An unexpected course…

Another GREAT post!!!

(sorry this is so long!)

We delay and selectively vaccinate.

My issues are: too much, too soon, combined with a preference for naturally acquired immunity when the rate of mortality or risk of permanent disability are relatively low. (I'll do Polio but pass on Varicella…)

Thing1 received most of her vaccines per schedule, against my instincts, as the result of my giving in to our ped(nervous first time mom). We skipped a few (Hep A&B, Varicella) but otherwise stayed on track. I regret going on that schedule. She had (now resolved) dyspraxia and sensory issues unrelated to but (seemingly) exacerbated by the vaccines. I saw a drastic decline developmentally in the weeks following vaccinations.

This time around I am more comfortable in my Mommy Skin and am standing my ground. Thing2 (16mos) has only had Hib and PCV… and never more than one at a time, until this past visit where we did 2 and I kind of freaked out… here's the post:http://khrystann.blogspot.com/2010/05/sick-baby.html

I always laugh at how my Mommy Brain and Dr Brain seem to be polar opposites!

I am one of those people that believes we have vaccines for a reason. So many people died years ago without them. But, this year's H1N1 made me a little nervous. There was so much hype, I tried not to get involved in it. But, then it was so THERE that it was hard not to. It is so hard to know what is the right thing to do. Funny, I always ask my pediatrician what she did with her kids…it is like the pediatrician knows all the answers. Love reading your posts.

OMG! I wish I had my son after I read this post. He too had the same bad reactions to the vaccinations like your son! Such good advice about spreading them out instead of all at once. He used to always get high fevers and be sick for at least a week. So not fun!

Hi Melissa,
I love your blog and appreciate all of your insights and honesty. This is definitely an interesting discussion. I vaccinated both kids (3 and 5) per the usual schedule and they never had any problems. Although my 5 yo son got his last set of shots (4 at once) in his legs and didn't want to walk for a day, so he crawled. He's kinda wimpy though. Now that I'm a parent I definitely have more empathy for moms who want to do things by their own schedule, as you did. Splitting them up never crossed my mind, though, and I have no regrets.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. All very well said and I like to hear the different perspectives. This can be a sensitive subject so I really appreciate you giving me your opinions

Hi Dr. Mom,
I hear worried parents all the time as a preschool teacher. All the worry about autism seems valid as rates of autism soar. Yet, who would want their child to get one of those childhood diseases. Glad I'm through and the boys made it alright!

Thanks for your insightful comments on Zen Mama! Glad I've found your blog as well!

Great post!!! Our first son had some pretty horrid reactions to some of his vaccines and, like you, I thought, “I've ruined my kid!” Turned out that he was just fine. Enter our second child, who has special needs, and I was then terrified to “do” anything to him that might jeopardize him beyond what he was already facing. Turns out that we gave him all his vaccinations on the same schedule and… he was completely fine. I don't think he's had an adverse reaction to ONE vaccine he's gotten. So, go figure! All kids are different, and I think as long as you're getting the vaccines at some reasonable point, that's all that matters!

I apprecaite yor article… it is a fresh view from a Ped.! We selectively vaccinate, and I am SO tired of the comments and assumptions. We looked at the risk and benefit of EACH vaccination. And the risk factors of each disease, it's “treatability”, etc.. I am still convinced there are things Dr.s shouldn't push or even suggest to parents based on the risk factors vs. benefits. Vaccines are an industry. If it wasn't, they would still be making some of the vaccines they no longer do based on not enough sales…
I have a close friend that has SERIOUS damage to her childs health due to h1n1… she has lived a nightmare. And for what? To prevent the flu?
I will love the day when Dr.s are more realisitic about parents choices… not just asking us to assume one schedule for us all, and “rolling eyes” when we ask for something else.
How about a day when we have a choice of schedules, and not just one?? With and without certian vaccines based on risk factors (day care vs. kids at home, etc. etc…) it shouldn't have to be all or nothing.

There are a few things that I have extremely strong opinions on, and vaccines are one of them. And I don't even have a pediatric background (other than medical school.) But as a medical student, I took care of children with vaccine-preventable illnesses. I have friends with children that nearly died from disease that could have been prevented. I feel I can't justify not giving them. And as far as delaying vaccines until the kids are older (I see a lot of parents saying they will vaccinate when their kids are 6 or so)…well, all the children I saw with those illnesses were age 2 or younger.

But I do agree with spreading them out. 6 vaccines (or whatever it is) at one time is a lot. We did that once, get one shot per month over three months. Worked great.

I'm sorry. Now you've got me going.

This has been a heavily debated topic for a while. Fortunately none of my children have ever had a reaction to their shots.
I will have to say though recently my teenage daughter asked for the Gardisil vaccination and I have to say that I had my reservations after doing some research. In the end, she ended up getting the series of vaccinations and fortunately did not have any adverse reactions.

By the way, Happy SITs Day!

Celebrate Life and Capture It!
Patty Reiser
pkphotographyblog.us

I'm visiting via SITS potluck Friday! I read this post over at Mamapedia and thought you did a great job! I blogged about this issue recently myself, as a mother to a daughter with autism. Personally, I do not believe vaccines cause autism in the majority of cases. I am open to the very rare occurrence where there might be an allergic reaction. You did a great post on a tough subject!

Happy SITS potluck day!!! I'm stopping in to say hi, and I'm glad I did. I hope you have a great Friday!

Over from SITS

We spread them out with all three. My first had eczema that was triggered by vaccines. My second I did it because I did it w/ my first. My pediatrician was fine with it, just suggested which vaccines he thought should be done sooner than later.

With my third? Didn't do Hep B, and why that's given at birth I do not know, unless my newborn was planning to have unprotected sex and/or use intravenous drugs. We again spread out vaccines and as he's gotten older, he's done better.

I admit I get a little irritated with people who don't vaccinate and who rely on the herd mentality. They think it's okay for other people to put their kids at a potential risk for getting vaccinated so their own kids can reap the benefits. There was whooping cough going around here because of unvaccinated kids.

Sorry for the rant! Great topic!

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your perspective. I had an interesting time with one son (my first) being vaccinated in the US and one being vaccinated in Australia. I, quite literally, scoffed at the chicken pox vaccine. What? I had chicken pox and I survived!! Then my pediatrician sat and explained… I was a convert. Then returning to Australia I had to insist on the chicken pox vaccine for my second son as it wasn't part of the prescribed vaccines (it is now though).

great post and from sits–spaced them out.

When my last two kids were born we were living in Africa. They give a vaccine there we don't use in the US although they DO give it in Europe–VCJ. It's a vaccine for tuberculous. The younger of the two boys had no problem; but Ted got a horrible reaction and to this day has an impressive scar from where his vaccination site turned really nasty. I have no regrets giving it to him though–I don't have to worry to this day about a disease that from my understanding the incidence of people getting it in the US is one the rise.

Having lived in Africa for many years (working there as a missionary and then later as a development worker) I'm all for vaccinations. I've seen the consequences of children not having vaccines. It's tragic. The first year I lived in Africa a measles epidemic went through the area we lived. One family lost all five of their children. Admittedly poverty was a contributing factor in their deaths–poor nutrition and lack of good medical care once they got sick. But the truth of the matter is when those poor kids got sick they were dead in less than 48 hours!! Anyway, I'd rather deal with a bad reaction than something like that.

I wish they did different vaccination schedules here in Australia, but they only do the traditional schedule. We're still getting our boys vaccinated though – like Cheryl, we have a massive whooping cough outbreak in our area because parents aren't vaccinating their children.

Hi there,
I'm over from SITS today. This is such an interesting post and it's great to read the experiences of someone who knows both sides.

It is a herd mentality as long as most people get vaccinated we're ok. But I feel that if I'm healthy and able to handle a vaccine that it's my duty to do so, so help protect those people who cannot have the vaccine due to allergies or whatever other reason.

Aren't vaccines pretty amazing? So many of the things that in the past would have been very serious have become so rare. I'm pretty amazed by it and the people who were first involved in the invention and testing of vaccines.

Maybe when I have kids I'll think differently. It must be pretty scary having to put your trust in the immunoligists and doctors giving the advise. And the potential for your own guilt if something goes wrong!

Thanks for sharing that you have these doubts too, even as a Dr! I'm sure it'll make a fair few people feel better about their doubts!

Have a lovely day,
Jade

I'm not a mom, so I really can't share any vaccine stories. but this was really informative and interesting, I'm glad I read it. stopping by from SITS!

Great post. I'm an RN and a mother, and have similar experiences to yourself. I find the nurse at our clinic almost forceful with promoting vaccinations but I have to remind myself that she is just doing her job and following the government policy.
I still don't feel completely comfortable with vaccinations, yet have had all my children immunised. I basically decided it was a numbers game, that some children will have reactions, and without imms, that some children will get the diseases. I figured that the odds of a life threatening reaction are in our favour. And then faith in God.
My biggest frustration is finding good information. Our government ministry of health websites speak to the lowest common denominator and the info is brief and very basic and doesn't answer my questions. Most websites that are anti-immunisation are fear mongering and inflammatory.

I'm a firm believer in vaccines. Like Diane, I have lived in Africa & seen kids die from preventable diseases. Kids in the US die from the same preventable diseases too. We didn't spread the vaccines out but Kiddo did just fine. I would spread them out if we had a second child now though.

Stopping from SITS! I have a few friends that decided to do a revised schedule for vaccines and were very happy about it.

Stopping over from SITS. Such a complicated issue. I can't believe that doctor said that to you.

Being the mother of child with autism, I am expected to have an opinion on this. I am not anti-vaccine and my daughter is fully vaccinated. But I will say that (since most of the people here seem to have typical children) that you might feel differently if you had seen your child regress into autism after a vaccine. Mine did not, but had issues from day 1. But I also had Rhogam shots and a flu shot during my pregnancy…this is something that I think is not talked about enough.

Dr. Mom, you were fortunate to find a pediatrician that was willing to compromise. One of my daughter's therapist (who admittedly is a little overly freaked out due to some of her rabidly anti-vaccine clientele) can't find a pediatrician to even agree a slower schedule!

Being the mother of child with autism, I am expected to have an opinion on this. I am not anti-vaccine and my daughter is fully vaccinated. But I will say that (since most of the people here seem to have typical children) that you might feel differently if you had seen your child regress into autism after a vaccine. Mine did not, but had issues from day 1. But I also had Rhogam shots and a flu shot during my pregnancy…this is something that I think is not talked about enough.

Dr. Mom, you were fortunate to find a pediatrician that was willing to compromise. One of my daughter's therapist (who admittedly is a little overly freaked out due to some of her rabidly anti-vaccine clientele) can't find a pediatrician to even agree a slower schedule!

Visiting from SITS. My sister just took her baby girl in for her first vaccines….she could benefit from this post. I'm going to refer her to it. Thanks!

Happy Potluck Friday.

I am a big fan of vaccinations and feel I am lucky to live in a country where our children are protected from diseases that kill thousands of other children in Third World countries.

LisaDay

Stopping in from SITS! Congrats on your Potluck!!

Anyway, with my daughter vaccine's weren't something I had thought about talking to her doctor about, and just followed along. I had no idea how to bring up the issue of staggering them. I also worked there and didn't want to be labeled as the “odd-parents” (I already was because I played around with the idea of her being rear facing until 2 and 40, but gave in for 15 months and 21 lbs). She had no issues with any vaccines up until her 12 month check up, where they went ahead and gave her the last four (although it was supposed to be two). That's the point where she got a very high fever and was extremely cranky, she slept most of the day for two days. It was scary, but I knew it was a necessary evil.
Now I'm pregnant with my second, due in 7 weeks and I'm considering staggering his. I'm more confident in myself to ask for this, or at least discuss it. I want him to receive all of them, but four-five shots in their little legs is torture. It just seems a little more cruel than it needs to be.

I really enjoyed your point of view on this. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing it.

Congrats on your post feature today.

Here from SITS, too. I'm so glad that you're sharing your experience. You're right, we never really know until we experience something. That's why its just so tough to hear so many people insist that vaccines across the board are completely safe when, really, different people react to them differently. Just like different people react differently to eating peanut butter. I do not believe that my daughter's Autism was caused by vaccines. But, I'd never ever ever tell another mother that she does not know or that she's wrong about what she saw happen to her own baby.

Stopping by from SITS. HOpe you have an awesome day. Great post!!

My kids are older, so I didn't think twice about vaccinating them when they were little. But there weren't as many vaccines 20 years ago, either. Last month, the pediatrician pressed me pretty hard to get the meningitis vaccine for my youngest (he's 15). We did it, but I agonized about the decision. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm glad my kids are grown and I don't have to face this dilemma now.

I was not very educated about vaccines when my boys were young so I just did what the dr. said to do. I don't remember any “reactions” so maybe that is why I never questioned. We have never done the flu shots or anything like that though. My children were extremely healthy and rarely got sick. In fact, we would schedule appts about every 18 months without them being sick “just to check” lol Of course, my youngest son died from a 3 month bout with cancer but I don't think their is a vaccine for that….

My girls are 14 and 20 and they had all their required vaccinations with no problems, except maybe a little fever afterwards. I think the risk of disease from not vaccinating is too great (my opinion of course).

Happy SITS Day!

wow. so refreshing to see a dr. taking a look and understanding both sides. we choose to spread our's out at well and have met some serious opposition – mainly from friends! LOL

stopping by from SITS and glad I did!

Stopping by from SITS.

I have studied the issues surrounding vaccines for the last almost 6yrs. I've spent probably hundreds of hours reviewing articles, looking at studies, keeping up with current research, etc etc and in the end, I am still extremely uncomfortable with vaccines. Something being “the best we have” doesn't necessarily make it an acceptable option, kwim?

That said both of my daughters have had a few vaccines but I won't give any child before 2yrs old a vaccine willingly.

As far as the benefits outweighing the risks? I think that very much depends on one's perspective of what the risks actually *are*. I'n not particularly concerned about Autism, for example, and while there is certainly some well documented correlation between some vaccines and autism, nothing has come out that make me think vaccines alone are the cause of Autism (and frankly, I doubt any one thing is anyway). But there are plenty of other concerns that I have. Inoculations given by injection completely bypass the first several lines of defense of the natural immune system. I wonder what the consequences of repeatedly bombarding an immature immune system in this fashion are, to say *nothing* of the completely toxic chemicals found in vaccines.

It has been my experience that people do not understand that just because a person isn't seriously and obviously ill doesn't mean that there isn't a problem. I am concerned that vaccines, particularly when introduced to an immune system that is completely immature, are compromising our bodies in ways we don't understand.

http://thoughtfulmomma.com

Stopping by from SITS.

I have studied the issues surrounding vaccines for the last almost 6yrs. I've spent probably hundreds of hours reviewing articles, looking at studies, keeping up with current research, etc etc and in the end, I am still extremely uncomfortable with vaccines. Something being “the best we have” doesn't necessarily make it an acceptable option, kwim?

That said both of my daughters have had a few vaccines but I won't give any child before 2yrs old a vaccine willingly.

As far as the benefits outweighing the risks? I think that very much depends on one's perspective of what the risks actually *are*. I'n not particularly concerned about Autism, for example, and while there is certainly some well documented correlation between some vaccines and autism, nothing has come out that make me think vaccines alone are the cause of Autism (and frankly, I doubt any one thing is anyway). But there are plenty of other concerns that I have. Inoculations given by injection completely bypass the first several lines of defense of the natural immune system. I wonder what the consequences of repeatedly bombarding an immature immune system in this fashion are, to say *nothing* of the completely toxic chemicals found in vaccines.

It has been my experience that people do not understand that just because a person isn't seriously and obviously ill doesn't mean that there isn't a problem. I am concerned that vaccines, particularly when introduced to an immune system that is completely immature, are compromising our bodies in ways we don't understand.

http://thoughtfulmomma.com

Great post! Very rational and non-judgmental way to treat a very controversial issue . I'm not a mommy yet and so haven't had to deal with this issue directly. I do wonder how being a mother is going to change my outlook as a teacher!?

Happy SITS potluck day!

wow, i didn't think there was another pediatrician/mommy blogger out there! glad to have found you: http://www.drmommyathome.blogspot.com/
I firmly believe in vaccinations. If we could go back 100 years ago and watch helpless mothers cradle their children who were slowly suffocating to death from diphtheria, or even 15 years ago and witness Hib meningitis/epiglottis take a child away from his parents in a span of 6 hours, I think we would all be more willing to risk a fever or painful limbs as a side effect of vaccines. Or forget going back in time, just go to a third-world country and see the conditions the children live in. They die from pertussis, pneumonia, hepatitis, rabies, and rotaviral infections, for example. Their parents would kill to have access to vaccines that prevent these diseases. It is so “American” to be able to pick and choose what diseases you want to prevent in your child. Furthermore, if you live in a major metropolitan area where traffic to and from different countries is an issue, you may not be able to benefit from herd immunity. That's my take on refusing to vaccinate, period.
I am more accepting of alternate schedules; however, for certain diseases, the most serious effects are seen in infants and children up to age two, so I worry about all those babies out there who are under-immunized at a given age. And if one is not adhering to the recommended schedule, is the immunogenicity the same? If not, then why vaccinate your child at all?
In response to Penny Smith's comment, yes, vaccines are a business, but only for the drug companies. Pediatricians actually lose money when they give vaccines because the insurance companies do not reimburse enough to cover the cost of administration. So people should never assume that their ped is pushing a vaccine from an economic standpoint. If they were doing so, they wouldn't be offering any vaccines to your child.

My instincts told me to vaccinate, and I'm doing it on the usual schedule. What really convinced me was two things. One, the fact that the U.S. is now seeing actual deaths from diseases that people assumed are a thing of the past in areas where a large group of parents choose not to vaccinate (you've probably read about these pockets of non-vaccinators). And two, the fact that I had a preemie and I live in a town where a goodly amount of parents are choosing to forgo certain vaccinations. My baby started small and it's getting to the point where her weight is only just over half that of her peers. Could I risk her catching a virus? Maybe that virus would just make a larger, more robust child sick, but I feel like my daughter has less weight/strength to sustain her through an illness. I wasn't willing to risk something terrible because of incomplete studies, inconclusive studies, shaky autism links, and people like Jenny McCarthy (who seem to believe they are scientists, for some reason).

Stopping by from SITS-
I'm a HUGE believer in vaccines. We have them for a reason and I think the benifits so out weigh the risks.

Great blog!

Stopping by from SITS. Thanks so much for all this good info. I don't have kids yet but it's definitely something to think about when I go down that road.

What a wonderful post! So glad you were featured today! I am so thankful to hear your point of view, to know that I am not the only mother out there who struggles with this. I have three children. My first, my daughter, I vaccinated without giving it any thought. Then I had a son and had some reservations b/c of how much higher the autism rate is among boys and some of the things I had been hearing. I struggled with the decision but ignored my gut and had him vaccinated through age two. Then my second son came and I struggled again. I did a lot of research. I had him vaccinated during the first year, but felt horrible about it. I refused his 12 and 18 month shots and my three year old probably won't have any more either. I don't know if it's the right decision or not, but I have to go with my gut and my gut does not like the risks that come with vaccinating.

Sorry, I have written a small book here! Thanks for this post and come on by the Southern Institute sometime and say hello!

What a wonderful post! So glad you were featured today! I am so thankful to hear your point of view, to know that I am not the only mother out there who struggles with this. I have three children. My first, my daughter, I vaccinated without giving it any thought. Then I had a son and had some reservations b/c of how much higher the autism rate is among boys and some of the things I had been hearing. I struggled with the decision but ignored my gut and had him vaccinated through age two. Then my second son came and I struggled again. I did a lot of research. I had him vaccinated during the first year, but felt horrible about it. I refused his 12 and 18 month shots and my three year old probably won't have any more either. I don't know if it's the right decision or not, but I have to go with my gut and my gut does not like the risks that come with vaccinating.

Sorry, I have written a small book here! Thanks for this post and come on by the Southern Institute sometime and say hello!

I have three children and never started vaccines until they were 2 years old. I only did one vaccine at a time and was vey careful because I have an autistic brother. I just don't believe that newborns have a good enough and developed immune system to handle all of those vaccines. My youngest is now 3 and I have been working with his pediatrician on an altered schedule. He is old enough to tell me if something is wrong. I go to the Dr 's office about once a month to get the next shot. He actually needs less shots of some vaccines since he is older. I think it should be required for all pediatricians to have children, and I hope you go back to practicing once your kids are older. You will make the perfect pediatrician.

Stopping by from SITS. Great post and you can see it is by the thoughtful comments you receive. I have never questioned my vaccine process with either of my kids but I certainly might have if 1) I'd read this post when they were babies and 2) if I'd known about the possible connection to autism. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's in 6th grade. At that point, even if there was a connection with his vaccines, it was too late to worry about it. There was enough to think about already. I really admire you sharing your two perspectives (Dr. and Mom) and coming up with a reasonable alternative that is not as extreme as just not taking the vaccines.

Thanks for sharing. My 5 year old just got three shots yesterday for school… Sad. I think a good measure is to ask my Dr. if he vaccinates his kids. That tells me a lot and I trust him. There is so much conflicting info out there!!

I agree! I think vaccines are important and some even life-saving, but parents need to make informed decisions, and wise choices for THEIR children. Stopping by from SITS.

I vaccinated my daughter on schedule because I believe in the benefits of vaccinations. Fortunately she sailed through them and I never had to second guess myself. I fully understand people's reservations however, and wanting to do things a different way. I wish most doctors were more open to that.

Happy SITS Potluck Day! Enjoy the comment love and have a great weekend.

I really appreciate your perspectives on the debate from the positions of being a mother and a doctor. I had never considered the possibility of spreading out the vaccinations the way you did. It makes sense and I've bookmarked this article to share with friends currently struggling with vaccination issues. Stopping in from SITS. Have a lovely weekend! Jenn

Whooping cough (pertussis) has increased several hundred percent in my community because people have decided they don't want to/don't need to vaccinate their children.

My son had to be in child-care very early because I had to work. What if he'd been exposed to someone else's toddler who had whooping cough because their mom decided that vaccinations were unnecessary or unnatural and MY son, who was simply too young for the vaccination, had contracted it?

The crime of exposing another child who might die from the disease YOU (hypothetical non-vaccinating-you) decided to gamble on is pretty inexcusable.

And there is NO evidence that vaccinations do more harm than good that I have been able to find in nearly 20 years of working in health care. And it took less than 10 years of “enlightened” parents choosing to forego vaccinations to allow a disease to start creeping back into this community.

If spacing out vaccinations helps wee ones feel a little less reactive to antibody production, I'm all for it. But NOT vaccinating is not an option for anyone who understands that their healthy community is predicated on growing healthy children.

I think we get stuck between two rocks. On the one side we'd feel guilty if the vaccines caused some kind of harm to our child and on the other hand if we didn't vaccinate and our child got ill, we'd feel guilty then too.

I like your idea of spreading out the vaccinations.

Stopping in from SITS!

So many logical fallacies. It's not “Vaccinations” as a whole, it's each individual shot that needs to be considered, because they're all quite different, have been studied in different ways, and are assembled in different ways with different ingredients. And it's not “vaccinate or get ill”; there are plenty of non-allopathic disease prevention options. And don't forget the impact of breastfeeding on immunity to disease; depending on what the mother has immunity to (as shown by titer test), she may be conferring superior immunity to her baby through her breastmilk than she could through the shot.

BEST post I have seen about the issue. Ever.

I have one child, a toddler, whom we vaccinated on schedule.

When we pondered whether or not to vaccinate on schedule, we talked to our doctors. They told us that they believe vaccines are safe (not 100% though) and that the risks of not vaccinating were greater than vaccinating. They told us that to delay would be fine and that decision it would be up to us without any judgment on their part. We decided to vaccinate on time after reading everything we could and talking to numerous doctors.

I asked myself the same question over and over – what are the risks of vaccines? What is the risk of NOT vaccinating? If there is a small chance that there could be a problem with vaccines, like Autism, is it worth it? But what about the greater chance of contracting a deadly disease that could have otherwise been prevented? To me, the bigger risk of a horrible or deadly disease was the ultimate deciding factor.

I do believe it is wrong to not vaccinate your child at all. I also believe it is wrong to listen to a B-list celebrity who doesn't have more than a H.S. degree when it comes to vaccinations (turns out Jenny McCarthy is not only wrong but her son most likely does not have Autism to begin with).

I wish all parents would vaccinate their children, whether on schedule or delayed. Either way, parents need to protect their children from the diseases of the world, not from the incredibly small chance that a serious problem can occur.

-Aimee
http://www.aintyomamasblog.com

I too appreciate your unique perspective on this hot debate. I used to always get my babies their vaccines all bunched together – because that's how it's done. But I stopped doing that over 2 years ago, because I was honestly scared about the effects. Thank you for your post. I will save it and pass it on to friends and family.

I too appreciate your unique perspective. This is something that I think all moms{parents} worry about.

Thanks

It's true- we have yet to find a perfect solution, but right now vaccines are the best we've got. I debate this in my head CONSTANTLY. No one wants to see a return of deadly diseases, but no one wants to potentially hurt their child either.
I feel ya.
Hello from SITS land.

Congrats on being featured at SITS! I have four boys, and I swear it seemed like with each one they added a new vaccine. I had a few friends with children who had horrific reactions to vaccines, so I started doing the same thing you did. Spreading them out made it so much easier!

oh wow! That was so awesome to read, especially coming from a doctor. I felt the exact same way with both my babies. I was worried I was making the wrong choice, but then worried by not doing it, I was regret it for the rest of my life.
I like your idea on spreading them out a little. I think I will do this in the future as well.
I'm TOTALLY following your blog now congrats on being featured today on SITS.

Thanks for sharing your professional and personal view on this. Something to think about. Here from SITS>

excellent post. it is amazing how so many doctors just can't grasp our concern. It's not unwarranted when you have first hand experience with a “normal” child turning into a child affected by Autism. Nothing else can explain it except environmental toxins including what in in our vaccines.

My story is this. My daughter was born in 1993 and son in 2003. She was fully vaccinated and is completely healthy and “normal”. What I failed to know prior to my son's birth is that the vaccination schedule has doubled BUT the time frame for the schedule is the same. too much too soon and too much for some kids to handle. Unfortunately, my son is one of them. He was on track developmentally, talking and had lots of skills for 15 months old. That changed after a flu shot and 4 vaxes. He regressed into Autism. Now my son is 6, non-verbal and we are trying to reteach him everything. He is forver changed and yes, I believe from too many shots at once. While I do still believe in vaccinating, if I could turn back the clock, I would be more selective and slow it all down. One at a time only! Peditrician can go pound sand if they don't like it. My kid, my rules.

In fact, I am still facing opposition about vaccinations from our peditrician. She knows our story and insists I don't know what i am talking about, how Dr. Wakefield has been discredited (he hasn't) and vaccines don't cause Autism. Well, something is increasing the numbers and if one more person tells me it's because diagnosing is more accurate…I will scream. 1 in 115 kids and 1 in 90 BOYS that has nothing to do with diagnosing. the best quote I have ever heard regarding Autism, “genetics loads the gun and the environment pulls the trigger.”

Excellent post. I used to be the kind of mom that did everything by the book – that is until I started to read the fine print. I've done lots of research on vaccines, and have come to the conclusion that they just aren't for me or my family anymore. The risks are far too great, and there are much better alternatives out there than being inundated with yet another so-called flu vaccine. I do feel there are circumstances which may deem it necessary to be vaccinated, but for the most part I just don't like them.

Congrats on your SITS day. Peace.

Happy SITS Day! I really appreciate this post. In European countries, shots are spread out (never given all at one time) and I've opted for doing this with my children.
My pediatrician complies with my request to spread shots out but looks at me in a disdainful “oh, you don't reall know what you are talking about”.
When my oldest son was due for his first shots, I held a conversation with his pediatrician and she convinced me that spreading out the shots was unnecessary. Come the third round, he developed a fever of 104 and then a wide spread rash of sorts which was diagnosed by three specialists as dermatitis. I was not convinced because the symptoms did not match the diagnosis and finally a 4th speacialist diagnosed with with Gianotti Crosti Syndrome, an immune reaction which can often appear as a result of receiving the MMR and Hepatitis shots together. It took 8 weeks of itching and discomfort to clear.
Now that my second son is starting his shots, I asked for his hepatitis shot to be given separately. He experienced a fever of 103 and broke out in hives.
I guess I share this with you because I don't feel heard by my pediatrician and it's good to know there are other opinions out there. Thanks for listening and thanks for being honest about your own doubts about shots.

Happy SITS day!

After that first round of vaccines we made a conscious choice to space them out too! I do believe that vaccines are necessary for a healthy society.

My kids are all grown now, I wonder if I would have vaccinated if this info had all been so readily available (via the internet, lol!) back then!

Stopping by from SITS… I think vaccines are important….

Such a thoughtful post and your opinions really mean a lot, coming from both sides!

Both of my children were vaccinated on schedule…it just wasn't as hotly debates in my area at the time (my kids are 6 and 7). But, when it came time for The Girl Child to get her Kindergarten shots…4 at one time…well, if I had it to do over again, I would. That was traumatic for both of us. If I am blessed to be in a situation to have one more, I'll probably take your path…fully vaccinate, but spread it out.

Stopping by from Sits!

My daughters had their vaccinations spread out and I believe they were all the better for it. I remember, as a child, having terrible fevers after each vaccination and that might have made me cautious. Interesting post… Happy SITS Day!
Cheers,
Eliz

OMG! Thanks so much for this post! I'm pregnant with my first child. (A girl! Due Oct. 28!) I had TERRIBLE reactions to vaccines when I was a baby, and I know they get so many more now than we did . I just hope the Pediatrician will be willing to explore an option like spreading them out. Thanks!

With my daughter, who is now almost 6 and fully vaccinated, I waited to vaccinate. I did her first 2 months and 4 months and then after that I waited until she was 4 1/2. This is how I rationalized it to myself; I thought the highest rate of children who have severe reactions or those debatable connections to autism seem to appear in those in their 1-3 year age brackets so I thought I would wait that time period out and I do feel better that I did. I think the perfect plan for each child is the plan that each individual mommy feels most comfortable with. I also do believe in vaccinating because it is the most effective way to keep horrible diseases at bay but we are lucky in this country that most people choose to vaccinate so if those of us who wait or those who choose not to are at a much lesser risk than other countries. Great post and I love your authenticity.

Thank you for your honesty about this issue! I feel like I am a much better school psychologist now that I am a parent!!!!

visiting from SITS, just became a follower I'm a 35 year old mother of a 2 yr old and a 16 wk old – in general i think vaccines are important, but i also am leary of some and try to evaluate each one as it comes up – My hubby and I took the flu shot 9 years ago and we both got sick…since then we haven't taken it and have not gotten the flu since – I did not get the H1N1 while I was pregnant, or the flu shot, I did not feel comfortable about it – and I did not give it to my 2 year old either. none of us got sick – but my kids have had the other usual vaccines – it's so hard to know what is right, there is so much controversy! come by and visit me anytime at mangia-bella.blogspot.com

I think vaccinations have there place. Obviously they are doing some good since those diseases are pretty much non-existent these days.
However, what I don't agree with is giving them to babies at such a young age and having so many at one time.
I never did much vax research until my oldest was diagnosed with autism. Now with our 3rd child, we are doing a delayed and altered schedule. Pumping those little bodies full of so many vaxes at once just does not make sense to me.
Great article.

Happy Potluck Friday!

This is a great blog post. I don't have children, but it is so useful to be able to read the thoughts of someone who is a doctor and a parent–so often in the exam room, we only hear the thoughts of the doctor. Anyone who has children must really value your writings. Happy SITS day.

both my children were very lucky. They did not have any kind of reactions to their vaccinations. Great post Stopping by from SITS!

Hey – ped turned SAHM here, too! Happy to have found you. My children followed the recommended vaccination schedule and had no problems, but if they had gotten incredibly high fevers, the horrible crankyness, etc., they would have spooked me, too. I was supportive of parents who wanted to follow alternate schedules but made my parents know that I thought vaccinations were incredibly important – when you've seen encephalitis from chicken pox or a child whose mom got roseola in her first trimester it impresses how important vaccinations really are.

Erin

Stopping by from SITS. I think it was smart to spread out the vaccines. That makes a lot of sense.

Awesome post! I am bookmarking it. Here from SITS!

Stopping by from SITS. I'm a huge believer in vaccines but I did space them out a bit for my daughter. I can't remember which appointment it was, but she had just been sick and they were going to vaccinate her for five different things. So I opted to do three then (which were 2nd doses of ones she had had before) and then I went back two weeks later for the rest. And one of those we went back for was the measles, which she got a really high fever from. But I'll do the same thing with my youngest.

Wow! A huge Thank You to all of you, not only for visiting but for leaving such thoughtful comments. Thanks for sharing your experiences and I value and respect your opinions. I promise to pay each of you a visit over the next few days…it may take me awhile but I will get there! Thanks again

Hi! I saw your post on Mamapedia earlier this week (or was it last week) and commented then too. Love your perspective. Thanks for sharing it!

Just hopping by from SITS!

I think this is great and definitely a step in the right direction. I think the reason they “blast vaccinate” kids the way they do is because of trying to control parent behavior because it's such a hassle for parents to get their kids into the pediatrician for multiple shots. Here's my two cents worth – first of all, come up with a painless way to deliver the vaccinations so kids (and parents) won't dread them. Second, make them EASY to deliver. Do them like flu shots and offer them in the grocery stores. Then parents can easily get their kids the vaccinations they need even if it takes 14 different steps because they won't mind it as much.

Thanks for taking on such a huge topic. I've been blogging for about 9 months and haven't yet touched this (except for a few post quick posts about H1N1 and recent data about MMRV).
I am a mom of two boys. I'm also a practicing pediatrician and blogger. We're finally just through our infant/toddler shots and now just have yearly flu shots and boosters at pre-K visit left. I worry about shots, about side effects, about the act of intervening, too. Doing simply feels scarier than not doing…I really think that is part of what makes shots so scary for parents. But I'm not scared because of anything I learned in med school or residency or in practice while caring for my patients, in and out of the hospital. I worry because of how the media has made me feel. How fear, instead of data, is driving different choices.

I certainly think you did the right thing for you, Melissa. I have many families who come in with the idea that spacing them out will incur less pain/side effect/risk. But there is no science or data that can show us it does….And I'm not trying to shove science (as I KNOW that's not your intent here) but rather, I really do believe spacing out is riskier. Your child could get an infection in the waiting room, a parent may not finish a series, you may come late for the last dose (like in rotavirus) and not be able to finish the 3rd dose, etc and miss the opportunity to protect a child (possibly)from an infection.

It's just the other side, but with my boys, I got all the shots on time. And got the H1N1 the first weekend it was available because it was so prevalent in our community…
Thanks for tackling this issue, I hope to hear more of your stories about vaccines including some stories from your doctor days…

seattlemamadoc.seattlechildrens.org

Great blog, mama! Found a link to you on Facebook.

I did a lot of reading before vaccinating my son, who is 8 months old. I believe vaccines are important both on an individual as well as public scale, but am concerned about the number of chemicals in various vaccines and the effect of loading up so many at once on immature immune systems.

So I chose an alternative schedule. He will still get most of the vax's, and each series will be given on the schedule required. But I decided on a schedule that allows him to get no more than 2 at once, which makes it easier to pinpoint what causes a reaction if he does have one. This was important to me since both my brother and I had bad reactions to vaccines. Thankfully, he has so far not had any reactions. I'm glad that his doctor was open to this schedule, and I think the fact that each series would be completed as required and that I was choosing to give the vaccines for diseases that carry the highest risk of being deadly or maiming in the first year, helped to reassure her.

I've been hearing about the outbreaks of pertussis and I'm glad that DTaP is one that we've given, along with Pc, HIB, and Rotavirus (which I got sick with as a baby). Others we will start later. Hep B will be very delayed since his risk is extremely small. Varicella I haven't made a decision on. I'm not convinced that the risks of the disease are high enough. But I'm keeping an open mind, and still have time to make that decision even according to the standard schedule.

Overall, I feel good that he is still getting the protection from vaccination and we are doing our part from a public health perspective, just in a way that is gentler to an infant's undeveloped immune system. Oh- and he is also breastfed and isn't in daycare, so I feel that makes a difference in our decisions, as well.