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I took Niko for his one year check-up on Tuesday. I knew I would be faced with a big decision…. the MMR vaccine.
The big one.
The controversial one.
The scary one.
I have been researching the topic, but it is pretty confusing. There are pros can cons on both sides. For every website I find that says there is no connection to autism, I find one that says there is.
I can’t decide what I’m more terrified of… Autism or the diseases the vaccine can protect against.
My mom had Measles when she was 7. She could not open her eyes for 3 days and when she could finally open her eyes, her vision was blurry. She now wears glasses due to the Measles. Her sister became deaf in her left ear thanks to her bout with Measles.
I decided against giving Niko his MMR at this time. I don’t feel informed enough about the risks and I would like to give him the M/M/R shots separately. The hunt is on for ANYONE in the KC area who can do this. (I read that this may not be possible until 2011.)
I did give him his Chicken Pox vaccine and I spent Friday night in the ER with him. He had an allergic reaction to the vaccine and broke out with hives.
He’s fine, but it was kinda scary looking and I wanted to be sure he was going to be OK. Nothing like seeing your baby covered in bumpy spots all over his body to give you a good scare.
He will be on steroids and Benadryl for the next week to control the hives.
(BTW… what’s up with Urgent Care not seeing kids under the age of 2?!??!?!?! Arrrggggg…..)
I am pretty lost about the whole thing really. I’m sure that this subject has been beaten to death on this site, but I am still interested in your thoughts on vaccines.
What have you done with your children? Any regrets either way?
I am so sorry he had a reaction to the chicken pox vaccine. What exactly do they think he is allergic to in it? I think if there was a reaction of any sort that bad, I would also be very careful with vaccines. I know a woman whose daughter has delayed learning because of some sort of reaction (the kind with the screaming...and she lost some abilities right after the shot she had before it). It's enough for me to pay very close attention. I make sure my kids have tylenol before shorts...because I figure keeping fever down is half the battle for some reactions. Allergies though, that one is not something you know about until it happens.As a microbiologist and a mother, I firmly believe in vaccines. Vaccination not only protects your children against potentially deadly diseases, but it also protects children who are too young to receive the vaccine and older people whose immunity has worn off. The increase in such diseases as Whooping Cough and Mumps is in direct correlation with parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. The issue with the MMR vaccine is that after this vaccine parents seem to think that their children have learning delays. Since this is also the age of some major milestones, it is possible that this delays were already present. Currently the likelihood of your child catching one of these disease is low. However as more and more parents choose not to vaccinate, it will effect the "herd immunity". Translation: these diseases will be seen again. The question is do you want to risk your child catching one once they start school? How will you feel if you have another child to young to vaccinate and there is an outbreak of mumps in your older child's school?We had these exact same concerns. We ended up waiting until they were "older" to give them the MMR. I can't recall how old they were, but I know we did not do it when they were 1. I was thinking more like 3.Bo couldn't go to school without the shot...make sure you research this for when he goes to preschool! Bo got the shot and is fine...As a microbiologist and a mother, I firmly believe in vaccines. Vaccination not only protects your children against potentially deadly diseases, but it also protects children who are too young to receive the vaccine and older people whose immunity has worn off. The increase in such diseases as Whooping Cough and Mumps is in direct correlation with parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. The issue with the MMR vaccine is that after this vaccine parents seem to think that their children have learning delays. Since this is also the age of some major milestones, it is possible that this delays were already present. Currently the likelihood of your child catching one of these disease is low. However as more and more parents choose not to vaccinate, it will effect the "herd immunity". Translation: these diseases will be seen again. The question is do you want to risk your child catching one once they start school? How will you feel if you have another child to young to vaccinate and there is an outbreak of mumps in your older child's school?I actually just took my 1-year old daughter last week to her appointment and she got the MMR vaccine. She didn't have any reaction to it and is acting normal...I agree with Dawn, my personal view is I would rather protect her from the MMR diseases. It also seems that there aren't any strong studies out there showing a definite connection between autism & MMR, though I haven't researched it that much. With that being said, I did find this Q&A about how and why people started linking MMR & autism together: http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/AdviceFromDoctors/YourChildsHealth/mmr_vaccine_and_autism Hope that helps.PS - I meant to say I agree with quickmom's comment :) Though I also give my daughter tylenol before the shots, as Dawn posted.We vaccinated without hesitation. We had so many other health concerns that I wasn't going to risk getting a childhood disease that is preventable.I am a firm believer in research for such an important and personal decision, as well as educated instinct. We have partially vaccinated our 2 kids, and we claim religious exemption at school (MO preschools don't require an explanation, just a signing of a health form.) I have spent years researching vaccines. I have a BS and MS degree (not in microbiology, though) and I feel I'm an educated person. That being said, I have had a very hard time finding information I fully believe on either side. Please do your research and trust your instincts. You can always get a shot, but you can't undo one. Sounds like your son could have reaction issues, which would give me great pause. Try National Vaccine Information Center's website, CDC, and mothering.com forums to start. Good luck! Remember, you are the one in charge, not the doctors. And please look to see where funding is coming from for studies (part of the issue with the pro-vaccine choice studies is they aren't funded well. No pharmaceutical company is going to make money on a study claiming a vaccine isn't necessary.)Totally agree with Debcb. I never hesitated. Yes that was 13 years ago before they started with the possible connection to Autism. Even now, I will still keep DD updated on her vaccines.At the hospital, they tried to get ME to get both a tetanus shot AND an MMR shot. I refused both. We are doing delayed immunizations for the baby.My pediatrician had a great Web site with information on vaccines--I wish I could remember what it was. Basically, it explained that the risk from the vaccine is less than the risk of the disease: you can get immunity either way, but the disease route is generally much, much worse. I did find the CDC's Web site: http://cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/default.htm It might have some information for you. As far as the reaction to the chicken pox vaccine--is your son allergic to eggs? Many vaccines are grown in specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs, such as the flu shot. If you're allergic to eggs, you shouldn't get the shot.Well can I just ask this...if there are those that are getting around vaccinating-does that put my immunized child at risk? If not, why does the school districts and anywhere really need to see my shot records if it is "optional" to some parents? I think if their child perishes from mumps, or measles-as they electively chose to not get a simple vaccine, that would not affect my immunized child, correct?We fully vaccinated our first two children, primarily because we were uneducated on the subject of vaccines. With our third, we are taking a much more cautious approach. I've done a bunch of reading from various sources to help in our decision making process. Probably the most helpful information came from a book called, "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears. It discussed all of the vaccines giving the pros and cons of the vaccine, how the vaccine is made and the ingredients in it, information about the disease, etc. I found it to be a very unbiased look at vaccinations. I'd recommend reading it!! http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/ This might also be of interest. http://www.novaccine.com/mary_tocco.asp This lady was recently here in KC to give a seminar. Vaccinations are a hugely controversial topic. It is important for each of us to research the topic and decide what's best for our own families.
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