That is the question I need to answer by Baby D's two-month checkup.
After listening to the arguments and doing some research, I'm leaning towards the yes, vaccinate camp.
After years of getting are you crazy? remarks for unusual lifestyle habits I practice, such as attempting a home birth, practicing NFP, and my latest thing, EC-ing, I find it odd to be leaning towards a decision in favor the mainstream-- and still getting the "Are you crazy?" vibe. Almost everyone I've talked to has chosen not to vaccinate their kid, and it almost makes me feel like a sellout, a blind sheep, brainlessly following the system without a thought.
But I have thought it out. I've read books, I've heard the arguments; and I think the benefits of vaccination protection outweigh the risks (especially if no one else is vaccinating their kids, ha ha!). I know that Baby D will not be getting a few vaccinations: Hep B, which is essentially an STD and therefore not an issue for babies; the flu shot, which only immunizes against a few strains; and chicken pox, which is, well, chicken pox.
I'm still not 100% decided. On one hand, these vaccinations are highly recommended by CDC and the AAP, highly trained health professionals who have a much better idea of what's going on than I. They spend their whole lives researching this stuff and practicing it. On the other hand, these "highly trained professionals" have, in the past, highly recommended using leeches for bleeding. Medical science is always changing, and who knows if that will also apply to vaccines.
On one hand, Baby D will have to get these vaccinations to participate in public school activities (unless we're in a state where one can decline for religious reasons), and most definitely to get into college, so why not wait until necessity dictates it? On the other hand, I know from firsthand experience what it's like to get the whole series of every shot your senior year of high school. And believe me, it SUCKS!!! (all my immunization records got lost-- neither my parents nor the doctor's office had them, so I had to get everything all over again-- I'm guessing upwards of twelve shots over a five-month span. I now have no fear of needles, and needless to say, if I go through with Baby D's immunizations, I will guard those records like a rottweiler!!!)
On one hand, I could do what a lot of people are doing, and take advantage of the fact that most other people are immunized, and avoid vaccinations myself-- called "herd protection". Of course, if no one else is immunizing their kids, that's not much of a herd!....And then there's the sibling thing. Anyone who has had a few siblings knows that once one person gets sick, the whole family generally has a mini-epidemic. What's worse than one kid with whooping cough? Four or five kids with whooping cough! On the off-chance that one of my kids got exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease, I think vaccination might be good for my own sanity and the sibling's health.
I feel like I will be getting tacit condemnation from the moms who are choosing not to vaccinate, as once again, "someone succumbs to the system." Oh, the joys of being a parent-- having to do what you think is best, regardless what Aunt Martha or the next-door-neighbor thinks! All you moms out there, what did you decide about vaccinations? I'm very curious to hear about your experiences!
Well, you know what I have done since we have talked about it. :) But what I have chosen for my family doesn't mean it's the right decision for someone else's family.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you have to decide by 2 months? If you want to delay you can delay until you decide you are ready and confident in the decision.
Also, I'm sure you've read so much and know there are other exemptions than religious...?? And all states but two (MS and WV) have the religious exemption.
Please please don't feel like you are giving in or that you are a sellout!! The most important things are that you have done the research, that you are making an informed decision, and that you feel right about it in your gut. It's a hard decision to make and it's one that shouldn't be done without knowing the benefits and risks. After you have done all of that and feel confident, who cares what anyone else thinks?
My mother-in-law is a health care provider in Minnesota. She shared during our last visit that recently they'd had several kids hospitalized (and one died) from preventable childhood diseases due to lack of immunization. They'd even recently had a slightly older child diagnosed with POLIO!
ReplyDeleteI think you best put it in your post. The benefits STILL far outweigh the risks. You've done your homework, now don't be afraid to stand your ground.
Even without children I've already started thinking about these questions. I asked a friend of mine what she is doing because she has similar, more natural beliefs like me. She said her son will eventually get the vaccines but she is waiting until he is older. So not when he is a baby. Like somebody else said...you don't have to make the decision by 2 months. Spend some more time thinking and processing
ReplyDeleteWe're totally on the same page about vaccines :) We declined the Hepatitis B one, and since we will probably homeschool, hopefully won't need to get it (unless it's required for college or something). I probably won't do the chicken pox vaccine unless she gets to be older (whatever "older" is) and still hasn't had them. The older you get, the harder chicken pox are on you and can even be life threatening for an adult. I didn't have chicken pox until I was 14 and only b/c my mom made it known to everyone she knew that she was looking for chicken pox... and then took us to a friend of a friend of a friend's house to play with their kids who had them. Nothing like walking towards a smoking gun, eh? LOL. I kinda agree about the flu vaccine, too. I did get both of them while I was pregnant since Susannah was going to be born still in the "height" of flu season and being a newborn her risks for getting it and it being very hard on her were higher. But that's only the 2nd time I've ever gotten the flu vaccine and I don't plan to get it this year.
ReplyDeleteYou've obviously done your research and are doing what you feel is best! I like what you said about doing it if no one else is :) That makes sense.
I'm a public school teacher and I plan on having my daughter brought to me mid-day to be nursed when I return to work in January...so naturally, immunizations are almost a must have for me. There's just so much exposure at a public school. So yes, I plan to vaccinate my children.
ReplyDeleteEven if I didn't work at a public school, I still would though. I would, however, consider putting it off until she's older. There's really not much risk if you're mainly staying at home. I would for sure have them done by kindergarten...I know first hand how fast illness spreads in school. That's why I got the H1-N1 vaccine while I was pregnant.
Keep in mind, I'm miss natural/organic vegetarian over here. I'm very conscious of what goes into the body. However, I believe there are adaptations that must be made with society. If I am choosing to live around populated areas, then I accept the risks and plan accordingly. I just think relying on "herd protection" is like driving with my eyes closed and hoping everyone else is driving safely around me.
I'm actually more focused on making sure my child doesn't eat fast food, food dyes, hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup. I think there are more risks eating unnatural food than being vaccinated (obesity, for example.) Hot dogs alone have been linked to autism in children.
Do what you feel is right. You're the mom and mom knows best! No one should criticize whatever decision you make...anyone who does is ignorant. >:-(