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
Unvaccinate children are not a threat to anyone. That is the most hilarious load of BS I've ever heard (and I hear it often). Your freshly vaccinated children shed (sometimes mutated) diseases through saliva, feces, etc. That's okay though, right? I mean, herd immunity is supposed to be effective at 90% vaccinated public. You know all these "outbreaks" (which are cyclic diseases, duhrr) are occuring in almost 100% vaccinated public? But I guess it's *my* child's fault, seeing as he has never been on antibiotics, had an ear infection, or anything past a mild cold. How about stimulate your infants antibodies with breastmilk instead of artificially with adjuvants? Like God intended, maybe? I personally am not scared of these horrible diseases because I see them more often than you'd think, and if you are a healthy individual (not living in a 3rd world country) you are going to recover just fine. It's called being healthy. You parents who eat crap, feed your kid mcd's, gerbers graduates crap, etc, stop WHINING. You can trash your bodies and expect a magic shot to keep your children healthy...it's illogical. Your ped won't tell you that though, she went to a school funded by big pharma.
I just hope, for the sake of our children, that decisions made now, whether to vaccinate or not vaccinate, do not come back to bite us in the ass in the future. I'm sure one day we will learn for sure one way or another which way was right and which way was wrong. I'm no doctor so I'm not even going to pretend to know which way is best. I think the only people who know that answer are the ones who make the vaccinations and the ones who research it. <3
My pediatrrition recommended the delayed shots. My son got all the shots needed, but she sat down with me in the begining to go over a shot schedule and other topics. My son is ten now and in great health.
I know at least two doctors -- yes, with real medical degrees on their walls -- who RECOMMEND delayed schedules. Recommend. There is not a consensus here that the CDC schedule is best. And you know, I'd demand to see the research that says that the CDC schedule, as a whole, has been studied thoroughly and is the safest and best and does not cause any known problems. Here's a hint: that research doesn't exist. There is a lot of theoretical "we think" going on. And I'm borrowing this phrase from the CDC Pink Book. They actually say "we think" or "we don't really know" a lot when discussing certain diseases and vaccines. I'm not okay with your random thoughts based on no science, sorry.
The bottom line in this debate is that it really is not about whether or not you vaccinate -- at all or on time. It's about whether or not you have the right to choose for your own family. One side says yes, you do have the right to decide for yourself. The other side says no, you don't, society has the right to force you to vaccinate on time "or else."
I'm an American and I'll be exercising my right to an exemption form for all of my unvaccinated children, thanks. I won't go into why I made that decision, since most truly do not want to hear it. I'll just reserve my right to make my own choice.
A kid in my daughters preschool caught whooping cough and guess what? HE was up to date on all of his vax.
Make a better compelling arguement with FACTs against delayed vaccinations next time.