Vaccinations

[LiberatedChick]

Just curious if anyone here has gotten their boosters? Not a trick question lol, just want to see how common it was, since they are only good for 10yrs or so.

I got boosters for measles, mumps, rubella, TB and polio. However, my husband went for his first MMR vaccination just yesterday! Looking at his records the nurse said he didn't have any vaccinations as a child (though he did get a TB and polio vaccination in his early teens at the same time everyone else was getting booster). It was hardly surprising that he got whooping cough, measles and rubella when he was little. He only went and got this MMR jab because the doctors sent all 16-25 years olds a letter asking them to check they'd had it since mumps is on the increase in our area (actually that's not the reason...he only went because I begged him to after reading that letter lol).

 

[Zoomer]

I am immune to rubella so I figure there is no point getting the MMR. I had Diptheria, Pertussis, and Tetinus about 5 years ago since I cut my finger. I had chicken poxs so there is not point in that. I never get the flu shot because I am very healthy and if I do get the flu it only lasts a couple of days. I can't remember if I had any other ones.

 

[newcreature]

Just food for thought:

Serums are available for many of the diseases children are vaccinated for. At this moment the shelf life for them is short. Why aren't we developing these more?

I have also read that, although expensive, there can be blood test done to see if a person is immune to some or all of the diseases. Why aren't we doing that, or why couldn't people encourage that before getting all the shots?

I am suspicious as to why these aren't being brought up.

One last thing: About 85% of most diseases can be avoided, and have been, because of greater sanitary measures (running water, etc..). The World Health Organization speaks of this.

 

[Mrs. Enigma]

I have 3 kids. The oldest is almost 6. We did not vaccinate them. We do not plan to. We object to using aborted babies to our benefit and we think the risk cuurently outweighs the benefit.

 

[LynnMcG]

I am really frightened by the prospect of so many people not vaccinating their kids. Not only do the unvaccinated run the risk of contracting the diseases, they pose a hazard to anyone whether or not they are vaccinated because no vaccine is 100% effective.

I agree.

Both our children were vaccinated. And since Sean was a preemie, he had a greater risk of death from respiratory illnesses so he had more vaccines than Sarah. I also vaccinate both of them for the flu each year because of his prematurity.

 

[Katydid]

You know, I discussed not vaccinating very intensly with my husband. We decided to vaccinate. My husband has been deployed to Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and did a tour in Korea. I think we take for granted that these diseases are gone. They are not! My husband has been in countries where if we didn't vaccinate, we would basically have to have him live in the barracks until we were SURE that he didn't bring anything back with him. The risk was too high for us. As it was, the military just did a major small pox vaccination of all troops. My husband couldn't get it because I was pregnant. Think about it this way, just for a minute. The US has immigrants from many different countries. Say your child, unimmunized, goes to school with an immigrant from Africa, this child brings with him polio (which still exists). Your child is now exposed to a disease that you took for granted was wiped out. Could you really forgive yourself? If you could, then don't worry, you are doing what is right for your family. I just think people need to look at the possible ramifications before deciding one way or the other. If you can live with the possible ramifications, not playing the number game of "Oh well there is only a 1% chance" but imagine yourself in that one percent, and still live with the decision, then do what you feel is right. BUT, if you feel that ADD is enough of a problem to live with polio, or lockjaw (tetanus), then you have to make the decision you feel is best. I know I sound pessimistic, but I know that I could not forgive myself if one of my children got polio, or smallpox, or tetanus, knowing that I could have stopped it, or at least made it more managable.

 

[lsrichey]

I did all the vaccines for my children. I had vaccines as a child as did millions of others. I lived thru them. I thing the things they prevent out weigh the very small risk of other problems.

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

I'm a nurse, and been to Africa, so there's not many illnesses I'm not vaccinated again.

And Australia being as multicultural as it is, means that there are still people around that have TB, polio - all that kind of stuff (even dormant).

I've read most of the research, have friends whose daughter died from a polio injection (anaphylaxis from it), and I still will be vaccinating my children as recommended by the state.

If I have to - they have to! Saves them having to do it all again if they choose to be a nurse (which, judging from my family, they have a good chance of having nursing implanted on their genes!!!)...

Sasch

 

[selune]

I just read in the paper about a woman who has spent the last 55 years in an iron lung because of polio. Since she was 3 folks. I'm so glad that vaccines have been developed, it's unfortunate that people have lost the idea of the devestation of the diseases that they prevent.

 

[selune]

Read this on cnn news I think, maybe my emails news-- "Following a controversial British study in 1998 that raised the possibility of a connection between the vaccine and developmental problems, immunization rates in Europe began to fall, even though the study was later widely discredited.

Most of the scientists involved in the original 1998 study later renounced their findings after discovering that the main author had been paid separately by lawyers for parents who claimed their children were harmed by the immunizations.

Several authoritative groups, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Institute of Medicine and Britain's Medical Research Council, have reviewed evidence investigating a possible link between the vaccine and autism and all came to the conclusion that the two are not connected."

Also thought I'd post this link to an article that tells about how high the rate of immunization needs to be to protect people, that with so many choosing not to immunize, it puts the entire population at risk.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153527,00.html

"Epidemiologists refer to “herd immunity” (search) as a population’s overall resistance to epidemics once that population achieves a 90 percent vaccination rate. Among a “herd” of 90 percent immune individuals, a non-immunized person enjoys a fairly low risk of contracting whatever deadly communicable diseases to which the “herd” is immune.

"As the herd’s immunity falls below 90 percent, however, not only do the non-immunized individuals face a greater danger of becoming ill, but the greater availability of more non-immune persons provides the diseases with an “opportunity,” if you will, to replicate throughout the population in the form of various epidemics.

Each epidemic, in turn, strikes hardest at those individuals least capable of defending themselves — the elderly, the newborn, the immuno-comprised, and, of course, pregnant women and their developing fetuses."

 

[kellykelley]

I don't know where to find it but I know that Japan has a very different vaccine schedule from us and you might try following it as a compromise then they get fewer shots but still get vaccines. I am thinking about looking it up for the new baby. They start later don't do multiple shots and do less period. I do get the flu shot for Sarah because she was a preemie and needed the extra protection because of the rsv risk.

KK

 

[kellykelley]

Where is the info about vacicnes coming from aborted babies? I really want to see that.

KK

 

[PegasusOnFire]

I am vaccinating my daughter, infact we just started her vaccines yesterday. So far she has had no reaction to them, not even swelling at the injection sites. I was vaccinated as a child, as was my husband.

 

[Emma's_Mom]

My daughter had her first round of immunizations done on Monday. It was terrible. She was just really upset and it was really hard on me to watch her get 4 injections, especially when she cried right after the first one. But I feel like I did the right thing for her. She ran a low grade fever until about 7 pm Tuesday night and she didn't sleep well Monday or Tuesday night and spit up more than usual, which bothered me, but I attribute some of that to the infant Tylenol drops my pediatrician recommended for her fever.

 

[LiberatedChick]

Read this on cnn news I think, maybe my emails news-- "Following a controversial British study in 1998 that raised the possibility of a connection between the vaccine and developmental problems, immunization rates in Europe began to fall, even though the study was later widely discredited.

Yes, this study and all the hype in the press has resulted in a lot of worried parents not vaccinating their children. The UK news this morning declared that we are in the grip of a mumps epidemic. As a result of parents not having their children vaccinated and young adults born before 1988 (when the MMR jab became available) not having the vaccine cases of mumps here have rocketed. In 2003 there was 4,204 cases, in 2004 there was 16,436 and this year there has been 5,000 cases in the first month alone

 

[Katydid]

but I attribute some of that to the infant Tylenol drops my pediatrician recommended for her fever.

You should ask your doctor about using Motrin instead. It works just as well as Tylenol, but my children do better with the Motrin.

 

[LegacyOfLove]

Wow, what a vast array of information on the topic of immunizations! I have to say I was alarmed to read the ingredients listed on one of the above posts about each of those vaccines!! That's almost frightening. I did, however, have my children receive all of their vaccinations right on schedule. They don't get flu shots though and thus far that hasn't been a problem for them. After reading all of the above information, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it now....but it is important food for thought for future reference!

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

Kris,

Don't stress - that information is false... don't know WHERE some people get their info from, but as for products of conception - that's completely false, and a lot of the other so-called ingredients (arsenic, mercury, et al), they have been out of production for vaccinations for years and years, and synthetic safe alternatives have been developed.

Don't stress!

Sasch

 

[Katydid]

I know you can specifically ask for vaccines that are mercury free. From what I understand, they still have stock of the ones with mercury, but use those for adults. At least that is what I was told. Also, I talked to a doctor about the aborted fetuses, only one vaccine was DEVELOPED using miscarried fetuses, but none of them have fetuses actually used IN them.

 

[Cool CD]

What forum is the circumcision thread in? I can not find it.