Are vaccines really that bad for baby?

Question

My son will have his 1 yr well check this weekend, and he is due for more shots. He's been getting all his shots so far. There is a lot of controversy on the vaccines. Some people think it causes autism. However it's not proven. Why do all schools and daycare centers need shot records? If I chose not to get my son vaccinated can he still go to school? Has anybody had a child develop autism from vacinating their child? Or would you rather them get a life threatening disease?

Answer 1

There are exemptions available for schools.

http://mothering.com/discussions/showthr...

There is no test your doctor wll give your son to see if he is in the 1 in 200 people susceptible to vaccine-induced autism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirb... "In February, when the US government conceded that vaccines had caused an autism-inducing reaction in little Hannah Poling, most experts declared that her underlying condition, a mitochondrial disorder, was exceedingly rare - so rare, in fact, that it had no bearing on other autism cases.

But on Monday, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation announced a "landmark research finding" showing that at least one in 200 healthy humans "harbors a pathogenic mitochondrial mutation that potentially causes disease." The finding was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics."

You can delay the shots as long as you like.  Wait a year, watch the news regarding mitochondria, vaccines, and autism, and see how it all plays out.

Answer 2

nobody has ever had a child that is scientifically proven to have developed autism after getting shots.  autism is usually diagnosed during the second year of life, whether or not the child has been vaccinated.  because of the time, people blame the shots, but it's really just coincidence.

schools and daycares require the records because an unvaccinated child puts everyone at greater risk.  for vaccines to work, they require a certain level of "community immunity".  each vaccine is only maybe 90% effective individually, so you need the whole community vaccinated to keep the disease from taking hold.  even vaccinated kids are at risk if they are exposed to unvaccinated kids.

i think every state allows a medical exemption for kids who are allergic to vaccine ingredients or who have a compromised immune system and can't get vaccines.  some states have religious exemptions that require documentation and some states allow a "philosophical" exemption with means that any parent who read something scary on the internet can refuse vaccines.  you have to file some paperwork with the school in any case.

if you want to delay vaccines and you aren't in a high risk group (children in school or daycare, work in the medical or education fields, travel frequently), then go ahead and delay.  

Answer 3

Vaccinations do not cause autism, or at least there IS NO PROOF of this.  I can't believe Oprah let Jenny McCarthy come on her show and blabber all her totally unscientific nonsense.  You seem worried though.  Instead of asking the internet about these things, a face to face with your doctor might put you more at ease.  My doctor told me all the hype was ridiculous and dangerous.

Answer 4

The vaccination and autism link is bogus, junk science new-age c**p.

You are obligated to have your child vaccinated.  If you don't, I personally think it's a form of child abuse, especially when he gets sick from something he could have been vaccinated for.

Some may argue that the disease are not life threatening.  sure you child may not die, but can become deaf or crippled.

Think of polio... I know older people that had polio when they were children (before the vaccine was readily available).  They've been walking with limps their entire life.  Sure it didn't kill them... but it sure made life more difficult.

Also, there are many people in denial about why their child got autism (from the freaking parents) but of course they blame someone or something else... It has to be vaccines since it's not my fault that my kid has autism.  

If you really think about it... the greatest dangers come when the baby is still developing in uterine.  What kind of chemicals were the parents ingesting while the baby was still a clump of cells????

Answer 5

As you just stated, it is not proven that shots cause autism! In fact the reason they think they cause autism is because the shots they give at around 15 months, is about the same time where they CANNdiagnose a child for autism, its mostly just a coincidence. The reason why schools and daycare centers want records is because many of the vaccines kids receive protect them from life threaten disease that are easy to catch. I would rather have my child have autism then to die an early age.  

Answer 6

delay the shots and read up on the subject on vaccinations and ingredients. you can always choose to vaccinate later but you cant take shots back. our children receive way many more shot than we did as children. you can get a religious exemption for your state so your child can still attend school. i do know a few children who developed autism after a bad vaccine reaction. i say good for you for questioning vaccines. education is an important key in keeping your child safe. my children don't have compromised immune systems so i would rather let their body fight diseases naturally that having a severe reaction to a vax shot. bad reactions can and do happen. getting immunized does not necessarily mean your child is protected from the disease.i still question if i've done the right thing but my gut instinght  tells me i have. after researching you can still select any delay the shots however you see fit.good luck on your choice.  

Answer 7

Jenny McCarthy claims her son developed autism from vaccines. I have yet to have a problem with my kids and i have a 2.5 yr old and a 9 mo. old

Answer 8

The only thing you can do is learn as much as possible and make the best decision you can for your family.  As far as schools, it depends on your state.  In my state, you can opt out of vaccines for religious or personal reasons.  Some states require you to prove that your religion frowns upon vaccines, some don't.  There are actually two states (I can't remember them right now) where CPS can actually take your children away from you if you don't vaccinate them.  I don't know if they exercise that right or not, but they can.

The best neutral source that I have found is The Vaccine Book by Sears.  It is neither pro-vax nor anti-vax.  The author really tries to lay out all the facts and tells you to decide for yourself.  He also offers an alternative vaccine schedule for you to consider.  I hope you'll look into it.  It's a great resource.  

Has anyone actually read Jenny McCarthy's books?   My sister owns them and I tried to read them, but the woman is illiterate and ignorant.  I'm sure she does her best as a mother, we all do, but her lack of intelligence discredits her claims about her son.

Answer 9

I'd recommend reading Dr. Sears' "The Vaccine Book." It details all the diseases, the risks of getting them, and the risks of the vaccines. Surprisingly, many of the diseases we vaccinate against are not all that dangerous in a healthy, non-immune-compromised child. It's a personal choice for each family to make, so I recommend you weigh the pros and cons of it yourself.

Also, your child can still go to school, you will just need to sign an exemption form. This is easier to get in some states than others. The only state I know of that doesn't allow them is West Virginia.

Answer 10

No, vaccines are not 'that bad for baby.'  There is a slight risk associated with vaccines, just as there is a slight risk associated with virtually everything in life.  But the risk of getting the vaccines is FAR lower than the risk of not getting them, and getting the diseases they are intended to prevent. Which, of course, is WHY we have vaccines -- to increase the chance of our children being healthy.

If you opt to to not vaccinate (or can't for medical reasons) you can usually get a philosophical/religions/medical exemption for school. However, private daycares can choose whether or not to enroll a non-vaccinated child -- and most will not do so.

Answer 11

This is a hot topic and everyone will think their opinion is best. All you can do is research & educate yourself. You are your children's # 1 health advocate. I decided to wait on vaccines for both my 2 1/2 year old & 7 month old. Illinois law requires all children to be vaccinated before going to school, unless there is a medical reason or religious exemption. Since we don't meet those requirements, I unfortunately will have to give into the law. I want my girls protected from disease, however, what is put into the vaccines causes concern for me. When it is time for them to get shots my doctor will not use combo vaccines. Despite what many say, mercury is still used in many vaccines as are other highly dangerous toxins and animal fetal cells.Check out this site if you are interested.  http://www.909shot.com/Default.htm