I am refusing all vaccinations for my unborn son...why is everyone making a huge deal out of it??

Question

I have decided vaccinations are NOT for my child. I've done lots and lots of research. I've also found out that a child CAN attend daycare and school if you write up an exemption form stating why you didn't have your child vaccinated. I think vaccinations are leading causes to many, many un-needed diseases (such as autism-just to list one). I've talked this over with my boyfriend and he agrees with me. We just don't want our son vaccinated. Why is the doctor making such a huge deal out of this? He's trying to change my mind and I am not bending on this subject. Are there any women out there who DID NOT vaccinate?

Answer 1

Your doctor is expressing an opinion. Medicine is a science, you could see three different doctors and get three different opinions.

As for your beliefs, those are fine, you must consider that the vaccines are there for a reason. You need to weight the positive with the negative on these issues. Are the diseases that you are exposing your child to worth the ones that you are trying to eliminate by not getting the vaccines? After looking at this from both sides, then check to see if your pediatrician will support your decision. If not look for another one.

I have twins and one has allergies to some of the ingredients that are used in the vaccines. I have had to go through many hoops to get him into school without any problems. While you are correct on the portion of your child being admitted to a school, you also need to look at the schools requirements to do this. It is not a walk in the park- trust me. My choice was made for me, my child could not get some of the vaccines without repercussions. Would I have made this choice- no, it has been a struggle.

Am I telling to get your child vaccinated- NO. You need to do what is best for both you and your child, what my point is that it will affect more than just you.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

You probably don't want to hear another person that is pro-vaccines but I am. I am NOT going to put you down for your decision, because it IS your decision to vaccinate or not...but I am married to a scientist (who is in immunology and virology) so obviously we are firm believers in science and vaccinations. You may hear the random stories of people saying their children became sick or nearly died from vaccines...but that isn't the norm. Vaccines today are very safe and can prevent many health problems. That's the bottom line, there will always be the rare, unfortunate cases of sickness or death, but the benefits far outweight the risks. Science and vaccinations are a wonderful thing. I know I'm glad that diseases like polio and small cox aren't anything I have to worry about! Think about children in third world countries that do no have access to vaccinations...it's terrible to think about the horrifying diseases that many of them suffer from and die from every day.

You've done your research and you've talked it over with the baby's father...as a mother you've done your job and decided. It is your choice after all. As long as you've seriously considered all sides then there's not much else to say.

Best of luck.

Answer 3

Do you even realize how many different things they vaccinate for in a child? They get at least 10 shots. From what your saying is you’re willing to put your child at a higher risk for getting these illnesses over your own belief?
You’re talking a huge risk by not getting the following
Hepatitis B Vaccine
DTaP Vaccine
H. Influenza type b (Hib) Vaccine
Inactivated Polio (IPV) Vaccine
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
Varicella Vaccine
Hepatitis A Vaccine
just to name a few. Your son will get sick no matter what! That is a fact of life, but not getting the vaccinations will only make the illness worse if he doesn't have the immunity system to help fight them. You can't control a sickness, but you can help maintain it so it's not so sever!!!! There will always be ppl out there who feel that it's worst to get the shots. EVERY one has a right yes, but these ppl telling you this crap, are they Drs? Do they have the medical degree to tell you that "vaccinations hurt the immune system rather then build it?"
If you go to the Dr, and you believe what he tells you when your ill, don't you think he/she MIGHT know what’s best for a child since they're the ones who have the degree and the experience?

Unless it's a proven fact, and trust me I've looked too, then you would be doing more harm then good.

Ultimately though it is your choice, and you would be the one living with the decision. Don't be side tracked by the entire negative. Look into it MORE, and weight the sides and you should be able to see what is best for you, and most importantly your child.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Get educated. Read read and read some more. My wife and I were in your place just a few months ago. We decided to hold off vaccinating for a few months then spread them out. We want him vaccinated, but on our schedule. Our son was born a little early and I just couldn't inject him with all these chemicals when he weighed under 10 pounds. Don't just blindly listen to the doctors, they just do what they're told. Follow your gut. Don't listen to the people on here screaming to vaccinate your child. They probably have done little to no research on the topic. Most of these diseases were on a drastic decline well before vaccines were introduced into our society. Things as simple as garbage pickup, clean water, and better food storage started killing off deadly diseases in this country long before vaccines were intorduced. Most people are amazed what is actually in a vaccine, go find out. These children are being overdosed on the chemicals in vaccines and some babies immune systems can't handle it. One day when the news breaks that vaccines have been contributing to childhood ailments, the people screaming at you now will feel horrible for putting their own children at risk.

Answer 5

Initially, my brother and sister-in-law opted not to vaccinate their children. Their decision was based on reasons similar to yours. Their first 2 are now 20 and 18 years old. Due to medical problems, they did not have any more children for several years and their next 2 are now 10 and 8. They did additional research and opted to have their last 2 vaccinated as the scientific proof that vaccinations are connected to serious problems, such as autism, was consistently inconclusive. When you are doing your research, be sure to check out the dates when studies were done, focus on the most current ones. You are correct that you may be able to sign a waiver that your child has not been vaccinated when it comes time for him/her to attend daycare, preschool, or kindergarten. If you are insistent upon not vaccinating your child, then it will be best for you to find a pediatrician who has similar philosophies as you and your boyfriend have. The statistics are quite clear that the potential risks to your child if he/she contracts childhood diseases such as mumps, measels, rubella, are quite high compared to the minute number of children who have developed a complication as a result of an immunization. The only vaccine I opted NOT to give my youngest was the Chicken Pox vaccine. It was quite new when she was a baby and it was not available when my older children were little. Several people I knew who had their child vaccinated against chicken pox, their child still got chicken pox anyway. I talked it over with my doctor and we agreed to see if she could contract chicken pox naturally. She did, but not until second grade. Other than autism, I have never heard of any other type of un-needed disease attributed to vaccines. As the parent, you have a right to make decisions you feel are best, but be careful about being un-movable in your decisions as it is not uncommon for unforseen things to come up.

Answer 6

While you might think that there is a link between childhood vaccines and, to use your example, autism, it appears that several panels of experts disagree with you (Washington Post link). I'm not saying your wrong and they are right, but the results do look pretty conclusive: there is no link in this particular case.

Does that make you right? Or wrong? It's a personal decision. My children have been vaccinated for everything required here in Connecticut, but that doesn't mean that I necessarily agree with having them done. For example, I don't like the idea of the chicken pox vaccine - it hasn't been out long enough for me to be comfortable with the amount of testing it's received, and they'll need to get boosters for it for most of their lives. And there is now a vaccine for HPV, that many politicians are falling over each other to mandate - but it's another new vaccine, and I have to wonder what, if any possible side effects or problems might occur in the future?

You have to consider the possible risks against the possible benefitst. In your case, if your child hasn't been vaccinated, then it means that it's possible that your child will get any of a number of different sicknesses - mumps, for example. While it's a relatively well known sickness, it's also possible that it might have long term effects on your childs health. If it's not treated properly, or not accurately diagnosed, then the effects can be worse.

Why is it you are opposed to the vaccines? You don't state an actual reason except that you thik that they lead to "un-needed" diseases - and since your single example isn't an accurate example, I have to ask again: what are your reasons?

If it's something you feel that strongly about, then stick by your guns, but you now have to be careful: if your child is in a playgroup with another child who was recently vaccinated, it's possible that your child will end up with whatever someone else was vaccinated for - is that worth it?

Answer 7

You've been mislead. There is absolutely no link between vaccinations and autism. You say you have done lots of research but I know I've studied this far more than you. As a parent of an autistic child, I have researched this hypothesis for many years. I withheld judgement until I had read everything available-there just isn't a link. Period. I did however find a link between those who claim autism is caused by vaccinations and conveniently providing a miracle "cure" and being involved in some sort of litigation against pharmaceutical companies. Follow the money- These people are all quacks.

Vaccinate your kid.

Answer 8

I am currently 37 weeks pregnant, and my husband and I have discussed vaccination. I am a speech pathologist, and i have several students i have worked with where the parents are convinced the vaccines caused and/or contributed to their child's autism. After much research and discussion, we have decided to vaccinate our child, however we found a doctor who will go at a slower schedule. We don't want our kid to get 4-5 shots at one time! Our doctor is also supportive in our decision to refuse some of the shots (not giving her the flu or chicken pox vaccine, for example). One of my old patients decided not to vaccinate her younger son b/c her older one had autism. She found a doctor who was willing to work with her and support her decision. Good luck with your baby.

Answer 9

your right it is your choice and no one elses, I personally believe the benefits of the vaccinations greatly outweigh the risks, and that is after also doing exhaustive research on the subject. No parent should just take what their doctors say at face value, they are human and make mistakes as well. However you mention autism, and that theory has been debunked many times over. Anti vaccination nazis will be quick to tell you that autism is definitely caused by vaccinations and then will site sources that are many years old and expect others to just bow down to their wisdom. Not saying you are one of those, but there are many out there like that.

Bottom line....your child, your choice...who gives a **** what anyone else says.

Answer 10

I've researched this a lot as well. There are no proven links to autism and MMR. It was a theory that has since been disproved. People were looking for a reason why their child was that way and wanted someone to blame. Simply put, its not true. I think people who choose not to vaccinate don't look at all sides. They hear one thing and research that one thing, looking for a way to prove their point. You can' believe everything you find online. You need to look at reputable medical journals. Not a single one will warn against vaccinations.

People use the excuse that there were no such disorders prior to vaccinations. Ya know what? They were more than likely undiagnosed OR we have new dangers that weren't present back then. Not vaccinating is irresponsible and you may end up regretting it one day. Best of luck to you, but please, reevaluate the situation please.