To Vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

Question

I am watching Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live and I am just wondering, as a poll if you will, if you choose to vaccinate or not? My daughter is four months old and has received all of her vaccinations to date, but I want to hear your stand on this, or any story you may have to share regarding infant vaccinations and autism, or any other side effects you may have enountered. Thanks!

**I am a nurse and not asking for advice, I am just interested in hearing about your opinions and experiences.**

I absolutely plan on continuing the vaccination series for my baby girl regardless of what the answers end up revealing! So far I am seeing pro-vaccine... I am a firm believer that the reason people are saying the diseases they are immunizing against are irrelevant, is because people have been vaccinated against them!!! No they aren't common diseases anymore, BECAUSE OF THE VACCINES!!! Thank-you for your answers!

COLLEEN perhaps you should have read the question better :-) This is simply a poll, my dear. I am very educated on the subject and just wanted to hear the opinions of mommies who aren't necessarily in the profession.

Answer 1

I have 7 children, all of whom are vaccinated and none are autistic. The two eldest of the 5 girls have also received the HPV vaccine as well. As a parent, you have the right to accept or to refuse vaccinations for your children. However, the comes a problem when you want to get them into school because if they arent vaccinated, they cannot attend. Good Luck

Answer 2

Consider the source of information about vaccination. Is an actress saying she thinks her son is autistic because of a vaccination? Does she (or most parents) have the credentials to be making this claim?

One1998 study of only 12 children has been quoted by vaccination opponents as possibly showing a link between MMR vaccination and autism. Of the original 13 authors of the study, 10 have since retracted their belief that MMR can cause autism. The actual link they were suggesting had to do with bowel inflammation causing autism, but the bowel inflammation didn't occur until after the autistic symptoms for some of the children.

There are currently no published scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals that support the MMR-autism link. There are many studies that have looked for it and found nothing. The diseases you protect your child (and other children) from with a MMR shot are dangerous and can even be deadly. Autism is not.

Keep your babies safe from preventable diseases!

Answer 3

my daughter is 15 months old and "behind" on her shots by about 6 of them. Every time she gets one she gets sick. After her 6 month visit she had a fever so high we had to bathe her several times that night. She vomited for the first time in her life that night and would let go of me all night and for the whole next day. Additionally, we are now going through allergy testing and I can correlate all those problems to shots that were given already. We have decided not to catch up on her shots and suspend them for now. At some point, I may add a few back in but it will be one at a time and no live viruses. I don't think vaccinations are horrible but I think we definitely give our kids way too many and way too early!!!

Answer 4

I am planning on getting my daughter all of her vaccinations. I think it is important esspecially if you plan on traveling, in north america most of the diseasous are not common, but what if you or someone goes to a place where they are more common and brings it back and your child gets infected. It is a parents call but just think of the things that could happen if your child does get the disease. My daughter only had a fever and slept alot for a couple days after her shots. And from what i have heard, right now they actually don;t have scientific evidence that links vaccinations with autism.

Answer 5

There are very few kids that have side effects from vaccinations. But if it's your kid it means a lot. As the new age people would have you believe, the more vaccines you receive, the more your immune system gets tired. This is nonsense. Your immune system never "gets tired" and makes antibodies throughout your life against all bad bugs your in contact with. These vaccines are required by most school systems because they save lives. Believe me, you don't want your kid to catch rubella.

Answer 6

I am for the vaccines because reading about past history before the vaccines were around and seeing pictures of the horrible deaths and other problems children suffered without them I just prefer to go for the side of precaution. I know a lot of people are questioning the vaccines because of autism but I have a large family and the only members of my family that are autistic is my stepbrother who showed signs long before getting the questioned vaccines and my cousins little boy who again showed signs very early on. My cousins, nieces, nephews, me, my kids, my stepkids and many other kids i have cared for all are up to date on their shots and doing great, no autism or other health problems brought on by the shots. I did however work with a mother who didn't belive in vaccines and her son got measles and ended up dieing. That was enough to make the decision for me that my boys would get their shots on time. I know my mom tells me stories about the kids she knew when she was little and how many ended up spending time in the hospital because of illness that we now have vaccines for. Chicken Pox is the only vaccine I don't think should be forced but the MMR and similar shots I just feel it is a better choice to protect and lower the risk of the illness than to worry about if your child may develop Autism.

Answer 7

when my children were babies I did what was recommended...my one son had a terrible time with some shots like the three in one...
I know the shots are important...but perhaps not right away...your baby has five years before they need to go to school and can get them then...when they can handle all the chemicals...most of those diseases are no longer present in this country...as for the three in one shot i would insist that they were give separately at least...
and today if i had it to do over my kids would wait...till they were older...school is not the right reason since they have five years...
as for the autism i have heard this for years...and the USFD isn't about to change any of the practices they recommend...but as an esthetician...we all know that there is no such thing as one product good for all...we have learned much about toxins, in our food like milk with at least 75 chemicals and three causing cancer...so we must get real about perhaps things could be made more customized and definitely safer...meat is full of hormones, anitbiotics and steroids that we ingest and carry around called celluloise...so I ask you back does your infant need all that junk in them immediately? I say no...wait awhile till they can handle it...

Answer 8

I chose to vaccinate because with the influx of illegals into the U.S. smallpox has reared it's ugly head again and it's effects are NOT pretty. Polio is also coming back. As a nurse one would think you would at least be up on that news.

Answer 9

My daughter is five months old and is due for another dose of vaccine at the end of the month, she is all up to date so far with no side effects as of yet.(fingers crossed she won't get any side effects).

Answer 10

I worked for years for 5 pediatricians and in ob/gyn for 5 doctors and a midwife and I have never heard of such a thing. I have never encountered this. But I can tell you that you will have a problem getting your child into school without the proper proof of immunizations.