Okay parents, we are re-opening the vaccinations debate. Are you ready? This time it's "shot-limited schedules." Researchers from the Oregon Health Authority say that more and more parents in Oregon are using alternative vaccination schedules that reduce the number of shots their children receive at one time. In other words, they're getting some of those shots on a delayed schedule.
This practice could be putting those children -- and their peers -- at greater risks for diseases.
And it's not just Oregon kids. I know that here in Brooklyn shot-limited schedules are very popular. Parents are trying to take back control over their kids' vaccinations. But do we really know enough to do that?
I know babies and toddlers get a LOT of shots. I was shocked every time I took my son in for a check-up. And did I ever hear it from the other parents, too. There's so much social pressure in my area to get all bossy with your pediatrician and demand a delayed schedule -- or even skipping some vaccinations altogether.
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Our pediatrician won't hear of it. She's married to a researcher who studies diseases and vaccinations all day, every day -- and she's very serious about staying on schedule.
So -- am I just totally naive here? -- I trusted our pediatrician and went along with her crazy, mega-vaccination schedule. And now my son is eight and he's fine. That's just us, of course. It doesn't prove anything about anything. But I wonder about these shot-limiting schedules. Sure, there's all kinds of information on the Internet about the dangers of too many vaccinations at once. But how do you know who to trust?
I have a lot of crunchy mom friends who question western medicine. And I listen to them politely. And then I shrug and go along with the advice of the woman with the medical degree on her wall.
Have you tried a shot-limiting schedule?
Image via Alex E. Proimos/Flickr
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Comments 125
My kids ONLY get the hepititis shots now. Period. They also only get sick about once a year, and are the pictures of health.
*shrug* we've vaxed on time with my daughter, and she's never had a reaction other than feeling generally yucky the few hours after. and please don't tell me i read "autism" and "vaccine" in the same sentence, did i? ughhhhhh jenny mccarthy.
When my son got his six month shots, 45 minutes later he was seizing and had a fever of over 106. He quit breathing twice and spent 9 days in the hospital. He has a very rare allergy to aluminum, which is in most shots. So we no longer vax at all, he could die. Turns out the bouts of "fever" he had after his earlier shots were a mild reaction, and his six month ones made the reaction very severe.