How would you advise someone debating the pros & cons of immunising their children?

Answer 1

I wrestled with this question a lot. No one likes the idea that their child could *die* from an immunization.

But I figured, if my child died from an immunization, she would have been an easy target for the much stronger and deadlier wild diseases. In other words, she'd be more likely to die from measles than from the measles vaccine.

I'm not sure about the newer vaccines for chicken pox, etc. THAT is a relatively mild disease. Children do die from it though, so I'd take family history into account. Both my children had chicken pox. And even kids who get the vaccine can come down with a mild form of chicken pox.

I've been reading lately that many vaccines don't give you life-time immunity -- for example, whooping cough (pertussis) is only good for 8 to 10 years, and even adults should get boosters. I think it's good if you go in with your kids when you get booster shots -- it shows them that it is something important for their health.

Never treat a mother's fears lightly, though. Sure, maybe there's only 1/100th percent of a chance their child may have bad effects, but if it's YOUR child having the bad effects, it is no comfort. But seriously, I think the pros outweigh the cons in many cases. Study up on each vaccine, and get the facts, and know the danger signs of when a vaccine is going wrong. I think this is the best one can do.

VinceY: your wife may have a point -- but are the children healthier because of no vaccines, or are they healthier because their mothers are very health conscious, and restrict sugar and promote good foods and exercise? I think you'd need to find *scientific* studies to back up the "non-vaccinated children are healthier" claims.

It's best to settle this kind of thing before the baby comes, because the vaccination schedule starts pretty early. (-: And new mothers are *very* hormonal, at least in my personal experience. Logic doesn't count for as much when compared to "someone's sticking a big needle of disease into my baby!" That's how I felt anyway.

Answer 2

Um thalimolide was not an immunisation!!!
when I was young I apparently had an adverse rection to the measles jab....I has convulsions....BUT I am still here...no real damage..ha!
Anyway I still think the pros FAR outweigh the cons eg what is the rate of problems with the measles immunisation compared to the death rate from meales (10%)...I tihnk if you asked anyperson whose child had suffered from the diseases we are trying to prevent....do you wish you had immunised your child?...I wonder if the response is different from that prior?
You can see that child mortaility from diseases started going down drastically after the introduction to immunisation...
Also if you ask people in 3rd world countries, they would take the immunisation I'm sure....they see the evidence of these diseases somewheat more than we do......which is kind of ironic really.

Answer 3

I hope the 'D' in Dr D doesn't spell 'Death'.

But this is a good question. I'm all for immunisation, but my wife has colleagues who don't immunise their children and they seem healthier than most other kids, less prone to flu, coughs and the seasonal bug. Since knowing that, my wife has been constantly debating with me the pros of non-immunisation and till today, I have yet to effectively convince her otherwise. Good thing though that we don't have kids yet, so I guess its a bridge best crossed when I get to it. But till then, I'm putting this question in my watch list.

Answer 4

With this new HPV series of shots - no way. It's been rushed to the public without enough testing. Remember thalidomide? Yea. And Phen - Fen? And Paxil? The list is a lot longer, too.

Edit - Point being, the FDA doesn't test drugs long enough. They use the public as an experiment. People are too willing to be sheep and do as the government suggests, and when the health of you child is concerned, you should really look beyond what you see on tv and are told to read by (hey! look!) the government . . .

Answer 5

Statistics are what immunizing is all about get the stats to back your argument.~~

Answer 6

DO IT, the pros far far exceed the cons.

Answer 7

You can't. There are no cons to immunizing children.

Answer 8

Why WOULDNT you immunize them?
Be a good parent, look out for their wellbeing, and GET THEM IMMUNIZED!