals found in vaccines.
Luckily, my pediatrician let's the choice be ours but he has followed up with information on the recommended vaccines. You should not have a problem finding a pediatric doct on the Westside of LA who will respect your wishes for your child.
My advise to you is to do more research and you'll find that it's not an issue to make your own choice and to vaccinate differently then the masses.
M.

Anette M. please keep in mind that a person's decision to not vaccinate is protected by LAW. Not to mention that all your reasons are flawed. There is more risk of a disease coming from a vaccinated child than an unvaccinated one. Please check your facts before attacking people who have honest questions.

C., Go and do without fear. We prevent illness by taking vitamin D3, probiotics, fish oils and a highly absorbable multi vitamin. We go literally everywhere at any time we want.

If you don't vaccinate your children, know that they can still infect others without showing symptoms themselves. Please keep that into consideration when your children are around infants too young to yet be vaccinated, especially after traveling abroad. I don't understand your decision, but I will respect it because these are your children. However, I am also trying to protect my children. So please keep them away from very little ones whether they are sick or healthy.

I waited until my second son was six months to start vaccinations and did only two at a time. He has always handled the vaccinations very well since I wasn't inundating him with so many at one time. I followed the CDC schedule with my first son and he always got so sick after his shots. Also, I have read a lot of literature about vaccines and there is one item of interest I have read several times. The blood brain barrier of a child is not done forming until they are 18 months old and that is why it has a difficult time filtering out the viruses, especially the live ones. Several experts on the topic have recommended doing MMR and Varicella after 18 months.

Also, I do not believe it is extremely irresponsible to delay vaccinations and stagger them. I have done it both ways and I would never do so many shots at once again. It is your job as a parent to be your child's advocate in every aspect of life and not simply do what everyone tells you to do. It is ok to challenge authority and ask a lot of hard questions of your doctors. I have been blessed with two beautiful children and I will always stand up for them and do what I think is right for their health and wellbeing.

Too many parents are judgmental about the decisions other parents make when they haven't walked in their shoes. I would say if you aren't going to vaccinate at least consider HIB and Pneumococcol for your infant. You might want to consider reading Dr. Sears book too. He offers an insightful view into vaccinating verses not and gives an alternative schedule. Good luck!

I would not even start to dream of not vaccinating my little ones but I do realize it is your choice to make this decision. I have a friend who had parents who were always keeping her to clean, she can't remember ever even playing in the dirt. She has developed MS.

Another friend grew up in California High Society, had a nanny and a governess. She never played outside and went to private schools when she wasolder. She can remember Rhett Butler coming to dinner at her house. She developed MS also. There is research to support being too clean leads to serious lack of developing immune systems and the membrane that covers the nerve cells doesn't develop correctly. It is very weak. Kids need to be exposed to all kinds of things. Of course I am not saying let them go lick the floor of Wal-Mart. But soap works. People have lived for hundreds of years with just soap for washing dishes and bodies. Be resonable, don't let them eat without washing their hands and if they are going to be rubbing their hands close to their face then by all means wash their little hands first.

I hope your little ones stay healthy and safe. Good luck mom.

We make sure they are exposed to germs, builds immunity. Good food, water, vitamins, chiropractic care. Cleaning shopping carts, hands after playing. Our pediatrician told us there was no need to come for well baby checks if we weren't vaccinating, and our office has an area for sick children and well children. Hope this helps! If you haven't read The Sanctity of Human Blood, look it up! www.thedoctorwithin.com

p.s. I've seen a study that showed zero unvaccinated kids had autism, I don't remember how many they looked at but none of the ones they dis had it. And I just love how people love to tell you your decisions (made after researching and doing what's best for you and your family) are wrong. You came here for advice on protecting your child from illness or disease, not asking whether or not you should vaccinate! My unvaccinated, chiropractic patient kids (and others I've seen that do the same) are much healthier than other kids who are vaccinated.

I have not vaccinated my two childrent (6 and 7) and they have been fine. They hardly get sick, ALTHOUGH, I did give my daughter (the older one) one vaccine at 2 (the whooping cough one) and she got sick right after that for 2-3 months (she caught so many things and was put on Antibiotics by the dr. who I left after this whole thing). I switched over to Dr. Gordon in Santa Monica and never vaccinated again. He has said that the vaccinated children come into the doctor with sicknesses more than the non-vaccinated children. My daughter has not need antibiotics since the time I mentioned. The worst she has had was, we think, swine flu last October. 5 days of 105 and nothing else and then it went away (now she is natually vaccinated). My son, g-d bless, at 5 has yet to have to go the doctor for a sickness. He has only gone for the well child visits.

I never held them back from things (except day care at a ski resort for fear of sickness, but that was my first. Probably my second I would have put in). The only extra stuff I do at home is homeopathic. I have gone to listen to Dr. Lauren Feder, homeopathic MD, who also did not vaccinate and she gave suggestinons on what she provides during cold season. Check out her website. http://drfeder.com/

Good luck,
D.

I just want to point out that most of the diseases that the population are vaccinated against are viruses that are airborne. So you can wash you hands and Purrell your hands as much as you want and if around a host, the diseases can be spread. Actually diseases like Chicken Pox & Measles are most contagious airborne days before the outbreak. So I guess when onechooses not to vaccinate, one just rolls the dice. We did not get the Chicken Pox shot and a little boy at my DD's school caught a mild case after getting his shots. Well, we just prepped to be in the house for 10 days in 10-14 days. Sure enough 12 days later we got them... So there is no secret protection and no hand washing will prevent vaccinatated prevented disease. So there are no secrets. Also, the peds office I am more worried about H1N1 and RSV being spread than DPT.

I believe that kids need to be exposed to germs to build their immune systems.. No one goes through life without ever getting a cold.. So they might as well get colds when they are in preschool.. My kids are in preschool and we have had our share of colds this year..

My son catches more colds about 1 new cold every ohter week... but he just has the cough or runny nose and then he recovers without a dr visit or antibiotics...

we have gotten really sick from being at the dr for well child visits.. my daughers birthdya is in december .. we did her well child visit the day after christmas 1 years in a row.. and both times both kids got really sick within days of the visit.. I think christmas is very germy...lots of folks getting together sharing germs then being sick and going to the dr.. so now we do her well visit late in janurary.. my son is a june birthday so we dont usually get sick at the dr at that visit..

i am armed with purell. i hm i dread doctor's offices but we do them, go in, get checked go out. nurses know i don't want to be spending quality time in the waiting room, so they never make us wait. after we get checked, still in the office we clean our hands. get in the car, another round of purell and off we go. we wash hands constantly. no we don't avoid public places but we take precautions.

I agree with Courtney.

As a mother afraid of the autism "rumors" associated with vaccines, I have given my 2 yr old all vaccines except the MMR. I'm still reading to see if we'll give it to him later in life, age 3 or 4 perhaps. I just started reading a book "Changing the Course of Austim" by Dr. Bryan/Brian Jepson. VERY informative and I'm only just finishing the introduction. If that's your reason for not vaccinating, I recommend you read it.

But no I don't shelter my son. We go anywhere and everywhere. I get bored at the house. We go to the pet store, the anima shelter, chuck e cheese, the grocery store, the park/playground. He touches everything and still can't keep his hands out of his mouth. He got a few colds this past winter, so we stopped going to church. We kept seeing tons of snot-nosed kids there. He might have gotten H1N1, as he had fever for a few days, along with other symptoms. But the way I see it, now he's got a stronger immune system. (No he did not get any flu vaccine, regular seasonal or h1n1). I try to remember to use hand sanitizer, but don't always remember. I prefer to teach him to use soap and water, so we wash our hands before we eat lunch and dinner most of the time (when I remember).

Other than the occasional cold, he's a healthy kid. Yes I'm a little nervous to hear about Measles outbreaks, but that's when I'll bump up the handwashing and staying away from big crowds. We missed the 18 month well check, but no vaccinations were needed that visit anyways, so we haven't been in a long time. My ped. has one office for all kids, so I try to remember to clean his hands after he plays with those toys, but have never been worried that he'd get something outrageous, maybe just a cold, which is annoying itself anyways.

I'm sorry, but I have to say that it is extremely irresponsible and selfish in this age of modern medicine to not get your child vaccinated. Mankind has suffered from debilitating disease and infection from the onset of time in the quest to find cure and prevention. We are lucky enough to live in this day and age where these horrible diseases are preventable and supposed link to autism has been found to be totally unfounded. I really wonder how these non-vaccinating parents would feel if their child came down with a case of german measles or polio and spread it to multiple others..

As you can see from the other responses, this is a heated question. First, do what feels right for you and your family. Know that it is fact that by breastfeeding, which is what I did for my son to protect his immune system, your baby receives the antibodies you have in your system otherwise protecting him from everything I have had vacc. foror had been sick with. I took him to the park, mall, restaurants, etc. I avoided hospitals but I would regardless of vacc. because they are for sick people.
I delayed my son immunizations and he will receive most of them. I delayed not because of the fear of autisim (which I personally believe vacc. can be a trigger for some kids, but not the cause), but because he didn't have an immune system, I didn't feel like it was wise to pump more than one thing for his body to fight off at a time.
Also, I do have to comment on the "you can only get Pollio from the vacc".....untrue. My best friends mom developed it a few years ago.
Also, oversanitizing is also a great way to increase your chance of building "resistant" bugs. I only santitize his hands if we can wash them and he is going to eat after playing at the park. You can actually make your child less resistant to everyday germs by oversanitizing. One of the girls in my sons preschool had to drop out because she was always sick and after a few months, her mom and I figured out that because her mom had santitized everything and not let her get dirty, that little girl was catching every little bug that any kid brought in.
I think one of the things that weighed on my mind when I was making this decission was where I lived. My brother and his kids live on a rural farm inWA and he chose not to vacc. them (and they are happy, healthy 6/11yr olds). We live in LA with a lot of families from all over the world. Big city vs. small rural community. Just my random thought. What ever you decide, do not let anyone, including Dr. on either side of the vacc fence to convince you of anything other than what your gut tells you is right. I didn't want to vacc. my kid but my gut told me to do it slowly (because of where we live) and he would be fine.....and he is and I am feeling fine with my choice. Good luck. I know how difficult of a choice this is. It was one of the scariest ones for me.