My little one is 8 wks old and just as I was about to schedule her 2 mth checkup for her shots, I read that there is alot of controverdy surrounding these shots. Im wondering what my options are. Has the delayed method been proven more successful? Are all of the shots, or just certain ones, linked to autism. Im so confused....

The BEST advice I can give you is to wait if you are not ready. There is nothing wrong with waiting. You are the mother and I suggest you do what feels right.

When it comes to certain vaccinations causing autism, there is NO known cause of vaccinations doing this. I suggest you go to the Autism Society of America's web site if you want more information on Autism. This is one site that gives honest and truthful information - without any risk of it being incorrect or slanted.

For me personally, my son is up to date on his shots and will have all his shots by the time he goes to school. I have waited on a few shots b/c I didn't want him having 4 shots at one time. His 18 month shots are coming up and I will only allow one at a time. It is a pain to keep going back, but that is what I want.


Best of luck with what you pursue.

I agree with KeltoKel, just hold off until you research it enough to come to your own decision. Saying that, do keep in mind that some vaccines are given at certain intervals for a reason, so do your research rather quickly and then go from there. Talk to your Dr. too.
Vaccine's being linked to autism is such a hot button issue and you can find info. saying the two are linked and then not. When linked, most people refer to the MMR shot given between 12-15 months.
I suggest you delve deeper than just that one shot though when researching.
You will hear many people talk about thimerosal and that it's been taken out of vaccines (except the flu shot) for many years.
Personally, I think the child's immune system is assulted by so many vaccines over the short course of injections that it can be compromised and be vulnerable to other illnesses, including autism perhaps. I haven't seen specific studies showing a delayed schedule is safer, but it's what I feel is right for my family.
This is such a hot topic right now, do what's right for you and yours, whether that means vaccinate on schedule, delay or not vaccinate at all.

Thanks so much for your responses! I think we are going to go with the delayed scheduled...how did I bring that up to the Drs office when scheduling? When delaying, how do they decide which ones goes first and so on and how often do we go back to get the others? =)

HI

I went through this myself. the biggest thing people feel caused autism from the shots were the mercury based thimeresol that is no longer used in current vaccination, i think it was taken out in the early 2000s. however it is still in the flu shot, which i declined that vac. for my son.

my friends son has autism she has 4 kids and he is the only one who has it. he had siezure immedietly following a vac around 9 months and she said he was never right since. this was in the mid 90s when the mercury was still being used.

nowadays since doctors will not admit any connection of autism to vacs because supposedly there is no research supporting it (don't get me started on this topic) many doctors are not to friendly with the idea of delayed vac (you put the baby at risk for certain diseases, makes no sense to delay according to my doc) and definetly not friendly with the idea of no vac at all(go find a different doctor)

there are some docs who are on board with vac concerns but most don't even want to go there. many docs can make you feel like a crazy person for even bringing it up. our doc gave us a video to watch of what its like to watch your baby die from a preventable disease. it definetly worked!

good luck with your decision, you may have to shop around for an agreeable pediatrician. and if you plan on putting your child in daycare they have to be vaccinated.

HiB and pertussis are fairly common illnesses, even in developed countries today, and very dangerous to little babies. Delaying those is risky.

If you were poor and had limited access to medical care, rotavirus could also be dangerous, but with care and IV fluids, that one doesn't do irreparable harm very often. (In the 3rd world, it is extremely dangerous)

Some of the other vaccines you could probably do later than recommended without putting your child's health in significant danger, though you'd probably want most of them before school.

No one has to be vaccinated even for daycare. All states have waivers for vaccines either for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. There are many websites out there where you can find more information about how you go about declining vaccinations. It isn't easy, but it is your right.

I think two that stood out to me to delay are Hep A and B. My DD has had all of her Hep B shots, but I would have delayed those until much later had I done my research early on. I've delayed her Hep A until she's ready for Kindergarten. Hep B is mainly contracted by drug users and the sexually active.

I had delayed the rest of her DTaP shots (back at 9 months) and will start that back up at 18 months and finish the series.

Her MMR will be given at 2 years old.

No chickenpox vaccine until she's 3 or else gets it on her own.

That's my moderate delay schedule.

LouLou- if you dont mind my asking, why the Hep B shot above all others? My little one was given the Hep B before she even left the hospital...

Because Hep B is difficult to catch. It is basically an STD that's also spread by blood, more contagious than AIDS, but not much more. If no one in the family has it, it is unlikely the child would be exposed until becoming sexually active, or entering a career in health care.

Still, it is a serious preventable disease, and if you've started the sequence, you might as well finish it, is one way of looking at it.

DON'T DO IT. NON OF THEM FROM DAY ONE...I HAVE 5 AND 7 YEAR OLD...NEVER GAVE THEM A SINGLE DOSE OF CHEMICAL COCKTAIL...THEY ARE PERFECTLY FINE....NEVER HAVE USED ANTIBIOTICS...AND WE ARE NOT WEIRD...WE WANTED TO MAKE THE MOST LOGICAL AND BEST DECISION FOR OUR TINY INFANTS....YOU WRECK THE IMMUNE SYSTEM (IF YOU DON'T DEFORM THEM FIRST) BY USING THE AFFOREMENTIONED DRUGS ON DEVELOPING LITTLE GUYS. I DID A LOT OF READING...A LOT...MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION...THAT MEANS STEPPING OUT OF WHO YOU MIGHT THINK ARE REPUTABLE RESOURCES...READ BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT...I never like this discussion, I do not wish to actually talk about it...I believe everyone must do what they think is right and keep ther opinions to themselves, but I also hate to see maimed children...I worked with autistic children and children who "mysteriously" became autistic. just be smart+ Best Wishes+

Here's one other thought: if a lot of your friends in your neighborhood are saying they didn't vaccinate their kids against measles, that means your child is at far greater risk of catching that particular disease. The recent measles outbreaks in the US (Iowa 2004, Indiana 2005, San Diego earlier this year) have involved communities with particularly high non-vaccination rates.

I have to agree with everyone who said go with your gut...and TRUST YOURSELF...there are many people who are very vocal (on both sides) of this debate, and individuals who choose to delay vaccines are often considered "inconsiderate of others, etc." My daughter is on a delayed schedule, I have done a lot of reserach on the topic (was actually a sub-topic of my thesis a year or two ago, and I have become very interested in the topic so I continue to research). I have also been HIGHLY criticized on many occassions.

As far as bringing it up to your doc- I spoke with mine before I chose a doc while I was p/g, and found one who (although doesn't "encourage" delaying or refusing, is open to my knowledge and my choice). Some doctors are not as kind...I have several friends who are on delayed vaccines or no vaccines at all...and some of their doctors pressure them, insinuate they are "bad" parents...that their children will become VERY ILL without the immunizations, etc. Those have all found new doctors. My point is that there ARE doctors who are ok with your decision and if you're lucky you'll find one who even agrees with you.

Good luck, trust your gut and reserach both sides of the debate to arm yourself with knowledge to make the decision that both parents can live with! This is your child and you are the one who knows them best!!

There are 8 little ones in my family (mine and my sisters). The youngest baby at 7 months is the only one to be on a delayed immunization schedule. She will still be vaccinated just on a later schedule. She is by far the healthiest child out of the bunch. Her little immune system has kicked everything brought to her right out the door. And with 7 other kids around all the time she's bombarded. All of our babies except for two have been breastfeed. Even with this we still had sick infants after vaccines. I realize this could be that she's just different and is super baby compared to the others, but if I were to have another baby I would not hesitate to go with a delayed immunization schedule.

Just tell the doctor you've researched it and would like to delay immunizations. He/she may or may not agree with you, but they have to respect your choice. My sisters doctor actually is pleased with her choice for her youngest baby as he delayed his three children's vaccines too.

Im not sure how to approach a delayed schedule. If I mention it to the Dr, would they have a mock up delayed schedule, or is it completely up to me to determine what she will have and when?

My doctor talked with me about his suggestions, and offered his advice when my husband asked, but I had done enough reserach and decided how the delayed immunizations should go. There are some books that offer delayed immunization schedules- I'm not sure I can post the titles here, but if you do some research you will find them.

Good luck!

Janewhite1 hit the nail on the head regarding the Hep B vaccine. I just didn't think my "baby" is at risk yet. When she's older perhaps, but not as an infant.

As for coming up with a delayed schedule, first ask your dr. for their routine immunization schedule so you know their plans. They are mostly all the same and follow CDC recommendations, but some vary a month or two.

Then, research and research about each vaccine. See other people's schedules online and then draft your own.

Once you have it drafted, show it to you doctor and ask to make sure your ideas are ok for the timing of issuing the vaccines. Some vaccines are better given without too much delay between them, and others shouldn't be given at the same time (DTaP and MMR, for example.) You just don't want to have made a plan that is missing something.
You will probably get at least a small amount of questioning from your doctor, even if he/she is open to the idea, so be confident in your decision to delay when seeking their advise on coming up with a plan.
In my opinion, as I said before, the two that I can see delaying for a long time are the Hep A & B. So, if you delay those already until the child is say 4 or 5, you have more room for fitting in the others that, in my opinion, are more relevant.
Good luck with it all. It's such a confusing topic.

There is a reason vacinnations were created. do some historical research. babies and children dying from diseases or becoming very ill or paralyzed was probably heartbreaking for so many families. Some People say, well i don't vaccinate and my kids are perfectly healthy. That may be true but it may be that they are very lucky. I know people who have vaccinated kids who's kids are perfectly healthy too. I lived in a small town out west where it is very popular to not vaccinate. the whole daycare (only one in town) had to shut down because of spreading wooping cough.

Now in saying that. . . I do believe our children are recieving way too many vacs and in too short of a time. There are reasons drug companies are doing that, mainly to make money. When we were kids we only had to get a few. Now are kids get 2, 3 or more at once.

I too am delaying chicken pox until needed for school. I am never doing flu shot and i never got one myself. A lot of people feel that pregnant women who used to be told not to take the flu shot suddenly were encouraged to do it and that may be one of the causes of vac related autism.

I too worked with autistic kids and believe there is a difference between a real autistic kid with genetic/biological reasons and a child who suffers from mercury poisoning, which in my opinion has many symptoms of autism and way worse symptoms as well particulary physical, digestive, allergies, immune system disfunction and emotional disorders.

The mercury is out of the vacs now (except flu) but many people are delaying or only doing one vac at a time. If your child is prone to being sick, or you have autism running in the family, you would have a good reason to delay. Never allow them to vac your child if he or she is sick, even a cold. In order for a child to handle the vac they need to have a working immune system. Good luck. This issue is controversial and is not going to go away.

I just want to note that you can get mercury free flu shots now. I had one for my son last year.

If you are worried about autism, you can find a lot of helpful information about it on the autism thread. It's interesting to note that although more and more people are choosing to not vaccinate, we have this increase in autism.

Yes, get a schedule from your doctor and take it from there. Do the vaccinations that seem most important to you. I don't know where you live, but there is a large migrant population where I am located. Migrants can also mean illegal aliens. With the increase of illegals in this country, it is very important to be concerned about diseases and health.

I think we have little idea of what diseases can do to us b/c we are part of a generation (I am 32) who was vaccinated and we didn't have to live during a period where disease was killing our siblings, etc. If you ask your grandparents though, they will tell you how awful mumps and whooping cough can be. I know my grandfather lost a sibling b/c of measles. It was common back then to lose children b/c there were no vaccinations at the time.

Oh, and for the record, my child IS vaccinated (on a staggered schedule) and IS healthy.

You are a good mom and best of luck to you!