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View Full Version : What did you decide on vaccinations?



kijip
08-27-2005, 04:35 PM
Since we have had the discussion (or rather are having the discussion!) on the other thread, let's leave this for simple answers not pro and con debate. Thanks! Just curious if this board leans one way or the other. ETA: I guess since many of us have more than 1 child and may have made different choices, choose what you choose for your youngest/most recent child and then feel free to elaborate what you did differently in a response!

elliput
08-27-2005, 05:11 PM
In order for DD to be in her daycare, she has to have vacc's on schedule. If not for that I would probably have delayed. My Ped also doesn't start vacc's until two months, so DD didn't have the one that some get upon birth (can't remember which that is right now...).

m448
08-27-2005, 07:13 PM
Ian had all his vaxes on schedule until I stopped right before the varicella and MMR. With this next baby and Ian from now on I'm at the no vaxes. I will reevaluate when they get to about preteen age and if anything changes I might consider selective vaxex for a later date.

We plan on homeschooling but even if we were to decide to public school or enroll him in sports (which we will do) our state allows for a health or religous exemption. The religious exemption is purely a statement that upon religious conviction you refuse vaccinations and your signature. Other states offer philosophical refusals as well.

I hope I have the opportunity to find a chicken pox party before the kids reach the age for reconsideration and as far as girls I wouldn't do the MMR until sometime around college age. I had the MMR as a kid, then before getting pregnant had my titers checked and I still had to get a booster. This was before I did the research on vaccinations.

redhookmom
08-27-2005, 07:49 PM
For my first child we went according to schedule. He had a hard time with the amount of vaccinations that were given at the same time. His little immune system just couldn't handle it.

For my second child we delayed vaccinations until she turned two. We will not get chx pox until we have to and will not get the flu vax.

Calmegja2
08-27-2005, 08:26 PM
Here's a blurb with the records through 2004 on pediatric vaccination in general...coverage rates. Immunization is at record levels in children:

http://www.ashp.org/news/ShowArticle.cfm?id=6754

kijip
08-27-2005, 11:45 PM
Thanks!

saschalicks
08-28-2005, 12:07 PM
I voted all but chicken pox vaccination. DH & I agree that if DC do not get Chicken Pox by age 7 we may re-visit the vaccination.

amp
08-28-2005, 09:18 PM
I answered all vaccs, on schedule, but actually we refused the Prevnar vacc after the 1st one. It scared the crap out of DH when he researched it, and since it's been on the market so short a time, has too many risks and not so much risk of not having it, we skipped it. Ped didn't question us whatsoever on that one.

Judegirl
08-28-2005, 10:45 PM
We are not vaccinating. We went from not thinking about it at all, to considering delaying, to considering selective vaxing, to vax-free, over the course of about 20 months.

Best,
Jude

zen_bliss
08-29-2005, 04:52 AM
no prevnar nor chicken pox.
did mumps, measles, rubella as single shots, each one month apart, slightly delayed from schedule.

KrisM
08-29-2005, 12:04 PM
We skipped Prevnar, will wait a long time for Chicken Pox, and will do MMR separately at least 6 months apart. Also, DS doesn't get more than 1 shot per visit. I just don't think he needs so many all at one time. Plus, if there is a reaction, how would I know which one caused it?

aliceinwonderland
08-29-2005, 12:41 PM
This is an honest question!! Do you all plan on home-schooling? I ask because (for example) I have lived in several places in the world and both coasts here in the US, and somehow lost evidence of my Hep B. vaccine. My school is giving me hell, having me either find papers I can't find (obviously!)or retake the vaccine. Presently I have delayed this by just having a tether (sp?) taken to see if I have the antibodies. But here I am, 27, married and with no plans to be promiscuous in the near future, no illegal drug use, living OFF campus, and they are making me take a vaccine (As most know, I have nothing against the vaccine, just in principle I am stubborn and do not want to be made to do something i see no reason for!).
I can't register for classes if I don't have this taken care of..

So how will you deal with your children's schools, etc. in the future is my question? And I think internationally adopted children need to be vaxed too (someone correct me if wrong) for INS purposes--this is why it's very difficult if not impossible to adopt an HIV positive child, methinks...

Thanks. Just looking for insight here.

ETA: "internationally"

nd93
08-29-2005, 12:47 PM
I apologize if this was covered somewhere else already, but what is the concern with the chicken pox vaccine? There seem to be a lot of people opting out of that particular one. Thanks.

brittone2
08-29-2005, 01:01 PM
You are correct about international adoption from what I've read. Not sure if that is the reason why it is difficult to adopt a child with HIV. I don't know much about that specifically.

I do plan on home schooling most likely, but it is possible to send your child to public school without vaxes if you file a religious exemption or if your state permits it, a philosophical exemption.

You are in PA I believe? There is no philosophical exemption, only religious (or medical, which requires verification from a doc that a vaccine would medically damage you) in PA. That can be loosely interpreted, however. If you don't have an exemption, they can require that you be vaxed based upon what I know.

It stinks that if you get a titre they won't accept that, but so is the way of the world I guess.

ellies mom
08-29-2005, 01:19 PM
It's pretty new and they aren't 100% certain how long it will protect you. They know that boosters will be needed at some point, unlike getting immunity the old fashioned way which protects you for life. So while we may be protecting children while they are young (and more likely to not have a serious problem) we may be pushing the problem down the road. If people do not get the booster shots then they might be more likely to get it when they are older and it tends to be more serious. So there will have to be a pretty big push for people to be getting booster shots. I can definately see it being a concern for women.

That was the one vac. that I really had to think about but in the end I went with it.

JMS
08-29-2005, 01:23 PM
Beth and Eri,
Are you sure about the titer thing in PA? I was under the impression that a titer check proving immunity was good enough for vaccination requirement purposes. I live in PA and was hoping that by checking titers I may be able to avoid some future bosters. Of course, after all the research I have done (and the pregnancy brain thing I've got going), I can't remember whether I was told this, or actually researced it.. I'll look into later when DD is sleeping.

J

ETA: BTW, DD is on a delayed schedule. I have no plans for Prevnar, will postpone chicken pox as long as possible and will separate the MMR. DC#2 will have nothing until 2 and then will be similiarly vaccinated.

aliceinwonderland
08-29-2005, 01:28 PM
It may have been so long that it will not tell you whether you have had the vacine, or if you need a booster, the answer is only "too low, get new vaccine" or "good enough".

Maybe I wasn't vaccinated after all for Hep B, I really need to have a chat with my parents, as I am sure they gave me all vaxes available, and if they didn't my undergrad would have, but my first titre came too low, so I will opt for a booster and then we'll see.

This is no big deal for me, I was just honestly curious about states that may not have an exemption like Beth describes.

brittone2
08-29-2005, 01:29 PM
Oh, I have no idea if they'd accept a titre or not, I haven't really researched it for myself. I just know the exemption options in PA and assumed if you don't have an exemption filed, they could say Eri had to have it. I could most definitely be wrong though. It would be nice if they'd take a titre :)

Judegirl
08-29-2005, 01:31 PM
We do plan on home schooling, at least for awhile, but the two were not related decisions. We would do our best to get an exemption - and exemption laws will be a priority for us when choosing a state in which to live.

Best,
Jude

brittone2
08-29-2005, 01:39 PM
Good point. I don't consider our decision (for now) to most likely homeschool at least for several years to be related to our vax decisions.

m448
08-29-2005, 01:44 PM
Same here, we decided to homeschool way before our decision to stop vaxing so unrelated decisions. Exemptions are available and you'd be surprised at how many kids in publics schools have these filed.

calebsmama03
08-29-2005, 05:17 PM
My ped just told me that the single doses are no longer available! Did you have to research the issue to get them ordered for DD or is your ped just more "progressive" that way? I'd llove to get info that shows they ARE available and how I can get them, if you happen to know that.
Lynne
Mommy to C 3/03
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And Miss Purple, 5/05

maestramommy
08-29-2005, 05:29 PM
Hi all:

My sis referred me to this link because we've been talking about it for a while. The ped. I picked told me that chicken pox will soon be added to the MMR. I asked him about spacing the shots separately, and he said he didn't think they were available separately anymore. This is in California. Can anyone confirm this? BTW, he also told me that the only vaccine he uses that has thimerisol in it is flu, and that vaccine is rarely given, leading me to think that a baby isn't in a high risk category out here just because he/she is a baby.

Melanie
08-29-2005, 05:42 PM
>So how will you deal with your children's schools, etc. in the
>future is my question?

I don't plan on living anywhere that does not give me the legal right to decide what is in my children's best interest. Where we live, we decide. I was a little concerned b/c Ds' school is private and I was not sure if that made them immune to the philosophical wavors and they indeed sent out the letters and forms saying you have to, but like others here I've found you just need to know the right questions to ask and sign the waivor.

At one school I flat out asked if Ds had to have the vaccinations (as per their literature) and was told yes. Then I said, "So do you not accept the philosophical wavor?" and then was told yes they do. So, you have to know what your state laws are or else they will try to force you into it even if it's not required. At a local public school district-based program they had the forms for us to fill out, I just flipped it over, signed the back and handed it to the teacher. No one batted an eye.

brittone2
08-29-2005, 05:59 PM
No advice on the MMR issue, but ask to see any package inserts of vaxes your child receives. Some docs do say that the shot is thim-free when it contains trace amounts. Vaxes can be made w/ thimerosal, then it is removed, still leaving the possibility of a small amount being in there. By the current legal definitions, they can be sold as thimerosal free, although some companies' inserts will still say a little bit may be in there. This may or may not be a concern to you.

I think it is important to always see the insert. You have the right to see it.

Flu vax is recommended for kiddos 2 and under I believe, and some still contain thimerosal.

Melanie
08-29-2005, 06:20 PM
When there is a shortage, like last year, and places start giving children diluted/reduced adult flu vaxes instead of those manufactured for Children, they contain thimerosal.

As if any of us need thimerosal in them!

kijip
08-29-2005, 09:59 PM
The flu vax is tricky since it may not even protect from that year's flu. We would have skipped it entirly but my mother is immune compromised and a strong flu could very well lead to her death (she is in very poor health- too many things to count here!) so we got Toby the flu shot since he visits her and predictably several playgroup children or big siblings got it...next year I don't know what we will do since is older now.

nohomama
08-29-2005, 11:27 PM
"Some vaccinations, not others (for those opting out of several vaccinations)"

"Most or all vaccinations but on a modified schedule"

These two options seem redundant. I answered the later though. Lola has had all but the chickenpox vaccine on a delayed schedule, recieving, at most, two shots per visit. We delayed the Hep B the longest (until 2 years) but will likely delay it even longer in Astrid. We're doing largely the same with Astrid although we're not doing the Prevnar at all. Lola had horrendous responses (fever, altered demeanor, etc.) for days after each of those shots.

sntm
08-30-2005, 01:34 AM
I answered in the thread that is now locked (?) but to reiterate:

We vaccinated initially on schedule, then had a "screaming syndrome" episode following the 2 month vaccinations -- started with 24 hours of excessive sleepiness/lethargy/mild fever, then at about 36 hours he became very irritable, inconsolable, crying, in a way that he had never done before nor since. That landed us in the ED and almost bought him a lumbar puncture.

Subsequently, we vaccinated on a delayed schedule, only single component vaccines, no more than 2 at a time, no flu or chickenpox vaccine. We will revisit the chicken pox vaccine if he has not contracted it later on.

Incidentally, our daycare does "require" all vaccines, including chicken pox. We asked our ped about a medical exemption due to the previous reaction, and while she didn't feel comfortable with that (it was a bit of a stretch) she was totally supportive of our decision. We filed a religious/philosophical objection (since they unfortunately don't permit an objection for health concerns), though I felt this was reasonable since it is my religious/philosophical beliefs to avoid doing harm, which in this case I believed that I would. They accepted it, even though we had done other vaccinations.

I may do things differently next time, though not sure exactly what yet.
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shannon
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PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
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