Vaccination Debate

mmariel · September 2014

Absolutely vaccinating. As for shots during pregnancy, I got my flu shot on friday at 18 weeks 1 day and dr said Tdap like 28 weeks or 32 weeks or something like that I have it written down somewhere but I dont feel like getting up right now.

mommy510 · September 2014

My BFF is totally against vaccinating. She tried to convince me not to vaccinate my kids, but there's no way I'm letting anyone push me around when it comes to my childrens' safety. From what I gather, most parents who don't vaccinate are reacting out of fear and distrust.
One mom commented on FB that she didn't vaccinate because she "didn't trust the government and was afraid they were putting dangerous and unnecessary things in vaccines." As if our President himself has a little lab in the oval office where he personally concocts vaccines. Of course there is regulation, but the researchers, scientists, and medical experts are the ones making the vaccines.
Reading a few blog posts and doing a Google search does not, and never will, equal a medical degree. I trust my pediatrician's opinion and consult him for pretty much everything regarding my childrens' health. That's his job! Also, I have several friends who work in the medical field and they all vaccinate their children. If they thought for a moment that it was unsafe, I know that they would not take a chance with their kids.

empiregrl5 · September 2014

This post made me so happy and proud of F15...i thought i was gonna be rolling my eyes reading this, but i was pleasantly surprised!

heltoncl · September 2014

holachicaaa said:
@heltoncl‌ so are you still undecided? Or did all of this sway you to have your kid vaccinated?

Is this for me? I wasn't intending for anyone to help me decide, rather just evoke a thoughtful discussion. I probably should have been more transparent about my thoughts on vaccinations from the get go (as I mentioned before, my husband and I definitely favor the vaccination decision as opposed to the alternative) however I was hoping to stay as non bias as possible just to keep the discussion opened minded. Like I said, I'm a sucker for a good debate/thoughtful discussion however as is apparent, there isn't much of a debate among Feb moms!

mmariel · September 2014

jmcgra06 said:

ordinary1 said:
Flu shot anytime. Whooping cough is dangerous during pregnancy from my understanding and is given post birth before you are discharged.
@ordinary1‌ - I believe the whooping cough vaccine is recommended during the third trimester of every pregnancy, now.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant/whooping-cough/get-vaccinated.html

I got tDap a year ago, but they still want me to get it again because it helps the baby get protected before birth. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

yes. My dr. Said she gives one each pregnancy no matter when you got the last one.

maltwin1 · September 2014

I will allow my child to play with all of your well vaccinated children. That is all.

empiregrl5 · September 2014

sarabell52 said:
I've never seen this discussion so civilized. Of course we haven't heard from any anti-vaxers yet...

So, what are your thoughts on circumcision?!

(Ha, just kidding).

I'm sure the anti-vaxers are scared to post now....and they should be, I will judge them lol

lilybug319 · September 2014

I will say that my kid is vaccinated. However, I think parents should always research what the side effects are each time their child gets a new vaccine. DD was able to get her tdap but a side effect of this certain vaccine and I think a few others is seizures. My daughter has epilepsy and as a result suffered some really bad episodes after a few vaccines. It was scary and unpleasant for her and if it weren't for the school demanding she be vaccinated I wouldn't do it. There are too many risks for her.

ltut · September 2014

I don't trust vaccines, and I do believe the government puts some weird stuff in the shots, but I am always a little paranoid of what big brother is doing. That being said, my kids are vaccinated for anything that would likely harm them or someone else. They dont get the flu shot, the chicken pox shot, and will not get hpv vaccine. So I guess roll your eyes at me, but we are as there as I believe we need to be.

freegiraffe · September 2014

Absolutely vaccinating and I'm glad to see there isn't much of a debate happening here. I have been so dismayed a few times recently to find out that friends I thought were reasoned and logical were planning not to vaccinate, and not for medical reasons.

lalans · September 2014

lilybug319 thats exactly the type of medical reason why kids should be able to be exempted, and exactly why its so important for any child who can be vaccinated to be, to protect those who can't be.

Thanks for bringing up the convo @heltoncl...reminds me that I forgot to ask the inlaws to get the whooping cough booster when I saw them this past weekend!

Beth.1212 · September 2014

SNail312` said:

I completely agree with you all, and you said it perfectly. New direction of conversation though- my sister in law is adamantly anti-vaccination. Any children she has will NOT be vaccinated. (Oy.) How do you all propose I deal with the situation? I am SUPER weary about knowingly bringing my kids around unvaccinated children. There's no way I would want to start drama to keep the kids apart? (I know this is a decent amount of time off, but worth wondering!)

SNail312`, I'd talk to your pediatrician. I had the same concern with my DS (except it was some of our cousins, not nieces/nephews), and my pedi and I discussed the benefits of strong family relationships vs. the risks of unvaccinated people. At the end of the day, I decided to keep unvaccinated people away from LO for at least the first few months. I just told people that at the recommendation of our pediatrician, we weren't having LO come in contact with unvaccinated people until he was a bit older. No one gave us a hard time, but honestly, if they wanted to berate me for it, I would have talked to them about the risks, citing this baby who died of pertussis as a compelling example, and hopefully that would've done the trick.

jovencita1224 · September 2014

I can't seem too tag Itut, but uh...flu DOES kill people. So do strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

My DH almost died from the flu. He was in the best shape of his life. He got swine flu and was approximately 24 hours from possible death due to dehydration. I was overseas for work and knew he was sick but didn't know how bad it was until he didn't answer phone or email for a really long time. I called his sister to check on him, and thank god she had a key to our House and went to get him and realized he needed a hospital. He was weak for months. He could have lost his job-he was in the police academy at the time and missed a lot of days and had to re-schedule physical assessments and training. He is lucky they let him.

So...flu kills. It can kill perfectly healthy people. He came way too close, and I will never ever view the flu the same way again.

Biscotto · September 2014

Vaccines save lives. Modern medicine is an amazing thing and we are so lucky to have easy accesibility to it. That's all I have to say.

salbabe79 · September 2014

Visit an amish community and see the horrible ways their children are suffering and dying

natsgirl12 · September 2014

So, my mom doesn't get the flu shot anymore. A few months after my first child was born, my uncle developed Guillian-Barre syndrome. My mom is convinced that the flu shot caused it (which is silly in my opinion because it was 6 mos after he got the flu shot). Because the flu shot can cause GBS she refuses to get the flu shot now. So, our second daughter will be born right in the middle of flu season. I'm weary of my mom coming over since she's not going to get the flu shot. Unlike other vaccines, the flu is so prevalent so I feel like this is a valid concern. I'm sure my mom will be hurt if I tell her not to visit because of this. What do you ladies think? How would you handle this?

aggiebug · September 2014

sugahcookie01 said:

natsgirl12 said:

So, my mom doesn't get the flu shot anymore. A few months after my first child was born, my uncle developed Guillian-Barre syndrome. My mom is convinced that the flu shot caused it (which is silly in my opinion because it was 6 mos after he got the flu shot). Because the flu shot can cause GBS she refuses to get the flu shot now. So, our second daughter will be born right in the middle of flu season. I'm weary of my mom coming over since she's not going to get the flu shot. Unlike other vaccines, the flu is so prevalent so I feel like this is a valid concern. I'm sure my mom will be hurt if I tell her not to visit because of this. What do you ladies think? How would you handle this?

I will be asking my parents and in-laws to be up to date on tdap and flu. It's important to me. I hope they will respect that.

Me too especially with a winter baby. Another women in my circle of friends had a baby in Dec and asked everyone to get the flu shot before visiting. A mutual friend was telling me she thought that was crazy. I quickly shot that down. The little baby can't defend itself and flu can be deadly for them. Not worth it.

Now to get my DH to tell his parents that...

ltut · September 2014

jovencita1224 said:
I can't seem too tag Itut, but uh...flu DOES kill people. So do strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

My DH almost died from the flu. He was in the best shape of his life. He got swine flu and was approximately 24 hours from possible death due to dehydration. I was overseas for work and knew he was sick but didn't know how bad it was until he didn't answer phone or email for a really long time. I called his sister to check on him, and thank god she had a key to our House and went to get him and realized he needed a hospital. He was weak for months. He could have lost his job-he was in the police academy at the time and missed a lot of days and had to re-schedule physical assessments and training. He is lucky they let him.

So...flu kills. It can kill perfectly healthy people. He came way too close, and I will never ever view the flu the same way again.

I understand that the flu kills, but since my kids or I could still contract the flu with a flu shot and it could still be passed to anyone else in my family, we still wot be getting flu shots. The research on not eating processed foods for a stronger immune system and taking high amounts of vitamin c, d, zinc, and probiotics instead of getting a flu shot is out there and has worked well for us. Just like my vitamin k consumption will give my baby the adequate amount to not need a vitamin K shot after birth, every other good nutrient I put in my body will do the same. I know all of you will disagree, and that's okay. We do what we believe is the most healthy option for our family and so do you. We in no way go into flu season unprotected. That would be irresponsible for us having two, soon three, little ones. But I believe there is more than one way to protect, and so we just take the alternate route to get there.
Edit... Sorry to be the one opposing voice on this. I do want people to know that not everyone who refuses a flu vaccine goes into flu season unprotected, and if you are not able to get the flu shot or just don't want to, there are other options to research.

boxerrrmama85 · September 2014

@ltut To understand your view better, could you share your research?

I had a pregnant employee who was hospitalized and in the ICU last winter with the flu-- pretty scary and not worth the risk to me.

michelle142 · September 2014

I'm pro-vaccines for sure. No question about it.

IMO, relying on herd immunity to protect your child is just plain stupidity.

That's all I have to say on the subject.

mmariel · September 2014

lilybug319 said:
I will say that my kid is vaccinated. However, I think parents should always research what the side effects are each time their child gets a new vaccine. DD was able to get her tdap but a side effect of this certain vaccine and I think a few others is seizures. My daughter has epilepsy and as a result suffered some really bad episodes after a few vaccines. It was scary and unpleasant for her and if it weren't for the school demanding she be vaccinated I wouldn't do it. There are too many risks for her.

And this is why everyone that can be vaccinated should be. To protect those like your DD that really should not or are unable to get it. Not just because some bsc dr and actress scares you out of getting it.

Also im sorry your DD has to deal with epilepsy. I work with a lady that has really scary seizures. They are really hard to watch and I couldn't imagine going through them.

jovencita1224 · September 2014

I share my story about my husband because I used to think we were being careful. I never had the shot, but he had to for work when he was a paramedic. I was healthy, I took care of myself, and we were both in good shape. The shot seemed redundant. The ONE year he didn't get the shot (and the H1N1shot that was offered), was the time that nearly killed him with vaccine-preventable illness. If it had, my two, soon to be three kids, wouldn't exist.

The flu vaccine isn't perfect and yes, you can still get another strain of the flu even with a shot. I hope nobody here, regardless of getting a shot or not, gets any strain of the flu. Period. I just share my story because I used to think the flu shot was not not important. It, along with the pneumonia vaccine DH has to get now, are very important and for us. I share our story not to cast judgment, but to raise awareness that I didn't have in 2009 about how deadly flu can be for perfectly healthy adults-let alone vulnerable infants. I hope nobody here ever has a flu experience like we did, regardless of vaccination choices.

Lrjjj08 · September 2014

Please vaccinate your kids!

ltut · September 2014

Sorry to be the opposing voice, even if

boxerrrmama85 said:
@ltut To understand your view better, could you share your research?

I had a pregnant employee who was hospitalized and in the ICU last winter with the flu-- pretty scary and not worth the risk to me.

Yes, definitely. I will have to wait till I get to a computer later. My phone isn't too cooperative.

michelle142 · September 2014

ashleeann22 said:

I guess I'll be the one with the unpopular opinion. I am so against vaccines, but not completly. There is absolutely no reason to give kids the amount of vaccines that we do at the ages that we do. Children are supposed to get 38 vaccines by the time they are 10 when it used to only be 12 vaccines. I feel like infants and babies are receiving too many vaccines when they are young. What's the point in a hep b vaccine when baby is first born, they are neither sharing blood or having sex. And flu shots have never been proven to be effective. In fact they have killed over 4000 people. The flu is ever developing and the vaccine given each year is for the prior years strand of flu, meaning it won't protect you from a mutated from of flu. Personal example. My grandma had 3 horses, only one got a west Nile vaccine and the only one of her horses to get west Nile and almost die was the one who received the vaccine. But the horses were all exposed to the same places, animals, and were around the same ages and all in good health. With that said I do think vaccines have saved countless lives. Look at the polio vaccine and smallpox vaccine. I think some are so necessary. But I encourage parents to find which aren't necessary and which are. Doctors are vaccine happy and generally give any and all vaccines, when some are just not necessary. But I am all for a modified vaccine schedule. Giving older children, 5 and above vaccines and only giving infants and young children vaccines that are absolutely important. Newborns are so incredibly fragile. Giving the 12 vaccines before they go home can just ruin their immune system. But whatever you do, research it. Some vaccines are LIFE SAVING AND NECESSARY!!!! Find out when and what time would be the best to give your kids vaccines and talk to your docotr about spreading them out. And find out which ones your kids truely need.

12 Vaccines before they go home? That's news to me.

AngieAn · September 2014

13 years ago when i was pregnant with my first, i was asked if was going to immunize my baby. I was only 18 at the time and to be honest that was the last thing I was thinking about. I just figured everyone did, so I never put much thought into it. But it was starting to become somewhat of a controversy so I asked my mom and she said simply that my Great aunt (on my moms side) had rubella when she was pregnant and her baby died when he was only 6 months old due to complications with his heart, Her neighbour had polio, and my grandmother (my dad's mom) lost her first born to whopping cough that she had caught and gave to her baby. I guess she was only a few weeks old. She also told me that my brother had the measles and was sick, but not as sick as he would of been had he not been vaccinated. She basically said there was a reason why I didn't know people with these diseases, and that yes I had a choice as everyone does in life, you can choose to walk in front of a moving car and maybe you won't die when you get hit, but are you really going to risk it.

AF9211 · September 2014

jmcgra06 said:

Flu shot anytime. Whooping cough is dangerous during pregnancy from my understanding and is given post birth before you are discharged.
@ordinary1‌ - I believe the whooping cough vaccine is recommended during the third trimester of every pregnancy, now. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant/whooping-cough/get-vaccinated.html I got tDap a year ago, but they still want me to get it again because it helps the baby get protected before birth. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

This is the standard practice at the OB I see now, as well as the OB I saw during my pregnancy with DD. Flu shot was given in September and the Tdap shot after 27 weeks but before 36 weeks so the baby has a chance to build up immunity before delivery. Even though I got the Tdap shot in 2012 while pregnant with DD, I will have to get it again this fall. However, my SIL's OB gives the Tdap shot to moms in the hospital after delivery. I think it all depends on your doc.

jovencita1224 · September 2014

My kid definitely didn't have 12 vaccines before she could go home in the hospital. She had exactly one. And the vitamin drops in her eyes.

AshleySparkle720 · September 2014

mommy510 said:
As if our President himself has a little lab in the oval office where he personally concocts vaccines.

If this were the case my children wouldn't even know what a vaccine is.. :-SS

My baby will be vaccinated purely and simply because I believe it's the responsible thing to do. Want to risk your childs health? Fine. I wouldn't dream of creating any reason to hold my child back from enjoying their life.

Eta: to clarify what team I'm on

aggiebug · September 2014

I don't get the whole "vaccines ruin your immune system" since the way they work is by stimulating your immune system. Those who don't have a full response and rely on herd immunity are the ones that have problems with their immune system.

Irishcurls · September 2014

@ashleeann22‌ hundreds of thousands of people die from influenza worldwide every year. Makes the 4000 you mentioned seem like great odds to me. If my child had a known allergy to components of the vaccine, id consider skipping it. For the vast majority of the population, this is not a concern.

nbad311 · September 2014

We will vaccinate.

And if you're frightened by the autism issue, do some research into how cord blood can help autism. I've been told by two friends who did cord blood banking that studies and research are showing it can be super effective in essentially curing autism. Admittedly, I need to look more into it myself. But it could be a peace of mind option if you are on the fence about vaccines.

lizjennings81 · September 2014

I'm just going to quote myself from a July thread since I'm all about reusing content:

To me, vaccination is an active thing you do to protect your child's health and well-being. Like buckling a kid safely into a seat, it's an action you take to protect your child. The threat is real, just like a car accident, to them and to others – as a parent and as a member of society, it's my responsibility to minimize those risks.

foxslaw · September 2014

nbad311 said:
We will vaccinate.
And if you're frightened by the autism issue, do some research into how cord blood can help autism. I've been told by two friends who did cord blood banking that studies and research are showing it can be super effective in essentially curing autism. Admittedly, I need to look more into it myself. But it could be a peace of mind option if you are on the fence about vaccines.

^^^untrue. My sister's doctor said that is ABSOLUTELY skepticism & there is no medical proof of that. No one know FOR SURE what causes autism or how to "cure" it.

chickyclg · September 2014

Well said @lizjennings81‌

foxslaw · September 2014

I also asked my OB because I heard that too (in searching options to protect my LO from the possibility of autism)

kefttsc · September 2014

ashleeann22 said:

I guess I'll be the one with the unpopular opinion. I am so against vaccines, but not completly. There is absolutely no reason to give kids the amount of vaccines that we do at the ages that we do. Children are supposed to get 38 vaccines by the time they are 10 when it used to only be 12 vaccines. I feel like infants and babies are receiving too many vaccines when they are young. What's the point in a hep b vaccine when baby is first born, they are neither sharing blood or having sex. And flu shots have never been proven to be effective. In fact they have killed over 4000 people. The flu is ever developing and the vaccine given each year is for the prior years strand of flu, meaning it won't protect you from a mutated from of flu. Personal example. My grandma had 3 horses, only one got a west Nile vaccine and the only one of her horses to get west Nile and almost die was the one who received the vaccine. But the horses were all exposed to the same places, animals, and were around the same ages and all in good health. With that said I do think vaccines have saved countless lives. Look at the polio vaccine and smallpox vaccine. I think some are so necessary. But I encourage parents to find which aren't necessary and which are. Doctors are vaccine happy and generally give any and all vaccines, when some are just not necessary. But I am all for a modified vaccine schedule. Giving older children, 5 and above vaccines and only giving infants and young children vaccines that are absolutely important. Newborns are so incredibly fragile. Giving the 12 vaccines before they go home can just ruin their immune system. But whatever you do, research it. Some vaccines are LIFE SAVING AND NECESSARY!!!! Find out when and what time would be the best to give your kids vaccines and talk to your docotr about spreading them out. And find out which ones your kids truely need.

It is not possible to compare equine, canine, or feline vaccines to human vaccines. There are SO many strings of each virus for animals that are NOT vaccinated for. Kennel cough for example. We vaccinate for 4 strands of it, but there are SO many more.

Leptospirosis. We vaccinate for 4 strands, but depending on where you are in the country, there are more strands.

NOT comparing apples to apples.

Irishcurls · September 2014

foxslaw said:

nbad311 said:
We will vaccinate.
And if you're frightened by the autism issue, do some research into how cord blood can help autism. I've been told by two friends who did cord blood banking that studies and research are showing it can be super effective in essentially curing autism. Admittedly, I need to look more into it myself. But it could be a peace of mind option if you are on the fence about vaccines.

^^^untrue. My sister's doctor said that is ABSOLUTELY skepticism & there is no medical proof of that. No one know FOR SURE what causes autism or how to "cure" it.

And I totally get where you're coming from @nbad311‌ because autism is scary and a very real concern but I think more research will show what @foxslaw‌ said--MUCH of it is unknown and a lot more needs to be done. I would wager that there is not one cause, nor one fix. It's a complicated spectrum.

nbad311 · September 2014

foxslaw said:

We will vaccinate.
And if you're frightened by the autism issue, do some research into how cord blood can help autism. I've been told by two friends who did cord blood banking that studies and research are showing it can be super effective in essentially curing autism. Admittedly, I need to look more into it myself. But it could be a peace of mind option if you are on the fence about vaccines.
^^^untrue. My sister's doctor said that is ABSOLUTELY skepticism & there is no medical proof of that. No one know FOR SURE what causes autism or how to "cure" it.

Interesting. As I said, I've done no research myself. And I need to ask the pros at my next appointment. And as of right now, I'm also not sure if we're willing to spend thousands on the cord blood stuff either.

Ducktale · September 2014

Here's my not politically correct opinion: everyone who is able to get vaccinated and chooses not to are paranoid conspiracy theorist assholes who I guess don't give a shit if the vulnerable die of preventable diseases and I judge you hardcore. Stop reading blogs and op ed books and read a fucking scientific study. Anecdotes =/= scientific fact. Just because someone you know told you about a fucking horse who died of a disease does not negate the mountain of evidence and just plain logic showing vaccines save millions of lives.

The above rage isn't really directed at any/most posters here since you all are vaccinating your children. This "debate" obviously boils my blood.

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