Vaccination Poll

[CookieMonster]

I'm curious how the WTM culture is spread on this subject. :)

[kaylk in tx]

i used to be a "stick 'em with everything you got" girl but now that we've gone through the language delays, etc. with 2 of my 3 boys, we're just not gonna do any more of that... :D

[PrairieAir]

I answered other because I am not entirely against vaccinations. None of my children (17, 15, 13, and 11) have ever had any vaccinations. My husband never had any growing up except for a tetnus shot after getting his hand cut up pretty badly on a rusty car he was working on. I had all my shots growing up, the last one about my junior year of high school.

If we were to travel to a part of the world where these diseases are more common, we would consider getting vaccinated. My oldest graduates this year and may be going in the Marines. If he does join the Marines, he will be getting all of his shots plus some extras. If it looked like there could be an outbreak of some sort, we would consider it. If one of us stepped on a rusty nail or had some other injury that might warrant a tetnus shot, we would do that.

Really I feel that there are risks either way. We have chosen the option that we feel the most comfortable with, but we aren't convinced it is the only right choice.

[Perry]

I have a PhD in public health, so am very much pro-vaccine. My kids have received all the vaccines, although we are going to wait a year or so on Gardasil. I voted "Other", only because I prefer to wait about a year before using any new drug, whether it's a vaccine or something else.

[bkpan]

because we have done all the vaccines, but I do worry about it! We won't do the new one for little girls though. Can't remember the name of it.

Kim in TN (used to be in NV)

[WTMindy]

tends to be conservative with them. He will give the chicken pox, but he waits and prefers kids to get it naturally if possible. So, I trust his judgement on these things.

[mcconnellboys]

I, too, have changed my mind on this issue, based on some little actual knowledge of it now, through my many friends with children on the spectrum and through rather intense reading on the subject.....

Regena

[Beth in Central TX]

I trust our doctor too. However, if he's recommending a procedure or shot, I always ask, "Would you do this if it was your child?" We have kids around the same age, so it always stops and makes him think. He's honest, upfront, and gives us time to think. I like that, especially in a doctor.

[Robyn]

My oldest was fully vaccinated on schedule. It never occurred to me that I had an option. My 18 mo old will be getting his first vaccine at his two year visit. At this point, we are only doing the DTaP and we are spreading it out over 3 years. My pedi has been great about supplying me with info and her opinions without being pushy. I know people who have been "fired" by their pediatricians for not vaccinating on schedule.

[chiguirre]

I vaccinated on schedule until my boys were diagnosed with autism. All of our Venezuelan doctors (a developmental pediatrician, a regular pediatrician and a neonatologist) told me not to vaccinate the boys again and to delay vaccines with any other children. The only voice of dissent I heard was a Venezuelan friend who practices pediatrics in the US. Go figure!

[Laura Corin]

Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis, TB... As someone who was lucky that cervical pre-cancer was caught early, I'd be happy for my boys to have the anti-pap virus injection too, to protect future partners.

Laura

[CookieMonster]

Thank you for your explanations about your "other" choice. I'm very interested in understanding what is behind the not-going-to-vaccinate Idea.

Although there haven't been terribly many votes, it's interesting to me to see the number of people in the selective/delayed and not-at-all camp.

For me, it was something I only momentarily considered not doing. For me at the time, the long-term social pros far outweighed the potential cons. I guess I felt personal responsibility for my role in society.

The new vaccines definitely raise the hackles on my neck though. I'm one to never buy a new model car until it's been out for five years or so. Let someone else take the gamble that the whole shebang is a lemon, ya know. I don't have the money for that. And I apply the same sensibilities to the new vaccines that have come out.

I was of the anti-chicken pox vaccine mindset when it first came out. Come on, I said to myself, what is the big deal about getting chicken pox? It's not like getting polio or smallpox! Then I lived through the ordeal of several very nice people I know living with shingles. Oh, those poor souls! I had never even heard of shingles or knew that they were connected to the chicken pox virus. Now, I've let my son get the vaccine.

The new Gardisil one? New model car feeling about that one, Honey.

[Peek a Boo]

I voted "other" just cuz I don't really have any other reason than laziness, lol.

I'm not "big" on vaccines, but dh is. However, i do know that most of our kids are "behind" on most of them. I tend to fall on the "don't bother" side, but have no huge objections to vaccinating. i do ask to limit the shots to 2 at a time if the doc or dh wants to "catch them up", but am never diligent about going back after the first two ;)

edited to add: apparently dh isn't "big" enough on it to keep track of their shots and/or take them to the doc himself, lol.

[Daisy]

I clicked on "other" because I was not concerned about vaccinations when my kids were getting them. I was blissfully ignorant. But now that I've learned as much as I have, I will be very careful about future vaccinations. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose delayed vaccinations.

[Lisawa]

If I were to have another baby and start over, I would delay all vaccines for almost 2 years... maybe 1 and 1/2 and then the ones I would allow would be single... no cocktail vaccines....


I would wait and be selective....

[Shannon]

Interesting question!

We started out with the "we'll wait until he's 2" approach. Two came, we were living overseas and when we returned to the States, we were fortunate enough to find a doctor who questions vaccines. She prefers a modified schedule, if you're going to do them at all.

So, we are currently in the "not at all" camp. We reevaluate the decision every so often, just to make sure we're not doing things just because that's how we've always done them...or not done them as the case may be! :)

Shannon

[Margaret in CO]

I'm in the delayed camp--sort of. My first dd got most of her vax on schedule--until she had a HUGE reaction to tetanus. She had a milder reaction to DPT. Dd#1 can't ever have vax--can't even find a doc that will do them--she went to Turkey for a month two years ago w/o being vaxed. We prayed a lot. No one told me that dd #2 should not have had the DPT as her sis had reacted. I went from a happy, contented child to a screaming meemie for several years. Then, almost two years ago, she headed off to USNA and had to catch up on all her vax in a 6 week period. We prayed a lot. Fast forward to the next three--they've not had anything except tetanus.

[Kate in Arabia]

My kids have had all their shots, pretty much on schedule. My mom had polio as a child and was very lucky to have survived. Now, with all the travelling we do, including places where there is open sewage :( , I am too afraid not to. The last time we were in India my younger two had a bout with stomach bug (common, lol), mild fever, vomiting, etc. they also had been a feast for the mosquitos; we were visiting some relatives in a smaller town, and they couldn't believe how cavalier I was about it -- "oh, just give her some Tylenol for the fever and she'll be fine!" They were ready to take her to a doctor. I think we are so fortunate that we don't have to have the same concerns about illness and disease that seem to be a regular part of life in other places.

[BizyPenguin]

I spread them out. No way would I do 4 or 5 pokes in one visit. That's way too much for a little person. My pediatrician has always been nice and not preachy about me spreading my kid's shots out. We don't do new or trial vaccinations and no flu shots either. My dd still has to get one of the Hep vaccinations, but she's only two. My ds didn't get the newest Hep vaccination until he was 9. (I did it b/c he went to ps for two years.) He still needs the second shot for that. I think it's important to vaccinate, but it bothers me that they're continually adding new shots. I know I was vaccinated as a child, but I didn't have nearly the number of shots my kids have had and I'm still alive and well. I'm glad I refused the rotovirus vaccination (which was new) when my ds was an infant b/c eventually that one got pulled. It's also important to read up on vaccinations and to make sure your child isn't getting mercury ones.

[PamInMN]

We don't vaccinate for Religious Reasons.......... Christian Scientists.

[justme]

I voted 'other'because up until now, all my dc have recieved all of their early childhood vaccines on schedule, but after all I have learned, and living through what I am convinced were one of my dd's very severe complications to some of them, I have changed my tune to I don't want to vaccinate any more. My oldest are 11 and 13 and I have been putting off going to the doctor because I know the subject of boosters and Gardasil will come up and I just don't know how I will deal with it. I fear there will either be a confrontation and/or 'mom is a kook' will be written in the chart. Most definitely if I was starting over or had another child, I would delay, only do one at a time and be very selelctive, if I did it at all.

[StephanieZ]

We do all the main/proven vaccines, close to schedule but typically on the late end of the advised guidelines.

I don't like new vaccines. I let the rest of the world be the guinea pigs and we will do them after the first year. :) So, we narrowly missed the 1999 rotavirus vaccine that was pulled from the market after a few months of use, and right after I had declined it for my newborn son b/c it was too new for my comfort level. :)

We don't do the ones they recc at birth (Hep B if I recall correctly) nor any others those first weeks. (I know I'm negative and that my dh & I are monogamous. . . If you're SURE of these facts, there is no cause for that vaccine at birth . . .)

We do those routine baby vaccines, but we just do them a bit later on than most folks. I like to spread them out as much as possible.

We didn't do chicken pox until we were planning a family trip to S. America and would be travelling in rural areas, so we did chicken pox for all the kids at that time, as well as various Hepatitis vaccines, etc that were advised for that area of the world.

Working with animal health, I see the dangers of overvaccinating as well as the dangers of not vaccinating. I think it is all a risk benefit thing for EACH vaccine.

I expect my children to 1) travel the world 2) go to universities and other settings where they'll meet and be exposed to other people from all over the world and 3) live in an increasingly globalized world where they could be exposed to someone with a disease from another country any time any day any where. SOOOO, vaccinating against SERIOUS diseases is a no brainer for me. Mild diseases are more arguable.

Even so, we now vaccinate for the flu every year as well. I don't think it's gonna kill any of us, as we're all young and healthy, but it's just too dang expensive and inconvenient for the whole family to get it. (My dh just can't miss work if at all possible due to the nature of our business.) Last year, my 10 yo got it and so we all went on Tamiflu to avoid everyone else getting it. Spent about $250 on the Tamiflu ($50 each RX) and then all the other copays, etc. So, this year we all got the shot AND I even paid for all of our staff members to get it as well (herd immunity. . .)

[mrscopterdoc]

I'm selective to a point. The chicken pox shot came out when dd was a baby. I thought it was better for her to get it naturally. Well she never did and once she got older and time had gone by and the shot seemed safe I let her get it to prevent shingles later on in life.

As for Gardisil, it will be some years before I consider it, again to make it's safe.

New model car feeling about that one, Honey.

exactly.

[AmyinPA]

i used to be a "stick 'em with everything you got" girl but now that we've gone through the language delays, etc. with 2 of my 3 boys, we're just not gonna do any more of that... :D

Although we don't have any delays amongst my first five children (thank God), but with the sixth, I'm being more selective.

[Melinda in VT]

My oldest got everything right on schedule.

The twins got very few vaccines until they were two, and then we caught them up.

We planned to follow that same course with #4, but we took a trip to Costa Rica when he was 6 months old, so we gave him some vaccines earlier than we would have otherwise. (And I'm glad we did, as he spent 2 days in Costa Rican hospitals with me and his injured brother.) He's delayed somewhat, but not as much. He just got shots today (he's 2yrs 5 months), and I think the only one we are missing is the second Hep A.

For me, vaccinating on a delayed schedule is a good way to uphold my responsibility to both public health and my child's health.

[Carpe Diem]

I believe the chicken pox vax does not protect against shingles. You are injecting chicken pox into your body and therefore are able to get shingles. Which is why there are children who get shingles now. Now they have a vax to prevent shingles. I wonder why....hmm.