Vaccination question - hanging out with non vaxers

ebp913

I fully vaccinate my children on schedule with the AAP.  They are 21 months and 5 months.  I have an acquaintance who doesn't vaccinate at all and she wants our kids to get together to play.  I really don't like this idea but I want to know if/what age my children are completely protected from all vaccinable (probably not a word but you get my gist) diseases if that's even possible.  Is it okay for my 21 month old vaccinated child to play with her kids with the shots she has received now?  At what age would you be comfortable with your kids playing with non-vaxed kids, if ever?  I have another friend in a similar dilemma so I'd love to know what you all think.  

Katie829

I wouldn't feel comfortable with that at all. You wouldn't know if they had something if the symptoms haven't started yet.

anonsouthernbell

I would feel comfortable once your LO had all 3 DTaPs.

tbmadeamistake

My nieces aren't vaccinated.  When DD was born I waited until after her third round of shots before I let that meet up happen.  Luckily (well, eh), my brother was divorced and living on the other side of the country, and his ex wasn't making it a huge priority to have her kids meet mine, so it was easy enough to delay it.  I think that I'd feel ok with your kids' ages as long as they didn't share cups. Just make sure to watch what your 5 month old is putting in her mouth.  Also, you could meet up somewhere neutral so that you don't feel the need to sterilize your house after they leave or have a heart attack every time they pick something up at her place.

kitten mittenz

I would probably be OK with the older one but not the 5 month old...

Suzanne68

My friends pediatrician told her not to be around unvaccinated children until her kids turned 5! I am sure we come in contact with unvaccinated kids at classes the park etc. all the time. I wouldn't let the 5 month old around unvaccinated kids yet.

ebp913

Okay thanks.  I would either not take my 5 month old or have him completely separated from the other kids.  

AlfiesMOM

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with it ever.

capulet

This is a toughie because I'm very non-confrontational with my friends, but vaccinating is something I feel very strongly about.  Sure, you probably unknowingly encounter unvaccinated children all the time, but there's a difference between passing encounters and playdates, and there's a difference between living life normally and intentionally placing your children in a potentially unsafe and also completely optional situation.  I think I would probably consider the full round of DTaP immunizations for your DS a milestone before which I would not intentionally place either child in extended contact with unvaccinated children (your DD is probably safe but I would still worry about the risk she might transmit pertussis or something to him somehow).  I mean, your friend might as well get used to the fact that her decision not to vaccinate is going to affect the kinds of situations in which her children will be able to interact with their peers, if she doesn't realize it already.

allardr

I'd be fine with my older one but not the younger one--too much mouthing at that age. Maybe do a park play date. My kid has probably been around non-vaccinated kids and I never knew it so I would try not to worry too much. 

pinksweetpea2

Suzanne68 said:

My friends pediatrician told her not to be around unvaccinated children until her kids turned 5!  

That is just silly as most (maybe even all) after 18 months or so are just boosters.  This sort of dramatics is what drives me crazy with typical pediatricians.  

OP- I am very relaxed about non-vaxers (although I vaccinate my kids on the typical schedule), but I think I would wait until the 5 month old was closer to 9 months or even a year to expose him directly (sharing toys, etc.)  If he is going to be in a carrier or sleeping in the carseat, you should be fine. 

pinksweetpea2

AlfiesMOM said:

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with it ever.

Really?  Your kid is the one who is vaccinated (fully pretty much at the age of 2)- why would you have a problem with this after a certain age?  

mclere

If people who vaccinate are so sure the vaccines work then why be worried about being around non vaxxd kids?

somewhereincali

18 months minimum.

But honestly never if it was by choice (vs documented allergy) Not because I think they would never be protected but because people who aren't capable of understanding logical arguments and statistics bug the heck out of me so I wouldn't want to spend any time with someone who doesn't vax by choice.

somewhereincali

mclere said:

If people who vaccinate are so sure the vaccines work then why be worried about being around non vaxxd kids?

Because they don't work 100 percent. It's not that you vaccinate one kid and they can never get sick. It's that you vaccinate a whole population and the relatively high level of protection then keeps the diseases from getting any sort of outbreak going.

But then nonvaxers probably wouldn't understand that since they don't seem to understand much of anything about how vaccines, diseases or any of that science of illnesses works