I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous about this topic.
I still really have no idea what I'm doing.
A few weeks ago I received the TDAP Vaccine (Whooping Cough). I felt like I was a little pressures into it by my Dr. I really did want to say no thank you, but she kinda made me feel like I was the only one on the face of the earth that wasn't going to be vaccinated and I was going to be a bad mom. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating...she gave me the choice, and I said ummm OK.
My arm was still killing me, but if this prevents baby from suffering in the long run, Ill do anything.
~The HEP B shot in my mind is just totally unnecessary in the first few moments of life. My child is not going to be sharing needles, having intercourse or traveling to different countries.
I think down the road it is acceptable...but the moment she is born?
Also, this there has been talk about this vaccine contributing to the autoimmune disorder Multiple Sclerosis.
MS is prevalent in my family. That is really scary news for me.
I havent made up my mind on this one yet.
~The Hib vaccine is given at the 2 month mark. I definitely don't want my child to contract pneumonia or bacterial meningitis.
~Polio is still up in the air for me. It is passed when fecal matter is ingested (with just breast milk for the first months of her life, when will she be ingesting poo?), but it is such a serious incurable disease that I would be scared not to give it to her.
~Rotavirus is another one that I kinda don't get. It prevents diarrhea and vomiting. That's it? If my child is lactose and tolerant, or just having problems with eating, don't you just try to different route with food?
~PCV is another one that makes sense to get. I don't want my child to contract pneumonia, meningitis or blood infections but I don't understand why she needs to get the Hib vaccine also when they pretty much fight off the same thing?
Working with the public and hearing people talk strongly on both sides of the subject has left me a little confused. I have had a few people tell me that after their baby has received a shot, they were a little "different".
Other people swear by the vaccines. That's why we no longer have these diseases prevalent in out country.
I think that all of these vaccines are important, but are they necessary all at one time? Spreading out or giving smaller doses thorough the child's doctor visits sounds appealing.
I would love to hear if anyone else has any views on the subject.
Vaccinations are a complex topic. Just because you have been vaccinated, doesn't mean you have acquired an immunity to a specific disease. A small part of the population does not acquire immunity to these diseases. But they are still protected due to what is called herd immunity. If the majority of the population has immunity through vaccinations, it stops these diseases in their tracks because the chance of non-immune people coming into contact with these diseases decreases significantly. Now this only works if everyone vaccinates their children. Where I live, there is a huge outbreak of whooping cough, and the main reason is because parents refuse to vaccinate. I had the pleasure of whooping cough a year ago. Thankfully, my husband and kids were vaccinated but I had no idea I needed a booster shot until I was already sick. Now that whooping cough is going around, newborns have a higher probability of contracting it because they don't receive their first vacc. until 2 months old. It has a high mortality rate in newborns. Because you said yes, your baby will have short term immunity that will bridge the gap between birth and 2 months. Vaccination horror stories scare the crap out of me too but the benefits far outweigh the risks.
ReplyDeleteI think your doctor is taking good care of you and your baby. You are going to be an awesome mom!
It's a sensitive topic, and I'm sure you'll get ALL sorts of responses. I did a delayed vaccination schedule with my daughter (my firstborn), and with my son, he's been getting all his vaccines according to the american academy of pediatrics. It's what you feel comfortable with, but I really don't appreciate parents that don't vaccinate AT ALL. That puts my children at risk if they're around them.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind you can always delay and space out vaccinations. With all of these combo vaccinations out there now I did not feel comfortable giving my infant multiple vax in the same doctors visit. My kids both have all their shots (plus some, we've traveled overseas) but I spaced them out enough that I felt comfortable. DO NOT let a doctor pressure you into doing something you don't feel comfortable doing just because you are a first time mom. You are your child's only advocate. As long as your child is caught up by kindergarten it's fine.
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