My friend refuses to get her baby his shots?

Question

My friend has 4 kids and her 3rd one was born autistic. Her newest one is only 2months old and she refuses to get him any of his shots because she is convinced one of the shots caused the autism of her 3rd born. My personal opinion is that it is rediculous to not get his shots, but need more info to give her to convince her. Doesn't he need them to start school when he's older?

Some of you may have misunderstood. She does not plan on getting any of the shots for her baby, ever. And she is not very informed about it all. I think she should do what's best for the baby, there is a reason the shots are recommended.

Answer 1

For as long as your friend's baby is staying at home & not spending much time in the general public, he is not much at risk of infection. But most daycares & schools require vaccinations, so once the child gets into a situation where is is likely to be exposed, he will be required vaccinations.

If she believes mercury in vaccines causes autism, then all you need to tell her is that thimerisol, the mercury related preservative in vaccines was removed from the manditory shots in 2001. The older batches with thimerisol expired in 2003. So she has nothing to fear where that is concerned. So all the only vaccine she needs to "protect" her son from is the flu vaccine. Even then, you can pay more to get a thimerisol free vaccine.

But I don't see any problem with delaying the shots till her son is older as long as he doesn't spend his days at the mall (exposed to the public & illnesses) Many logical people to suspect they have too much for the children to take at too early of an age. Spread them out & have then taken at an older age & there will likely be fewer adverse side-effects.

Answer 2

Maybe your friend wants to delay shots. If she is a stay at home mom then your friend's baby will less likely be ill and she can choose to vaccinate when her infant is a little older. This must be a very sensitive subject for her. Don't pass judgement just yet as she is the parent and has been through a lot with her other autistic child. All you can do is tell her how you feel about it if she asks.

A lot of parents delay vaccinations and eventually "catch up" by the time they are in school. I would only be concerned if she has no intention of ever giving her baby vaccinations and if her baby is in a daycare setting.

Answer 3

The benefits of shots far outweigh the risks. I would tell your friend to do some more research so she can make a truly informed decision. Statistically the child's chances of getting a truly life-threatening disease that could have been prevented with shots, is much much much higher than the possibility of autism.
Schools and childcare centers will require a pediatricians note stating they can not receive immunizations. (This is hard to come by as most pediatricians will NOT recommend a child not receive their shots.) Also a daycare facility may dis-enroll that child if other parents complain, as in most states they are required to notify other parents that there is an non-immunized child enrolled. I used to work in a daycare and we had to dis-enroll a child because other parents were complaining, especially those with infants whose baby's hadn't received certain shots yet.

Answer 4

Don't judge her and don't push your beliefs off on her because she has her reasons, and if you were in her shoes you would probably make the same decision. I delayed shots for my 2nd and 3rd child after my first died 7 days after getting her 4 month shots. She died of SIDS and for the first year after she died I didn nothign but research and research because I did everything that I was supposed to so I couldn't understand how she still could have died. I found a ton of information about the DPT shot that I did not know before hand. The information I found was heartstopping and so I chose to delay shots in my other children. 4 shots at once at 2, 4, and 6 months old is rediculous anyways. My aunt works for a major health insurance company and told me a few months after my daughter died that they are the ones that came up with this so called "schedule" so it is not something has to be followed to ensure your childs well being. My 2 year old had one shot at a time and the DPT was delayed unti she was 16 months old, per her pediatrician's recommendation. Her ped said that she would do the same thing I did if she were in my shoes. As far as not being able to attend school there are ways around it. I just finished college with a lady who has a daughter that is in one of our classes with us. Her daughter never had all of her shots because she had some health issues and her mother felt best that she did not get them. She finished high school and was in college with us so that is not true. Her mother said she had some problems with the school but there are ways around it and they cannot refuse your child enrollment for any reason. Never judge someone until you've been in their shoes especially if she is supposed to be your friend. I'm sure she loves her kids and would never do anything intentionally to hurt them. I had a cousin who disagreed with my choosing to delay and said was jeopardizing my child's life, and like I told her I love my kids very much and I did tons and tons of research before I came to my decision. I made the decision that was right for my child, which may not be the right decision for somebody elses child. How would you feel if you talked her into getting the shots and something happened to this child? Just support her and understand she is doing what se feels is best for her kids.

Answer 5

i did alot of research about this when i had my kids, and there are some ties between the dtap and autism. however, it was also found that children who get that shot later, have no problems. the dtap is the only shot shown to have ties to autism, so she could get the rest of the shots with no problems. her child will have no need for the shots until they enter school, which wont be til theyre 3 or 4. 2 is the age when side effects of the dtap subside. another thing, if she truly doesnt want her child to have the shots, there is no law against her not gettng them. shell have trouble entering her child in school, but there is a form that she can have her childs doctor sign, saying she wont allow the shots for religous reasons. this form will allow her child to be entered into school. have her do some more research, and shell find that she can safely get the other shots with no problems. i also didnt like the idea of having so many shots done at the same time, as i figured it would be harder on a young body. my pediatrician understood this, and extended her shot program so she only recieved one in the series at a time. all you can do is have her do more research and explain that he can safely recieve all the other shots with no problems. one more thing, i dont believe in the chicken pox shot. its only effective for 7 years after its given, and contracting chicken pox after that time is very dangerous. it is much safer to allow your child to get chicken pox so theyll have a life long immunity.

Answer 6

Yes...he has to have them to start school...she will have to provide shot records.....she has 4 kids and only the 3rd born is autistic? wouldn't ya think if the shots were to blame, the first 2 would also have issues? Do some research on autistic children and provide her with the facts/causes.....She needs to look out for the well being of her child...and she isn't doing that....speak to a medical provider for related facts as well.....We'll say a Prayer for God to keep the lil' one safe until Mommy opens her eyes!

Answer 7

Benefits are greater than risks. Some shots do defastating effects but very, very few. And I don't think they will the kids in school with out some of the shots. But it is a personal decision. Unless he has proof of the the shot to autism link, he shouldn't just assume.

Answer 8

If the older two had their shots & they are fine then she shouldn't have anything to worry about. Plus the shots didn't give the child autism. & yes I belive they need to have their shots to go to school, pre-school & some day care centers. I hope she wakes up soon. The child is more suseptible to diseases & viruses as a baby & the shots will help the body grow against them.

Answer 9

All of her children will need an up to date shot record to attend school and personally waiting that long the poor children will have to have a multitude of shots and I think that is wrong. I am not a doctor but I don't think the shots can cause autism but if she is worried have her talk to a pediatrician and they can answer any questions she might have.

Answer 10

I'm telling you, the ignorance I see in some answers is astounding.

No, a child DOES NOT NEED TO BE VACCINATED TO ATTEND SCHOOL. There are medical, religious, and in some states philosophical exemptions available.

Second, if your friend has determined that not vaccinating is what is best for her child, then leave her alone. Does she bug you to NOT vaccinate?

Vaccines can be beneficial. They can be harmful. They can be deadly. Yes so can some of the diseases. But it's something each parent has to figure out for their children. Hopefully it is done with education and thought and is not a gut reaction only, and the parents also investigate each disease and how it can be prevented and treated. It is much more than saying "I'm not vaccinating".