Friday, June 6, 2008

To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate..that is the question.




So you are wondering, what did this family of bears do for their little bear? Well, first let me say I understand both sides of the fence whether to vaccinate or not. I have friends whose precious little ones have developed autism and believe it is linked to the MMR Vaccine. I also have friends who believe it is not just the MMR Vaccine but the overall process of injecting so many shots in such a short period of time that it compromises babies immune system. Whom am I to argue these parents belief? I also have close friends that truly believe you must vaccinate your children at every doctor's appointment and NEVER sway from that schedule. I want to clarify this is not a blog/post to argue about whether vaccines are linked to autism or not. I was more concerned with what was in the vaccines and why so many so fast. These 2 questions started myself and hubby on a search to figure out what is the best solution for our son. As a parent you want to make the "right" decision! I(we) discovered that it is the type of preservative that is used in these vaccines that could possibly harm ones child. It depends on the child, the genetic make-up, and other variables. Their are children that have received "mercury" based vaccines and have been perfectly healthy and others have not. So, why some do some have it and others don't?? Well, that is another blog/post! Plus, I do not feel qualified to touch that subject! Okay back on track with my thoughts!!! Anyway, I was pleased to discover that our pediatrician used protein subunit vaccines. Which means instead of injecting a live virus or a deactivated virus, they isolate the viruses protein signature and use that since that is what the t-cells latch on to. That is what they(t-cells) recognize as an intruder. This was good news to our ears! Not to mention our pediatrician was willing to go at our pace and show us which ones she believes it absolutely necessary. She(pediatrician), herself wanted better available vaccines for her own children. Wow! Nice to know a pedi that would switch practices just so she could stand behind what she believes in for her own family and her patients! That is good stuff folks! I am a firm believer you must ask questions and find a doctor that you can trust. If you don't, keep looking! So, we did do one vaccine shot that we believed was necessary. Yes, we agree to vaccinate but not at the pace "they" want or all of them. Let me back track. My hubby and I had long conversations about vaccines long before we went to the doctor. This was not a spur of the moment decision. There is a book out publish from a pediatrician who was consider conservative with her views on the "time frame" for vaccines. She gives you a time line for the vaccines to where it spreads them out and it is better for the baby. Plus she narrows it down to the necessities. I must admit I have not fully read the book so what I do know is limited. So, there you have it folks!

1 comment:

  1. I am glad that you guys did your research. It is definitely the parents choice. What bothers me are parents who don't do the research. I have been through a lot of medical issues and believe the doctor is NOT always right. Whatever the decision is about vaccines, if you've done your research than you are informed and are making an informed decision. Kudos to the three bears! :)

    ReplyDelete