IPV and other vaccines, multiple or no

Anne - posted on 03/13/2010

Thanks Joyce. Good to know there are more health proffesionals out there considering this issue and coming to the same conclusions. I will check out that website. We do pay particular attention to nutrition - I agree - most important! I have been afraid that she might catch something she is not vaccinated against because until now I haven't seen many people going this route so it is good to hear examples like your own where nothing bad has resulted. I want to take her swimming because I think she will really enjoy it. We did start to go to as playgroup when the UK winter was keeping us cooped up but the particularly severe weather seems to have encouraged a lot of nasty flu-like viruses. Everyone I know around here got very ill, and after playgroup so did we! My baby sucks on everything and caught a nasty bug from the shared toys. 2 months later and I'm still not better but thankfully my little girl is now recovered. She didn't enjoy the playgroups because we were blanked and she tried so hard to make friends and play but got pushed aside. So in that regard I'm not worried about her missing out on playgroup but we won't keep her totally isolated. Thanks for replying :-)

Joyce - posted on 03/13/2010

All three of my kids are not vaccinated. They are 7, 4, and 1. They go swimming, to play groups, school, and they are very healthy. They get the common colds and occasional stomach viruses but they have never been on antibiotics or even tylenol. I think what it most important is the nutrition that they are taking in. I also think that as your children are exposed to things their bodies learn to fight and only make their immunity stronger. I would hesitate from isolating your daughter too much because then she will never be exposed and learn to fight disease. That is how our amazing bodies work. Good luck to you and remember that you are the parent and ultimately have the right to make the decisions regarding vaccination.



Oh, I almost forgot. When I was making the decision I found the NVIC website helpful as well as information by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. As a nurse, due to my profession, my decision to not vaccinate was not a popular one, but I researched it myself and finally did what I felt was right for my family. Hope this helps.

Anne - posted on 03/12/2010

Thanks all of you for your replies. I have gained some very valuable information and feel less alone in taking an unconventional route and facing the GP. Erica, useful to know those reasons given for vaccination -we are also not travelling anytime soon and my daughter will not be in daycare. I wish information was more freely given by health workers rather than us all being kept in the dark. One size doesn't fit all and we should be able to make decisions based on our own circumstances. Good that you finally got some answers. What a cheeky ped to say that! As you say you are trying to give her the best possible start and that is commendable. April, thanks for the information. I will look into the swimming issue more. I take it the pool was chlorinated but these diseases still survive. Sara, interesting about the fever and side effects being linked to combos. This is another thing I was concerned about so yet another reason to hold out for the singles. Selia, I am going to order that book now - it looks really useful. Your information has been very helpful and it was interesting to get the perspective from someone who is in the medical field. I will enquire about single dose preservative free vaccines. I am not sure how many of you are in the USA? We have moved back to the UK so I'll have to check that the availabilty of such vaccines is the same.

Selia - posted on 03/11/2010

Hep B is the one most associated with activating autoimmune disorders, and all except the MMR are available as single vaccines. I'd do the minimum you are ok with, as separate vaccines, at least 2 weeks apart to avoid immune system overload.

This is a fantastic resource:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Doctor-About-...

My hubby is a 3rd yr med student and our 4 month old hasn't had any yet, and will get separated, spaced, preservative free vaccines later - and not all, just the ones we feel she may be at risk for. I got a Tdap booster to cover her for that for now. (breastfeeding rocks!)

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 03/11/2010

We always pass on the combo vaccines. We had to wait to get some because they didn't have the single vaccine in the office. I was fine with that because then we could space them out a little so she didn't have to have so many at once. The only benefit my doctor said would come from the combo vaccines is fewer pricks. She said that most baby have more symptoms (fever, discomfort, etc) from the combo vaccines.

April - posted on 03/11/2010

we created our own schedule. my son gets one shot at a time, sometimes two. he is 5 shots behind the normal schedule. i don't agree with babies getting 4, 5, 6 shots in one day.

swimming should be ok but i do know a friend whose daughter contracted e coli from a public pool. i'd do some research before choosing a place to swim.

Erica - posted on 03/11/2010

I'm so glad to see this! My daughter is 12 weeks old and already I have turned down several vaccinations due to several factors. First, my sister who works at a family care provider office as an LPN told me that the doctor she works for recommends perservative free vaccines as the problems with vaccines are thought to have more to do with the "fillers" in the shots than the vaccine itself. Secondly, my niece, nephew, and two younger brothers didn't have a single shot until the age of five and NEVER had a problem in swim lessons or at school.

Here are my thoughts on vaccinations: as polio doesn't exist in the US, I am not giving it to my daughter until she is older and I am getting dTaP only preservative free. Believe me, this has been a super hard decision and at my last peds checkup with my daughter, I was informed my daughter would be a germ carrier to other childern and that I was making a mistake. I am a young mom and this is a really hard decision for me but I finally got some answers today from a nurse who does immunization. She asked me a couple of questions - was my daughter in daycare as rotovirus, Hib, and IPV are all for that reason. Secondly, was I going to be traveling out of country soon as a military spouse? Thirdly, was I planning on eventually getting her all the shots? My answers were that I wasn't traveling soon and yes, I did want to get her all her shots eventually. She said that dTaP was the important one and the others as I should look up the timeline. Everybody agrees, polio is precautionary for traveling or adopted children. Hib you can't give after 15months and Rotovirus after 11 but I don't plan on ever giving roto as it is a daycare issue. I guess my thought is this, they can give them seperately and without the preservatives so that is what I am planning on doing. This was recommend to me by my doctor back home, my midwife, and also LPN and RN. I maybe being uptight about this but my daughter is my life and I am trying to give her the healthiest start I possibly can.