what do you think about vaccination?

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate? That is the question.

I can vividly recall a conversation I had with my sister-in-law when my oldest child was an infant.  She was questioning my choice to vaccinate as our pediatrician recommended.  I didn't really think there was much of a choice involved; therefore, I called her irresponsible for thinking that "herd immunity" would protect her child that she was choosing not to vaccinate...it did wonders for our relationship, I promise.  I'm not sure I can think of a more hot button issue.  I wouldn't say that I've done a entire 180 on the subject of vaccination-thinking that you should never vaccinate-and I'm also not saying that I think vaccinations are all good, but I am saying that I don't think the CDC's schedule is right...especially for my children.  The more I learned, the more comfortable I felt about certain shots and uncomfortable I felt about others.  My children are considered "fully vaccinated" and "up to date;" however, looking at their shot records isn't enough to get the picture of their vaccination history.  We did one shot at a time, and would use dietary supplements in the weeks leading up to the vaccination to bolster their immune systems.  We wouldn't get shots when our children had runny noses or low-grade fevers, although we were told by one pediatrician that we saw that it was perfectly acceptable to give shots during a cold (his reasoning was that all kids have a runny nose most of their first two years-we found a new pediatrician soon after that comment).  We also had titers drawn before we made the choice of whether or not to booster, a practice not used by most doctors.  We still count on their good ol' immune systems to ward off the flu as opposed to getting a yearly flu shot.  There is no one right answer for everyone, only one best answer for each child.  I have four children and none of them followed the same schedule.

If I had to go back and make the vaccination choices for my kids knowing what I know now, I think my decisions would be different, and I don't think I would have gotten certain shots.  Perhaps the auto-immune conditions that came out in my kids would not have reared their ugly heads, but perhaps something else would have been the trigger.

I would never be so bold as to claim "the (insert you least favorite shot here) vaccine caused my child to have (insert auto-immune condition here)."  Your genes are your genes.  If you have an auto-immune condition, you are born with a genetic predisposition of developing that condition-that is the genetic side of things.  Where you live, the shots you get, the food you eat, the water you drink-that is where the environmental factors come in to play.  

So today, vaccination is the environmental factor we are looking at.  Here are my suggestions on how to make a good decision when it comes to vaccinations for your child:

Research before you vaccinate.  Read up on both sides of the issue.  Read non-biased educational materials not only on vaccines in general, but also on each vaccination (note: the CDC is about as biased of a source as you can come by).  No matter where you stand on the issue of vaccination, you will find plenty of research to support your viewpoint.  Read case studies and anecdotal evidence.  Discuss your findings and well as your feelings with your doctor.
There are some shots I feel absolutely comfortable with...for example, the vaccine for Polio has been researched, refined, followed and given for a long period of time-that one was a no brainer for me.  Any shot that comes in a grouping (for example DTaP-diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) is something I am going to want to pull apart and look at (and give, should I decide to do so) each component individually.  

Public schools (in America, at least) cannot refuse your unvaccinated child.  Should you make the choice to delay vaccination or not to vaccinate at all, public schools cannot exclude your child.  You do have to fill out a special form called a vaccine exemption.  Schools will send letters saying your child will be excluded unless they have a certain shot by a certain date.  What they really mean is either you need the shot or to fill out the vaccine exemption by that date.  Schools don't put it out there as a choice, but it always is.
I mentioned that my children are considered "up to date" but their shot record wouldn't tell you that story?  I have drawn titers on more than one child to prove immunity and no need for a booster; therefore, I either provide the blood work to the school that shows the immunity or I fill out a vaccine exemption.

Learn what titers are and have them tested before boosters.  My doctor explained to me that many children gain immunity after only one shot; however, some don't.  Instead of testing all children to see which ones need boosters and which ones are already immune, the CDC schedule calls for all children to receive boosters.  Even if you are very pro-vaccine, most people aren't pro-shot in their child's leg, so a routine blood draw can tell you if the shot is necessary.

Understand that some pediatricians are very pro-vaccination and want to follow the CDC schedule down to the letter.  You can have a very firm belief about vaccinations; that doesn't mean your pediatrician will agree with you.  There are some practices that will tell you that you do have a choice, your choice is to vaccinate or find another doctor.  This is something to think about if you totally love your pediatrician or if you move and are looking for a pediatrician.  How important is your vaccination stance to you?  Are you willing to go the extra mile to find a pediatrician who has the same philosophy you do?  We were very lucky to find our pediatrician.  She was actually on the news talking about her viewpoint on vaccinations and while we were still questioning many things about alternative schedules, we were intrigued enough to make an appointment and do more research.  I have heard of people in a brand new city, being turned away from doctor after doctor due to their stance on vaccination-the practices simply won't accept their unvaccinated children.

So the truth is, I'm not at all in a position to tell you what to do about vaccines.  I can tell you what we did, and encourage you to do your own research.  As I've said, each child is an individual; therefore decisions need to be made individually.

Next question:  what do you think about school choice?

food for thought

 I apologize for the long lapse between my last blog and this.  I've had a very hard time coming up with what I really thought was what people needed or wanted to know about some of the "controversial" issues that I pledged to talk about.  I want to kick of the week with a little background on that struggle.

I am not very active politically.  I do research on issues I care about and vote accordingly, but that's about as far as I go.  I'm not one to stand on the lawn of the statehouse, nor do I write many letters to my elected representatives.  I believe the real way to move towards change is to educate.

I want to educate the schools and other parents-teaching them lessons that I've learned from the school of hard knocks. I would love people to look at how practical things they do in their every day lives can change the course for their families and children.

Recently, a new statistic came out: 1 in 50.  If you live in the world of autism, you know what that means.  One out of every 50 school-aged children currently have a diagnosis of autism.  Some people want to say that it's increased awareness, some people believe that the numbers have increased due to the identification of higher functioning kids.

Here are my thoughts on why we are looking at 1 in 50:

Before we had meters that could read gases and indicate the safety of the air quality in mines, the miners would take a canary in a cage down with them into the mine.  When the canary stopped singing, the miners knew that it had succumbed to low oxygen levels or poisonous gases,  and they would leave the mine immediately.  The theory was, the canary, which is so much smaller and more sensitive to gases and has a more rapid heart rate compared to humans, would get sick much more quickly than a grown man.

Our children are an indication that something is wrong with the air we are breathing, the food we are eating, and the medications we are putting in our bodies.  I came across this new "political party" on Facebook called the Canary Party.  The clever naming of this group of individuals likens the children with auto-immune problems to that canary.

Check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCanaryParty?fref=ts

In my next entries, I will be discussing some very polarizing topics:  vaccination, school choice, and dietary intervention. I'm not going to spout my opinion, because we all know the opinions are like belly buttons (everybody has one).  My hope is I will give you some food for thought-things to think about and to do some research on so that you can have an informed opinion as to what is right for your child.  I am looking forward  to diving into these topics with you!