Immunize or not?

[AimeeM]

I will be going on a delayed schedule with this baby. I declined the hepatitis at birth shot.

Our eldest son has a mild form of Asperger's syndrome and I have no idea if vaccines played a role or not. The research is confusing and the parents of autistic children's stories are heartbreaking.

I am trying to "split the difference" by getting them, but not lumping them together. I really dread the Dtap.

If our baby was going to daycare, I would follow the recommended schedule, but since he is home, I am going to delay a bit.

The exact same reason we delayed the MMR with DS2 xx

 

[Brookey]

It has been proven that there is no link between autism and the MMR vaccine.

The original study that suggested it was carried out in 1998 and used 12 children! There have since been two major studies carried out with a large number of children and it failed to show any link between the two. The original study has been discredited.

Im not knocking anyone who still beleives in the link btw, im just posting this for people who are still deciding.

 

[J23]

The doctor was also struck off because of it

 

[J23]

We've immunized to schedule so far but i will be delaying the MMR to 18 months because the measles part of.the vaccination immunises more effectively after 15 months

 

[feeble]

its never 'been proven' that there is no link, the original research was flawed, but there has not been a bit enough or long enough study to 'prove' anything of the sort!

This is what gets me, people think that disproving a STUDY has disproved THE THEORY which it has not. Bad science!

 

[redstiletto]

It's a risk either way, just have to decide what's best for your own family.

I agree. I think location plays a big factor here. I don't know if this applies to the rest of California but in Northern Cali where we live, children can't go to school unless they've received all their shots.

That's what they try and make you believe but that actually isn't true In the state of California there are medical and philosophical exemptions. So if your child is allergic or has some medical condition that you can't vaccinate that would be under medical and philosophical is just because it goes against what you believe, you don't want them to have them. So you have to either turn in a vaccine record or an exemption form

https://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements/california.aspx

You know what, I've always wondered about that. DH and I are so "by the book" that I forgot all about the waivers. He is an RN too. Thanks for the link Hun!

 

[Natsku]

We are vaccinating Maria. The schedule is different here than in the UK and US, starts later and is more spaced out so I haven't needed to delay, which I probably would have done if they started at 8 weeks (well delayed by two weeks due to illness)

 

[MrsPOP]

GP here! Have and will continue to immunise. Unless contraindicated due to allergies etc to not vaccinate IMO is highly irresponsible. I have no qualms with those who wish to delay or spread them out.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

We did, but now we don't.

My oldest daughter was born perfectly healthy and "normal" by societal standards. She was a good and healthy length and birth weight and had a normal head circumference. At 5 weeks old, after a minor bump to the head, she had a CT Scan which showed a perfectly healthy, normal, developing brain. Then she got her first vaccine at 8 weeks old and her head circumference dropped to the 3rd percentile. She continued to get her vaccines as scheduled, and by 5 months old, she was microcephalic. Microcephaly is where the head circumference is below what is normal for the child's age. Zoe will be 5 in March and her head circumference is only 44.5cm. At diagnosis in June 2009, her head circumference was 44cm. That is only a half a centimetre growth in almost 3 years. At diagnosis, her then 6 month old brother's head circumference was 44.5cm. He is now 3. To put it into perspective, our 8 month old's HC is the SAME SIZE as Zoe's.

Zoe was 26 months old when she was diagnosed. We were seeking an autism diagnosis and had done weeks upon weeks of research into vaccines before we made the decision on whether we would vaccinate or not. The ingredients, the horror stories, the experience with Zoe was enough to turn me away from vaccines altogether. Big Pharma had my husband scared so, at the time, we agreed to delayed vaccinations, that we wouldn't start until Isaiah was two. Well, obviously, age 2 has come and gone and he still hasn't had his first vaccine.

Zoe has a neurometabolic condition. We don't know the causative gene, we still, honestly, don't know the why, we don't even know the WHAT. All we know is that her condition caused her microcephaly, seizures, developmental delays, anhidrosis (inability to sweat), immersion hypothermia (extreme drop in body temperature), pica, and many other various symptoms of this mystery condition. We know that this condition existed in her little body prior to vaccines, but there is a chance that the vaccines were her trigger. We are unable to prove this until we figure out what her condition is, but until we do, it has been recommended by her doctors that we DO NOT vaccinate our other kids, as the same condition could be laying dormant in their bodies, just waiting for that simple trigger. After seeing what my daughter battles on a daily basis, I would feel MORE guilty inflicting it on my perfectly healthy children and making them suffer when I knew there was a possibility of it happening. They are healthy and happy, and I know it is unlikely that they will catch any of these diseases. I can't knowingly risk my other children activating this condition and losing them too.

The vaccine, which is supposed to help prevent diseases and save her life, in her case, may have actually shortened her life span. We've had almost 5 years with her, but it is unknown how much longer we will have with her. A simple cold could quickly turn to pneumonia, a seizure could take her. More than 10 minutes outside in the cold causes her to turn cyanotic, 10 minutes in the heat causes her to lose consciousness, fevers climb from 99 to 102 or 103 in 20 minutes flat, and sometimes cause seizures. She is ALMOST ALWAYS hospitalized for fevers because of her anhidrosis. Rather than sweat to control her body temperature with a fever, her body absorbs moisture and dehydrates too quickly, causing the fever to continually rise, so she needs continuous IV fluids to help her body fight the fever. Tylenol and Advil rarely work on a fever alone. She is missing/losing white matter in her brain, which controls the body signals to and from the brain. If she continues to lose, her organs could slowly shut down. I could wake up tomorrow morning and go to wake her, and she could be gone. We seize every day that we have with her, because we know that an hour from me, we could lose her. You can learn more about the amazing kid she is in the journal below.

That's our experience with vaccines. I'm not against vaccines in the least. I do believe they have contributed to the eradication of some diseases, but I also believe there are some extremely unnecessary ones, such as the chicken pox vaccines. That being said, I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER tell parents to listen to Big Pharma and jump into vaccines because media and manufacturers say they are safe. I will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS encourage parents to do their own outside research before making the decision to vaccinate on schedule, delay, or vaccinate at all. Look at the research from both ends. If there is ANY history of neurological conditions or the like in your family history, research the adverse effects of these vaccines before jumping into them, because a family history could easily mean that the vaccine could be a trigger. In Zoe's case, there WAS NO HISTORY...but for our other kids, and every generation after them, there now IS a history.

We did vaccinate, but now we don't.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

As I have already said there are usually very VERY good reasons why some parents choose to delay or not vaccinate. Until you have to make that very very difficult decision of whether to vaccinate or risk the reaction that they may have already had or if you have had a child with severe reactions then you are very lucky that your LO hasn't had any of the reactions that some children have had! Appreciate that it is not a decision that any parents takes lightly. And it has nothing to do with my 'beliefs' as we were actually very pro vaccinations before we had them.
I am hoping to get the separate jabs for my LO 2nd and 3rd vaccinations as I'm concerned the 1st set caused a reaction that ended up with him being in hospital for over a week covered in wires and hooked up to monitors! So please please stop saying that it is because parents are worried about their babies crying! There is far more to it than that!
Sorry rant over!

Agree 100%!

IMO when people don't immunise they r putting there strong headed beliefs over the safety of their children and others.

While I understand that you may not mean any offense by this, this is an extremely ignorant statement. For most non-vaxxers, it goes far beyond the autism fear or the crying. I has NOTHING to do with "strong-headed beliefs", and everything to do with the safety of their children. We all make decisions based on what we feel is best for our kids. As states above, not vaccinating IS best for some families.

I immunise my kids, not only for thier health, but also for the health of the poorly children who can't have vaccines for health reason and for the babies that are too young for them.

And I am so far beyond appreciative of families that DO vaccinate their children and help to stop the spread to my children, who CAN'T be vaccinated. I guarantee you, I'm not the only non-vaxxing parent who is appreciative.

 

[feeble]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Brandi x

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Prior to learning of Zoe condition, this was her first MMR reaction. Unfortunately, the pictures don't do it justice. It was hard, red, BURNING HOT, and about the size of a large tennis ball or large fruit. It took MONTHS to disappear. Below it, is the comparison to the vaccine (can't remember which) that she got on the same day in her other leg.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/Canerican/DSC00917.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/Canerican/DSC00910.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/Canerican/DSC00912.jpg


And as a test, we had her DTap done in September to see if there would be any developmental regressions or adverse reactions. This is what happened within an hour

https://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ZoeAndIsaiahsMom/319506_10150293748788763_636838762_8028078_1123556583_n.jpg
https://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ZoeAndIsaiahsMom/319506_10150293748788763_636838762_8028078_1123556583_n-1.jpg

Needless to say, she, nor our other kids, will be getting them, as stated above.

 

[feeble]

One thing that really stood out for me upon research, is that the most common age for SIDS is 2,4 and 6 months and the amount of children that get meningitus after MMR (my late cousin was one of them) is huge.

Perhaps thats just coincidence but it makes you wonder if you want to take an unknown risk with your own child. I have met many children who as Brandi said, developed normally and then after vaccination regressed massively, i even know children who began to recover, had booster jabs and regressed again

There are reasons to selectively vaccinate, or not vaccinate at all.

 

[RebeccaG]

Just read some of Zoe's story - what a brave little girl and thank you so much for sharing what happened.
My gorgeous boy was all perfectly normal developing wonderfully and then had his 8 weeks jabs. Less than a week later was in hospital having partial seizures. He has had EEG and MRI scans. Thankfully it has been a while now since his last seizure and he is coming of the medication soon, so we are praying he won't relapse. I can't help but wonder whether the vaccinations set all this off - hence why we have delayed the rest as I can't bear the thought of him having up to 18 seizures a day on his worst day.
He is developing really well and has met all his milestones but the thought of vaccinations terrifies me as well as some of the awful diseases that people keep saying about so I feel I am in a no win situation. Don't know whether to vaccinate while he is medicated or wait until he is off al medictaion and then vaccinate. Whatever the vaccination is it won't be a 5 in 1 job! Have heard the DTap can sometimes cause reactions? Could it have been that?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I still want your sources, feeble.

 

[booda]

My personal belief is that not to immunize is irresponsible and you are putting the rest of the population at risk when you don't. Again, MY opinion.

^Also my opinion. Even after studying an immunology & toxicology degree.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Thank you for sharing your son's story, Rebecca. As posted above, there's a picture of Zoe's DTap reaction. Most of Zoe's seizures are complex partial or absence, but she has had the occasional generalized seizure. The seizures are likely a progression of her condition, but again, until we know what the condition is, we can't prove anything. We can't prove that the vaccines triggered her condition until we know what it is, but it's definitely on the list of possibilities. I am very wary of using the term "caused" when it comes to her condition and vaccines; I prefer triggered. We know she had it prior to the vaccines, but that it was dormant until something triggered it. This has also been the case with a few families where MMR triggered autism-like symptoms in children, and it was later discovered that they had underlying dormant conditions that we activated by a trigger, the vaccine. Hannah Poling is probably the most famous case. Her family won a lawsuit when they were able to prove that she was vaccine-injured and the vaccine triggered her dormant condition.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I think it's misleading to say that the MMR triggers autism symptoms. Autism symptoms come about the same time that the MMR is given. That's why they were initially associated. It was disproved that MMR caused autism.

 

[feeble]

Thank you for sharing your son's story, Rebecca. As posted above, there's a picture of Zoe's DTap reaction. Most of Zoe's seizures are complex partial or absence, but she has had the occasional generalized seizure. The seizures are likely a progression of her condition, but again, until we know what the condition is, we can't prove anything. We can't prove that the vaccines triggered her condition until we know what it is, but it's definitely on the list of possibilities. I am very wary of using the term "caused" when it comes to her condition and vaccines; I prefer triggered. We know she had it prior to the vaccines, but that it was dormant until something triggered it. This has also been the case with a few families where MMR triggered autism-like symptoms in children, and it was later discovered that they had underlying dormant conditions that we activated by a trigger, the vaccine. Hannah Poling is probably the most famous case. Her family won a lawsuit when they were able to prove that she was vaccine-injured and the vaccine triggered her dormant condition.

This is pretty much my worry with vaccines, that they trigger things that may never have been triggered otherwise, similar to how they have proven cannabis may trigger schizophrenia

 

[XJessicaX]

It has been absolutely disproved that there is any link between autism and the MMR vaccine.