What are your views on vaccinations?

OhJessie - posted on 04/30/2011

As I said, I'm not against vaccinations and it's already been admitted by the "doctor" who said there is a connection between vaccinations and autism that he faked his results. I don't believe there is any connection. Vaccinations have saved many lives. I would merely delay the DTP or DPT or whatever it's called. At the least I'd get them one vaccination at a time. But remember, I'm talking in the good old days when they used more dangerous vaccines - if I had it to do OVER I'd delay it because I saw the horrible effect they had on my son (lack of sleep, much suffering and developmental delays.) If they are using new and improved vaccines, wonderful. No need then to worry, although I might surely do them one at a time. If you'd seen the forms I had to sign regarding the risks they were manifold! Up to and including death, yes. But the "lesser"side effects were even worse. If nothing else, I'd certainly do them individually and not in clusters.

Colene - posted on 04/30/2011

I had the same thoughts you did and was worried about vaccines. After doing quite a bit of research, I found out that there is no proof that vaccines do any harm to children. Children who don't get vaccinated get autism too. If it turns out there is some risk, I would still vaccinate. Autism is not a death sentence. Many of these diseases are.

Heather - posted on 04/28/2011

Jennifer No Name, are you honestly that cruel that you're forcing your child to be a hermit? What a miserable life!
That's not on the topic of vaccines but that just really blew me away!

Sarah - posted on 04/28/2011

"...He will have no contact with you at all because i do not even desire my child to have the viral sniffles you or your husband gave your child from some office job..."

@Jennifer (with no last name) - So, I understand your child doesn't go to the grocery store, but I'm assuming SOMEONE goes to the store in your family right? Either you or you SO? Isn't there the possibility of you bringing some kind of illness home to your kid, too?

Lissa - posted on 04/28/2011

This one is always fun.... I was not vaccinated and I had measles, mumps, chickenpox amongst others, so this not vaccinated child is healthier is just total and utter crap. I was horribly ill through all of these "innocent" childhood illnesses. People also need to understand that chickenpox while usually isn't incredibly dangerous, is in fact sometimes incredibly dangerous. Maybe your child will only get a few spots but maybe they will also end up in hospital seriously ill. My friend almost died from measles as a child and a friend of my sister was born deaf due to her mother contracting rubella in pregnancy.
Nobody is saying vaccines are perfect but on balance the number of children having adverse reactions compared to the number of lives being saved says it all.

Jodi - posted on 04/28/2011

@ Jennifer with no last name....evidently you don't have other children. If you DID have other children, you would realise that isolating yourself and your UNNIVACCINATED child fully until they are vaccinated is just not practical. Suggesting that someone should do so is obvious ignorance of someone's circumstances.

Alecia - posted on 04/28/2011

@ Jennifer (no last name) what r u amish? and even if u were (obviously not bcuz u use a comp) ur still apart of society...seriously ppl say some weird/"dumb" things on here. i am not going to keep my baby (vax or no) in the house all the time. what a horrible life.... my daughter loves going to the stores and malls with us.

Stifler's - posted on 04/28/2011

I vaccinated... on schedule. Because everyone does. Never heard of anti-vax or delayed schedule or any of this until CoM.

Kate CP - posted on 04/28/2011

Jennifer (the one with no last name):

I can respect that. Too many times however I've come across a parent who doesn't vaccinate and yet their kid is running around on a playground with a bunch of other kids or drooling all over the handle of a shopping cart.

Jennifer - posted on 04/28/2011

Sarah, it may sound harsh, but it is reality that unvaccinated people will be the spreaders of those diseases we are trying to keep under control. I hope that many unvaccinated children grow up and realize that they want their shots and get them before they get exposed to something that causes them harm.

Jennifer - posted on 04/28/2011

My daughter was diagnosed with Autism when she was 2. We always get our children vaccinated on time and fully. After her diagnosis I did tons of reading because I had heard some people believe that vaccines cause autism. After doing my own research I determined there is no link between autism and vaccines and continued to get her all her shots. There is a definite risk to not vaccinating your child. People have been lulled into a false sense of security because many illnesses prevented by vaccines are not present in our society in significant numbers as they were in the past. But now that parents are choosing not to vaccinate, those illness are beginning to come back and kill babies and children. I don't want my child to be at risk for contracting a potentially fatal illness that I could have prevented with a simple, safe vaccine.

Jennifer - posted on 04/28/2011

My unvaccinated child is in no way a danger to your baby. I am a responsible parent. My child is not a part of your society. He does not go to stores or daycare; he did not go to the doctor. He had no reason to go anywhere but to his vaccinated family. Maybe you should keep your healthy child at home too.

Now he'll go to the dr. for his immunizations at 15 months. He will not play with those toys at the dr.'s office. He will have no contact with you at all because i do not even desire my child to have the viral sniffles you or your husband gave your child from some office job.

Kate CP - posted on 04/28/2011

My son is 3 months old. He's not completely vaccinated yet as he's too young. A child carrying pertussis or measles could infect my son. He could easily succumb to infection and die. Don't you tell me that your vaccine-free child is of no risk to my family.

Charlie - posted on 04/28/2011

Actually your unvaxxed kid can KILL babies too young for vaccination , as it is in Australian areas where vaccine levels are dropping babies to young for vaccines are dying from preventable things like measles .

It isnt about the vaccinated kids and this is where the problem lies ..it is about seeing the bigger picture , the whole community and not just how it affects your child , our vaccinated kids are fine , they are protected it is the children , the elderly and those with immune disorders and vaccine allergies who need protecting .

Sarah - posted on 04/28/2011

"...If the vaccinations worked like they are supposed to, my unvaccinated child wouldn't make your vaccinated child sick..."

I think choosing to NOT vaccinate your children is extremely detrimental to the communities we live in. So, maybe MY vaccinated child won't be affected by your poor decisions...but what about an innocent newborn who is too young to have his/her full course of vaccinations? What about an immunocompromised person? What about those who CAN'T vaccinate for a legitimate reason? Anti-vaxers are potentially putting a society at risk.

Say I had a newborn who was too young to vaccinate & I went to her 2 week checkup, for instance. Sitting in the waiting room is your unvaccinated, contaminated child, who is hacking gunk all over the place. If MY newborn got deathly ill because of a parent who chose NOT to vaccinate, I'd probably hunt that person down & go ape-sh*t on them. Maybe that's harsh, but it's how i feel.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

Your unvaccinated child can make young infants who haven't been vaccinated yet, ill. ie: my daughter

Your unvaccinated child can make children and adults who cannot be vaccinated because of medical reasons, ill.

Daphne - posted on 04/28/2011

If the vaccinations worked like they are supposed to, my unvaccinated child wouldn't make your vaccinated child sick. By saying "I don't want your child around mine cause your child will make my vaccinated child sick" is proof that they are ineffective.

I did my research and decided that I would rather not have my son injected with formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals, cells from an aborted fetus, etc, etc.

Have you people read the package inserts for these vaccines??? If more parents did, more parents would decide not to vaccinate. At the bottom of the insert there is a list of known side effects, very serious side effects. Doctors should be required to give parents the package insert, it is a shame that they don't.

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_ins...

Jennifer - posted on 04/28/2011

We were very protective over him for the first year. I didn't feel that we were at risk for catching or spreading disease. Now that he's 15 months we are going to begin to vaccinate. I feel that his body is better capable of processing the various chemicals, especially since he is running around now.

There are some vaccinations that i will not do now, but will get done at a later time.

I breastfeed and he does not go to daycare. Each family has to assess their own risks, such as allergies and social contact.

I do not believe a lack of social contact with other children before the age of two - two and a half is bad parenting.

I am still interviewing doctors. Doctors who are considerate of a family's concerns often do not take insurance. I seem to have found some luck through Dr. Sear's website.

I have really enjoyed reading other responses that support my viewpoint. Thanks everyone for responding.

After recently visiting a very scheduled dr, who made me feel horrible for having a home birth, i am really aware of the contention this topic can cause.

Elisabeth - posted on 04/28/2011

Hi we did our research pros and cons of vaccination and we decided to take the middle route. We vaccinated at 15 months and did one shot at a time.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

Getting my doctor to prescribe *anything* over the counter is like pulling teeth. He refuses to prescribe medication unless it's absolutely necessary. His approach is highly hollistic. Bugs the crap out of us some times... but at the end of the day I'm glad he believes in practicing so responsibly.

btw... I have to be hard pressed to even take a tylenol let alone antibiotics. But I still vaccinate!

PS: my doctor supports vaccinations 100%. ;)

Amber - posted on 04/28/2011

Well of course your kids will get more colds and things like that if you over use antibiotics. Vaccinations are different from antibiotics.

My SO won't even prescribe antibiotics for children every time they are sick, not even our own son. Medical professionals don't just hand out scripts because patients come in asking for them. They do it when necessary. Any doc that's handing out scripts like they're passing notes in class is doing a disservice to their patients.

I don't give my kid antibiotics every time he's got a slight cold either. I still immunize him against serious diseases though.

Rita - posted on 04/28/2011

When the U S began innoculation the mass population for deseases, the incidense of those deseases declined. The rate of decline of those deseases in non-innoculation countries was the same. So, can we say conclusively that the solution was the innoculations? I personally do not think so. It co-insided with many other things like garbage collection and a cleaner standard of living. Those of us who do not innoculate our children do not affect, in the slightest, those of you who think you are portecting your children by innoculation them. I hate the fact that children get sick. My only consolation is that they are getting stronger immune systems for it. My children stayed so much healthier ofter I stopped running them to the Dr. for antibiotics. Yes, I understand that is another subject, but it is related. It is just another example of not following Dr. orders only to experience a supperior outcome.

Cindy - posted on 04/28/2011

I got all vaccinations on time for my child & would do so again. Vaccinations are very important in preventing diseases that had been eradicated in the US. My husband works for the state health department and I feel very confident that any possible negative side effects of vaccinations are outweighed by the benefits of keeping my child safe.

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/28/2011

There's plenty of non vax kids who are healthy and plenty of vax kids who are healthy and plenty in both categories who get sick alot!
We have too look at the big numbers, not individual cases. There's plenty of smokers without lung cancer, doesn't mean that smoking doesn't cause cancer tho right!

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

By the same logic can I say: because my sister, my brother, myself, my husband and our children have never been frequently ill, none of us have ever had an ear infection and are all in good health is from being vaccinated?

Amber - posted on 04/28/2011

I guess we're only allowed to use anecdotal evidence, not statistics. SO here's mine:

My son had asthmatic symptoms from birth. He is now 4 yrs old and no longer has those symptoms at all, and hasn't since he was 2 yrs old. He was never officially diagnosed because he was too young. He has been fully vaccinated, but still managed to outgrow his asthma.

He has also never really been sick aside from that; he's never thrown up (aside from spit up as an infant while burping) nor has he even had an ear infection.

I've also been fully vaccinated. I've never had an ear infection either, and I'm sick maybe once a year. We do have some minor environmental allergies, but those are hereditary.

I only know one child who has ever been consistently sick, and she was born with CF (genetic). So, she obviously going to have health problems.
I only know one child who has ever had an ear infection. I have 8 nieces in my family, a niece and two nephews on Chad's side, and a couple dozen younger cousins. All vaccinated, none with health complications. No frequent illnesses, not even ear infections.

Sarah - posted on 04/28/2011

"...I believe that vaccinations, not only keep the kids sick, but cause other problems as well. my daughter has 4 kids and the 1 that always got is shots is always sick, The other 3 get sick once in awhile, but nothing like the first child does. It's my opinion that the "Required shots" break down the immune system, which causes sickness..."

I'm not trying to downplay the fact that your child is always sick...I'm sorry to hear that. But, what about the millions of other children who DO receive their vaccines, and are never sick? I think it has to do with the fact that everyone is different. Everyone's immune system works differently. Everyone's body functions differently based on genetics, environmental factors, etc etc. I think overall, the benefits of vaccines (i.e. preventing a debilitating or even deadly disease) outweigh the potential risks.

Kate CP - posted on 04/28/2011

"... Most "diseases" children and adults are vaccinated against are not diseases at all. They are an illness just like the common cold..."



O.o



From Marriam Webster:

disease noun

an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning

Synonyms: affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, illness, infirmity, malady, sickness, trouble

Related Words: contagion, contagious disease; contagium, infection; attack, bout, fit, spell; debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness; malaise, matter, pip; epidemic, pest, pestilence, plague





Somebody needs to brush up on their synonyms! Also, most vaccines contain dead virus and bacteria.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

@Laura- I never mentioned Dr Sears, did I? I have no problem with parents wanting to delay vaccinations.

Alecia - posted on 04/28/2011

oh my....some people just get sick more than others. its not vaccines making u sick. ive had all my shots (except chicken pox cuz they ddnt have that when i was a kid so u just had em) and im hardly ever sick. i get maybe one sinus cold a yr. my daughter is 19 mnths and up to date and she also hardly ever gets sick. all the kids i went to school with (well over a hundred just in my class) ALL had their shots and not one was harmed. but i can say that i knew some "odd" kids that if they were born now might be on the autism spectrum and it had nothing to do with vaccines...they are just odd ppl. autsim is rising bcuz the symptoms are much broader and ppl who were just "odd" before would now be diagonsed with aspergers and the such. *sigh* seriously the ignorance bothers me bcuz it is costing innocent lives. how would u feel if ur un-vaccinated child killed a newborn who couldnt be vaccinated???? it has happened and if it was my kid...u would pay dearly. just a fair warning bcuz to me its ridiculous that its even a choice. i hope my next baby doesnt have an allergy or something that keeps them from being vaccinated bcuz with all these "educated" un-vaxers, we are more at risk for these illnesses now......

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/28/2011

Is 'The vaccine book' by dr Robert sears a respected source of true information?

That's the book I chose because I wanted a source that was not for or against shots, just informative and factual.

Does anyone dispute dr sears? Is there any other books which offer an unbiased view of vaccines?

Linda - posted on 04/28/2011

Just curious- most people who don't vaccinate think it will harm their child..... what about the formeldayde and other harmful chemicals in everyday products like shampoo, lotions, toothpaste, etc....... do you skip those as well??

Shirley - posted on 04/28/2011

I got my kids's done, but have changed my views now, I believe that vaccinations, not only keep the kids sick, but cause other problems as well. my daughter has 4 kids and the 1 that always got is shots is always sick, The other 3 get sick once in awhile, but nothing like the first child does. It's my opinion that the "Required shots" break down the immune system, which causes sickness

Eileen - posted on 04/28/2011

I did 2 vaccines at a time, and filled in between regular scheduled vaccine visits with nurse visits to keep kind of up to date. I had to find an off the map doctor who would agree to let me do this. Use your own head and figure out what's right for your kids.

Amber - posted on 04/28/2011

"Most 'diseases' children and adults are vaccinated against are not diseases at all. They are an illness just like the common cold. "

I'm assuming that you didn't read the research that I posted showing the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths decreasing by more than 80% each after starting to vaccinate. And that's just one disease.

I guess I'm going to have to say it AGAIN. Most of these diseases are no longer considered dangerous because vaccinations have made them so. It is NOT because they weren't dangerous to begin with!

Darla - posted on 04/28/2011

All 3 of mine have got their vaccines on time and so will my next one! Why would I even want to subject my child to some illness that could have been prevented. I once heard a saying (from Dr. House on tv :) ) The price of the vaccine is a whole lot cheaper than a little box and a funeral! Harsh I know, but also true. I do even get my kids the flu, but it's because my son has a birth defect which causes any little cold to blow into pnuemonia very fast so we vaccinate everyone in our house and anyone he comes in contact with. I know there are a lot of things being said about vaccines, but so far I've only seen good come out of getting my children vaccinated. I understand people have their own views, I'm just saying what mine is :)

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

@Charlotte- I completely agree and my children will definitely be receiving the gardasil vaccine.

Charlotte - posted on 04/28/2011

I only have one comment - my mom died of cervical cancer when I was only 7, so please give your sons and daughters the gardasil vaccine before they have any sexual contact. Theoretical arguments are all well and good until you watch a loved one die.

Linda - posted on 04/28/2011

From Karmin " Most "diseases" children and adults are vaccinated against are not diseases at all. They are an illness just like the common cold.".



Karmin, I really don't think you "get it". The diseases we vaccinate for could be potentially life threatening for children.... not like the common cold at all. A common cold is uncomfortable, yes. But chicken pox, Meningococcal meningitis, Influenza B, measles, Diptheria, Perussis.... can all be life threatening! Not with every child, but I work in a hospital where I have seen children die, or become disfigured because of Meningococcal bacteria, and Herpes virus. The whole idea is to protect your child and others from these diseases. There are children out there who have very low immune systems, like children receiving Chemotherapy. If your child, who has not been vaccinated, gets one of these diseases and passes it on to one of these children, there is a high possibility that that child would not recover. It is our duty as responsible adults to protect not only our children, but everyones children.

I pray that your child is not the next one I see in a hospital bed dying of meningococcal meningitis, or having to have her leg or other part amputated because the meningococcal bacteria got into her body.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

@Karmin- personally, I only vaccinate for manditory vaccinations. My son did not receive the chicken pox vaccine. My daughter will probably not receive it either. I have *never* received a flu vaccine, or the H1N1 vaccine (that my doctor reccommended because I was pregnant during the outbreak). My children will not receive a flu vaccine.



This is not because I don't trust vaccines. It is because I don't vaccinate unnecessarily. I will vaccinate when the pros outweight the cons. ie: illnesses which have high potential to cause death or incurable diseases.

Kathy - posted on 04/28/2011

my children and grandchildren have all been vaccinated and on time My husband had polio as a child and would much rather see the child get poked for 3 seconds than be in a whell chair their entire life

Karmin - posted on 04/28/2011

Ok kids have been getting sick since the begining of time. Is it not a fact that our bodies immune system is built and strengthened because of things we are exposed to? Thats why doctors warn against compulsive hand washing or compulisvly using germ x. Kids are going to come into contact with germs and sickness. Maybe people should just go by the rules and if your kid is sick keep them at home and away form schools and daycares. Honestly somethings just come down to common sense. Someone posted earlier about AIDS/HIV..actually they cannot cure AIDS nor prevent you from contracting it. The meds they have on the market simply extend the life expectancy and make symptoms more tollerable. Most "diseases" children and adults are vaccinated against are not diseases at all. They are an illness just like the common cold. And most vaccinations expose kids to a small amount of the LIVE virus. Which means that illness is dilebertly injected into your blood stream. The chicken pox vaccine usually results in a chance of catching a mild case. Most kids will develop a few chicken pox a few weeks after thier vaccine for it. The flu shot does the same thing.No this does not come from a doctor or scientist but comes from a health department worker that sees it on a daily basis and is advised to warn parents about that particualr side effect. However "diseases" are becoming harder and harder to treat no one can tell you yes this will prevent your child from contracting the illness they were vaccinated before. Such as the flu. Mainly because each child is different and each sickness is different. I understand that illnesses such as chicken pox, the flu, etc are uncomfortable but so are allergies. That doesn't mean we need to vaccinate against them.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

I don't listen to 'big companies'. Nor does any other pro-vaccer here. But we've been through these same arguments 20 times in this thread alone and I've eaten too much popcorn, my stomach hurts. If you're even remotely interested in what we've had to say on those issues you can go back and read our posts. :)

Heather - posted on 04/28/2011

SIGH!!

Brooke, plenty of us who do not vaccinate have been educated. For the love of freaking god, READ SOME OF THE PAST RESPONSES. Repetitive much? And yeah, my kids not dying of preventable diseases is so damaging, damn what was I thinking?? (my eyes cannot possibly roll any harder right now or they will fall out of my head)

And on the topic of repetition, those of you who STILL want to cry "vaccines=autism" make me want to punch myself in the face. Give me a break. Get over that nonsense. That's the most irritating 'argument' to me. There are about 9000 reasons why that crap makes NO sense. The first 8990 of them being actual MEDICAL reasons.
GAH!

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

I'm sure if I find the right pages I could find proof of aliens... oh wait, here we go... http://www.proofofalienlife.com/



and did you know aliens built the pyramids in Egypt? here's proof of that: http://www.outerworlds.com/likeness/alie...

Sarah - posted on 04/28/2011

"...Educated yourself on them and the ingrediants and you will understand why! Its not what other people think it should be what you think!!!! BUT be sure you educated yourself. Im sure if you find the right pages.. you would decide not to vaccinate because of the extreme dangers and the damage they are doing to children...."

And yet AGAIN, another anti-vaxer who thinks that pro-vaxers are completely uneducated & have never done a bit of research. That's funny...I have a degree in Health & Kinesiology. I've done my research on diseases, vaccines, etc....and that's why I choose to vaccinate.

Heidi - posted on 04/28/2011

I got my son his scheduled vaccinations. I don't agree with flu shots if not needed......children don't need to be put in a bubble...

Jodi - posted on 04/28/2011

I knew that you knew it was Wakefield......if that is any consolation.

Jenni - posted on 04/28/2011

In my defence I did know it was Wakefield but I hadn't gotten through my first cup of coffee yet. x_O Not that anyone will believe that now. haha

Jodi - posted on 04/28/2011

But who would know....can't read anything on Dr Mercola's website without a bright yellow box covering it all asking for your email address. Yes, that's right you are only allowed to read his articles if you subscribe to his newsletter. He calls it your added bonus. What if I don't want it? Sorry, no choice, it's still a bonus. Take the damn newsletter or no access to any of his articles.