Immunization shots, good or bad, your views without battles.

[Jerry Gerner 2]

I'm not sure 100% either way on wether or not to have Matthew get them or atleast all of them.



Carol and I have looked into the pro's and con's but would like other's personal experiences with your children.



I don't want people to get into a huge arguement over beliefs, just need serious info. I know some of y'all are in the medical field.



NO:argue:

 

[MikeSondra Grossen]

We have never questioned immmunizations. If there is a shot to prevent our kids from getting something serious, we dont think twice. We trust our doctors advice. The kids are healthy and hardly ever sick. Many are needed just to enter the school system, I just took our older son for his physical and shots for high school. I work at a school, and do know a couple parents who have waived the immunizations from the start. They also cant be denied schooling if you have the proper documents. I couldnt imagine my kids getting sick over something that could of been prevented. I think its your personal choice, do what you think is best for you.

 

[H D]

My father in law is an anesthesiologist practicing for about 30 years and started his career as a pharmacist. He supports them 100%. I have been leery of them myself but I know this question is already answered for our future kids by his more knowledgeable "opinion" and my wife will obviously trust his medical opinion over any opinion I might have. I'm still not personally sold on the necessity of all of them, though.

 

[Andy Chase]

We've done all the recommended immunizations for our 2 boys. I never thought twice about it.

 

[Les]

Good

 

[Jacob Dryer]

My twins get all the required/recommended shots. They have had no side effects, and are rarely sick.



The only one I question is Flu, because it's a guessing game so I just skip it, the only time I had that one when the first year my kids were in the picture because it wasn't worth the risk or family turmoil it would have caused if I didn't get it since kids immune systems aren't strong enough at that point. I haven't had one since though. My wife is a doctor...

 

[Mike Dziubina]

I am in pediatrics now...I recommend ALL vaccinations 100% for my patients. Are there any questions I can answer for you? And if I may ask, why would you not get them? Strictly wondering as I like to hear why parents don't want them for their kids.



I will tell you my experiences as far as adverse effects of vaccinations:



1 case of Guillian-Barre syndrome following a flu shot - 60's year old male



3 recent cases of the mumps rash following MMR vaccine in pediatrics (it is not the disease itself but just the rash only which can happen and is NOT measles itself)



overall - get them IMO

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Immunizations, IMHO, bottom line as follows:



Immunize your children and respectfully lobby that other parents do the same. The likelihood that a child has an adverse reaction to a immunization is astronomically lower than what has proven WILL happen if we have a populous that is not immunized against threatening diseases.



Do your part, for you, for your child, and for the rest of us.



TJR

 

[H D]

The flu shot is the one I have an issue with. I typed much more, but deleted it and I'm just going to leave it at that. I'm not a physician and I don't play one on tv.

 

[Richard L]

Most of the immunizations the give today have very few side effects and are safe for the vast majority of the people. I used to try to avoid the flu shot years ago because it always gave me a mild case of the flu that night and into the next morning. The new immunizations are made with "Killed" viruses, so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot...just a slightly sore arm. I get the flu shot every year because my granddaughter had a liver transplant and must take anti-rejection medications that weakens her immune system and she is more susseptable to viruses and what ever bugs are going around.



As long as you do not have any allergies to chickens or eggs (eggs are used to grow the virus before it is killed) and you do not have any immune system issues, you should be completely safe.



If you got sick after an immunization, it was probably just a cooincidents, especially if it was the flu shot. It takes about 2 weeks for the flu shot to take effect, and if you are exposed to the flu vlrus just before or just after the shot, you can still get the flu. My advise is to get the shot early, when they first come out and it has not spread throught the population yet, so your exposure risks are much less.



...Rich

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

Ok, thanks guys. We've been researching this alot and have talked to a couple different doctors about the different vaccines and ingredients that are in them. Mercury, Aluminum and Formaldehyde are in these vaccines.



The main really important vaccines that all the doctors say to get are as follows...



DTAP = Pediarix, HIB, Prevnar13 (now) and MMR at 15 months.



We're gonna get him vaccinated, just wanted as much info as possible.



Gonna pass on the Flu Shot (he's teething and has a slight fever), Hep B and the RotaVirus. All the doctors we talked to say these aren't neccessary.



Mike, any extra info on any of these would be great.



nline::supercool:

 

[Robert Thomas]

Check out this site.

 

[MikeSondra Grossen]

One of my sons had rotavirus...must of been before there was a shot for it.



Sondra

 

[Mike Dziubina]

DTaP does not equal any of those - DTaP stands for diptheria, teatnus, and acellular pertussis



Flu shot - I do recommend it to those eligible to receive it but I don't push it. Just remember - flu can, and does kill kids, but that is very rare. If you don't want it, NP. By the way, how old is your son?



Hep B - I am confused...you said you will be giving him Pediarix but you dont want the Hep B vacine. Pediarix is a vaccine containing DTaP, IPV (inactivated polio virus), AND HEP B. If he gets pediarix, he does not need a separate hep B shot. Is that what you meant?



Anyways...very few states do not require the Hep B vaccine, you must live in one of them. It is usually required to enter daycare or school. Hepatitis B is a disease that affects the liver that can cause SEVERE liver disease and liver Cancer. The first dose is usually given right after birth...did he get one? I would STRONGLY recommend this one. I am actually VERY surprised a doctor told you it is not needed. Granted your son is probably at low risk right now, any exposure to infected fluids in life can result in him getting hep B, and it is nasty.



Rotavirus - virus which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. The main issue is dehydration resulting from the V/D which could hospitalize your son. It is not required, but - I would suggest it. I just had a patient with confirmed rotavirus and to put it kindly...it was gross. He literally had 3 bowel movements in the 20 minutes I was in the room. :toilet:

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

Thanks for the great information Mike, I really appreciate it. :haveabeer::supercool:

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

Hello this is Jerry's wife. I gave him the wrong information. Oh yeah, Matthew is 4 months old.



We are going to get the Pediarix which is the Hep B, IPV (Polio) and DTap combined. Really don't see a need for the Hep B at his age but it is in the shot. The doctor said we could wait on the Hib shot to space them out. The Rotavirus is not a mandatory thing or at least he wasn't pushing it. We probably will get that also. He was adament about getting the DTap and Prevnar.



We were not really for or against the shots. Just not sure. Didn't want to get them just because everyone else "is" or "is not" getting them. We would feel terrible if he got them and had a reaction. But on the other side if he gets sick and we don't vaccinate then it would kill use also. The main problem is there is too much information out there! It is so hard to find the truth.



We will not be getting the flu shot, MMR, chickenpox. Thanks for all the information.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Jerry and wife,



My personal opinion is to get a pediatrician that is will reviewed, that you like, works for a well known and established practice in your area, and get all the immunizations recommended by them.



If you spend time on-line, here, at this site, other sites, med-sites, and even more dangerously on various "board" and "forum" sites, then you tend to hear a lot of horror stories which are the extreme outlying cases. It's like coming to this site and lurking...one would think that STs and Fords have chronic problems - not really true, that's just mostly what gets talked about. The same is true on med-related forums. You would think that every kid out there is getting autism from immunizations given what you read on certain sites...and that's just not the case.



I do personally recommend MMR and chickenpox shots for whenever the physicians recommend.



Actually, and this is important, I think that "because everyone else is", is one of the biggest reasons to immunize your children. You seem to dismiss that as a reason. I wouldn't be so quick to do that. Said slightly differently, many of these immunizations are MOST effective when the majority of the population is immunized. Therefore, it could be viewed as a little "selfish" to not get one's child immunized because one feels that the risk of an exposure and a related issue is not that bad when compared to the risk of a reaction from the immunization (essentially that's what it comes down to, right... comparing the risk of one vs. the other?) If everyone felt that way fewer and fewer would get immunized and the risk of exposure would skyrocket...for everyone.



So, I say: Do your part as a parent, for your child, for the rest of us and for the rest of the children, and get all the recommended immunizations.



You asked...you got my opinion. Ultimately you will do what you feel is right for your child.



TJR

 

[JohnnyB]

I didnt read every post here so I dont know what was said. All I can do is tell my story.

My son was developing normally, making all the mile stones and so on as he should. We were not crazy about all the shots a baby gets and had the doctor give them in smaller doses.

He was starting to talk (mama and dada) and everything that he should have. been doing.



Shortly after the MMR vaccine he stopped talking, stopped making eye contact and didn't seem like himself. Soon after the doctor wanted us to have him evaluated for early intervention. To make a long story short he ended up with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. After almost 3 years of Early Intervention therapy, Speech therapy, ABA therapy, many trips to a DAN doctor (defeat autism now), supplements and so on he is in a normal school and doing well.



I don't care what anyone says whether its someone here or a doctor, this happened to him after getting the MMR shot. I an not going into details since its not anyone's business here, just giving my opinion. I have seen it happen to my own son with my own eyes.



Look up DAN Doctor (one that is actually an MD) and see if there is one in your area or call one on the phone and ask his opinion. The pharmaceutical industry is full of a bunch of lying **** bags.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

JohnnyB,



Sorry to hear about your son.



I am very well versed in autism and the wide spectrum and use of that diagnosed condition. Unfortunately, there still seems to be so very little understood about the cause of the condition, in the general cases and even in specific cases.



We too had a son that had early developmental issues (verbally, socially), and he needed IEP care throughout early education. He is an A, B student now (16 years old today) and has been doing very well without any accomodations all throughout high school and middle school. I suspect he would be diagnosed today with some form of some disorder or condition if he were once again 18 mos old and exhibiting the things he did then. Over the past 10 years awareness of the disorders has become more keen. Not that that necessarily helps anything, I'm afraid.



The way I see it is that most of these diagnosed conditions are merely a label for a grouping of symptoms. More often than not there is no real known cause, and no real known cure. Doctor's instead simply deal with the symptoms (behavioral, developmental, attention, etc) and have no real way of prevention.



Good luck.



TJR

 

[Les]

Not getting your child immunized may prevent them from being accepted to public or private schools.