He was only four months old when he developed his first vaccine reaction. I was scared, angry, and confused. Despite our plan to follow an alternative vaccination schedule, our pediatrician at the time refused to support us and we gave in. According to her, our son was behind and we were putting him at risk for contracting a serious illness. When an authoritative figure suggests you’re being irresponsible with your child, you listen. We only wanted what was best for him. So we allowed her to give him 4 injections to protect him from 6 different diseases. That was the beginning of three days spent in and out of emergency rooms and doctor’s offices. Not surprisingly, he had a vaccine reaction. What did surprise us was our pediatrician’s response. We were to repeat the entire ordeal in two months with no alteration of the schedule. That was our last visit to her office.
I’ve been a nurse for almost 11 years and have worked in a children’s hospital for three of those years. Needless to say, I’ve seen the resurgence of diseases previously eradicated by vaccines. I stay up to date on the latest and strive to make informed decisions in the best interest of our children. But this is one issue I have yet to come to terms with.
After my son’s vaccine reaction, we began seeing a Pediatrician who is supportive of our selective, alternate vaccination schedule. Both of our children have been vaccinated against most of the diseases for which a vaccine exists. We have held off on vaccinating our children against a few that we as a team feel can be postponed until they’re older.
Up until about a couple of weeks ago, neither of them had suffered from a subsequent reaction. And then it happened. Our 13 month old daughter suffered from a vaccine reaction. With fevers upwards of 103, we were understandably scared. We had spaced them out accordingly, only administered two at a time, and ensured that she never received two vaccines that children were known to react to at the same time. She still had a reaction.
As far as her schedule goes, she is almost caught up. Now we’re left confused as to how we should approach the remaining vaccinations, since there is a good chance she could suffer another reaction. Because she only gets two vaccinations at a time, we are pretty confident that we have identified the one she reacted to. But the question still begs…do we continue to vaccinate her?
Vaccinations serve two purposes…to protect individuals and the public from acquiring communicable diseases But what happens when the very thing that is designed to protect us ends up causing harm?
What are your thoughts on vaccines? Do you know someone who has suffered from a vaccine reaction? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
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vaccinations are the reason many diseases no longer are a threat to our children, smallpox, polio, etc………in my opinion parents should not have the right to choose to vaccinate……with alot of parents refusing vaccinations in the last 10-15 yrs, it will be interesting to see what diseases come back and if any major outbreaks occur in the next 50 yrs…….
also, vaccinations are no different then the flu shot everyone so desperately wants their children to have…..
funny because a vet will not treat a dog without proper vaccinations….just food for thought
@Karen As a nurse, I completely agree that vaccines are meant to eradicate and prevent the spread of disease. I want to do what’s best for my children. However, they’ve both suffered vaccine reactions which is why we have chosen to immunize slowly but completely…..
Caryn, oye I feel your pain. I have my own vaccine dilemmas. Lucky enough I found an understanding pediatrician and day care that is completely fine with our alternative vaccination schedule. We are always at the pediatrician’s office but I feel better knowing that I’m not giving my son a ton of shots at once. Even when he gets 2 vaccines at once he is not the same kid for a good 48 hours – he’s cranky, feverish, etc. I can’t even imagine giving him all of the recommended shots at once. I know this is a heated topic but as long as you are well informed of all of your options, then it’s your choice. I make sure to prioritize the most important vaccines first then get the remaining ones after that. As a new mom, I know I’m making the right choice for my child because I know him and because of past family incidents with vaccinations.
@Marie I know how difficult it is to find a Ped. who will support an alternate schedule. They also don’t want to be held liable. My children are not the same after vaccines for a time (24 sometimes 48 hours too). Both have had vaccine reactions so while I do see the benefit, I don’t think they’re completely benign.
A reaction to come degree to a vaccine is normal, because after all… a vaccine is like a fire drill for the immune system. It would be abnormal to not have some sort of reaction. Sure, my kids get cranky… and maybe a low grade fever, but the following day or so they are back to normal.
I know many parents STILL think that vaccines cause autism, which is a lot of the reason why some parents choose not to vaccinate. Obviously that is foolish thinking, and I can assure you that vaccines did not cause my son to be on the Autism Spectrum (he was born the way he was). I also think that it’s foolish when people choose not to vaccinate their child against serious illnesses like Pertussis, and then some newborn dies from the disease as a result.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is revising their vaccine protocol yearly, and I have found over the years with my experience of three children that they are not giving as many vaccines every visit as they used to. Vaccines used to be over and done with by 18 months of age, but now it’s more like age three or four. I can certainly respect anyone’s opinion to space out the vaccines… as long as they do vaccinate. But I have to say that when there are newborns involved in the mix, all children should be caught up before being around them.
Vaccines are such a tough topic. After Chloe had a reaction to the MMR, I completely freaked out. She had a high fever (105-106) and was completely lethargic for about five days. After that, I postponed her vaccines until I was able to learn more about them and figure out what I wanted to do. I also stopped taking my girls to that pediatrician because he was not supportive of our decision. We actually met with our new pediatrician today because we are working to get Chloe caught up, in baby steps. It is so much easier working with a doctor that has the same beliefs as my husband and I.