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Natural Birth
alternative vaccine schedule
So I thought I'd ask this over here also since you ladies are probably a little more understanding.
For those of you following Dr. Sears' Alternative Vaccine Schedule, when are you going to give the MMR shot? On the schedule that I have (which I know may be slightly outdated since things change all the time) it breaks up the MMR into 3 seperate shots over a period of time, however this is not available according to our pedi. Just curious what others are doing since I'm trying to make my decision.
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Re: alternative vaccine schedule
While I read the vaccine book...I didn't find I could totally subscribe to Sears schedule whole-hog. We ended up basically hitting the recommended CDC target windows, and only getting 1-2 shots per visit (which was nice, because we did have some reactions and early seizures).
We declined rotovirus and will delay Hep A & B for a time.
Yeah, gotta say, if you never seen LindsayJW post on this board, you clearly haven't been around much.
Anyway, to the OP. We don't follow Dr. Sears' schedule per se. The kids' pedi doesn't like to do more than two shots per visit, so we discuss at each visit which ones to do, based on their personal risk factors, administrative requirements (they have to get vax exemptions for preschool, so finishing up a series they've started takes precedent over doing a new shot -- can't get an exemption once you've started the series...), etc.
DD got MMR at... hmmmm... around 2.5 years, I think? She finished up all the first-year series first, and then she had an appt at 27 months where she would've gotten MMR, but we were getting ready to travel abroad so her pedi wanted her to get HepA, and I was pregnant so she wanted all of us to get the flu vaccine. (This was fall of 2009, when H1N1/flu in general was a HUGE concern.) So, that took up the two vax slots for that appointment. She did MMR at the next appointment.
DS hasn't gotten it yet. I would've done it at his last appt (18 months) but he had to finish up his DTaP series so he can start preschool in a few months, and I didn't want to do DTaP and MMR on the same day because that's a lot of stuff to inject all at once. Maybe next appointment.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
OP- We followed the Sears delayed schedule for about a year with Lily...and then we decided that in the end it just wasn't worth all the added stress on Lily, so we spent a couple of months catching up. Early on they don't notice how often they are getting shots, but by a year or so they do and it was staring to cause a bad association with going to the Dr. With the delayed schedule she would get no break from vaccinations through the toddler years, while with the CDC schedule she pretty much only has to get the flu shot from years 2-4. I can't imagine how that would have worked out because right now Lily really enjoys going to the pedi.
FWIW, our pedi said that the CDC schedule was not purely created because it is the best option for the kids, but because it is the most effective way to get most parents to vaccinate their children. They believe, and rightly so, if they spaced it out more that many parents would miss some vaccinations because it either took too much time, cost too much (copays), etc.
For me, the Sears schedule quelled some of my new Mom fears, but also got my child vaccinated in the process. It was a happy medium. Although we are going to follow the traditional schedule with this baby, I don't think a delayed schedule hurts anything- especially if you are planning on keeping them home (i.e. not in daycare).
GL
This is what our pedi said as well. Since I live 10 blocks from the pedi, was able to take responsibility for the schedule myself and take DD to get shots every month for several months in a row, was super conscientious about finding out the requirements for NYS before DD started pre-school and had a great insurance plan that didn't charge co-pays for additional "well shot" visits, I felt completely comfortable going on an alternate schedule and so did our pedi. She would not have advised it if she, the pedi, had to be on top of a parent to make sure the missed shots were administered in a timely manner or if she had reason to think vaccines would be skipped entirely.
I really, really don't get why people jump at the words "alternate vaccine schedule" and assume that those of us who've chosen to follow this are crack-pots. The OP's question was "if you followed Dr. Sears' alternate schedule," it did NOT say "since you gave birth med-free, I'm assuming you skipped vaccinations..."
FWIW, the AAP is reformulating guidelines all the time, like the recommendation to for car seats to be rear-facing until age 2. Why is it that out there to do your own research when you feel compelled to and make decisions with the support of YOUR OWN PEDIATRICIAN?
Ditto. I responded once with what we did re: MMR and then quoted another responder to agree with her and expand. Now, only my quoted response appears. I'm a bit annoyed that my actual answer to the question was deleted.