Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Vaccination Debate

Today Sweet Pea turned 3 months old.  Tomorrow he has the pleasure of visiting the pediatrician - so I thought I would take a bit of time to broach what some might find a controversial topic.  Vaccinations.

I feel like I should begin by stating that I am not opposed to vaccinating my child.  But a red flag was raised when I did my research and saw the EXTREMELY long list of vaccinations that are routinely scheduled for wee ones.  (It is much, much, longer than when I was an infant).  I mean, REALLY? Chicken Pox?  There is now a vaccination for Chicken Pox?  I thought that getting Chicken Pox was a childhood right of passage...

After seeing this list and having a mini freak-out; I felt like it was important to do some research, ask some questions, and determine for myself which vaccinations - if any - were absolutely necessary for the safety and well-being of my child.  I wanted to weigh the risks of the diseases that Sweet Pea would be vaccinated against vs. the actual dangers of the ingredients in each vaccine.

Lucky for me and the rest of the parenting population, Dr. Robert Sears - pediatrician extraordinaire - has written a book that lays it all out for parents in black and white.  And he does it in a way that is factual - He describes the diseases and weighs out ALL the information, risks, and vaccine options - so that parents can make the decision for themselves on what to do with each recommended vaccine.  He's not preachy.  He doesn't make any judgment calls.  And he provides options so that parents can feel comfortable with the decisions they are making.  Better yet?  He keeps an updated website so that all information is current.  Even though the book was written in 2007, I know that I can get the most up-to-date information possible online.

I found the information on the Hep B vaccine especially helpful in our decision making process.  Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause problems with the liver.  It can be fatal.  Hep B can be contracted through unprotected sex, sharing needles, improperly sterilized tattoo needles or getting stuck with an infected needle.   The vaccine is usually given in the hospital at birth or at the infant's first visit to the pediatrician (2 day appointment). Now, I don't know about you -- but I'm pretty sure that my newborn will not be having unprotected sex, doing drugs, or running out to get a tattoo.  This is one vaccine that can probably wait until Sweet Pea is a bit older.  So Sweet Pea's daddy and I decided to hold off on this one.

But that Chicken Pox vaccine? Turns out if you've ever had chicken pox you are more at risk for Shingles later in life.  Something my husband and I found out firsthand in my 9th month of pregnancy.  When we ended up in the emergency room because my husband had this really weird rash and the WORST headache of his life.  Turns out he quite possibly had Shingles and most definitely had Viral Meningitis.  (In rare cases Shingles can actually cause Viral Meningitis - in healthy people there is a .5% chance of this happening). Talk about a very frightening day.  Followed by a week where my husband was flat on his back at home - and both of us sick with worry that he might contaminate me and the yet-to-be-born Sweet Pea.  This experience solidified our personal decisions about vaccinations for several diseases.  But Dr. Sears lays it all out so that each family can come to their own conclusions by weighing the chance of contracting the disease with the risks of side effects for the vaccine.  And he shares all ingredients in each vaccine. Which is great if you have concerns about certain potentially toxic ingredients.  He even gives tips on how to discuss all your vaccine questions and concerns with your pediatrician.

I'm impressed with his ability to find middle ground in all of this, too.  He gives options for a selective vaccine schedule and an alternate vaccine schedule for those parents (like me) who believe that some (if not all) vaccines are necessary - but don't want to load their babies up with tons of scary ingredients all at once.  The alternate schedule stretches the vaccination schedule out to 18 months.  It does mean more visits to the pediatrician (and thus, more co-pays) but it also means you have a better idea what shot might be causing side effects if your child does have an adverse reaction.  The plan really tries to limit the amount of aluminum that your child is given in one visit - as this toxic ingredient seems to be the most controversial and be the most concerning for many parents.

All-in-all this book has been an important part of our infant survival kit.  It's along at every doctor's visit and usually in my purse so that I can continue to brush up on information when I have a spare moment or two to read.

So if you are a parent, soon-to-be parent, or know anyone with young children... I can't recommend this book enough.  Definitely worth the read!

4 comments:

  1. Knowledge is POWER - I wished more folks would really look into the issues that effect their very lives and well being. Keep reading, questioning and using your now growning MOMMY Gut Feelings...

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  2. Thanks, Brooke, for suggesting this book, which J and I bought. We're getting the TDAP vaccine tomorrow for Zia. What Sears also points out is that there are different versions of the same vaccines, and some are better than others. So I made a call into our Ped office to find out what they give.
    Dag

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  3. I totally feel for the hubby...I got laid out with shingles my first week of my senior year in college. I just had to make the decision about the chicken pox booster for Ankica and I drilled the nurse and the pediatrician with questions and am satisfied with the decision we made.
    I spent the last few days skimming through some parenting mags that I am giving away and 6 of the 8 had articles about vaccines and came to the same conclusion...choose your own way of getting the vaccines done if you have to but definitely get them.

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  4. Love Love Dr. Sears! Another thing that always gave me pause on this issue is protecting the children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons by vaccinating the kids who can be. As always being an informed and responsible parent is the key! I am loving your blog very very much!

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