for those who implement a modified vaccination schedule

[Pretty in Pink]

we are looking at implementing a modified vaccination schedule with our newest babe and for the remainder of the older childrens' vaccinations. we are leaning strongly towards dr. sears' suggested schedule but have not finalized our plans yet. how do you weigh the drawbacks of aluminum exposure vs. mulitiple live vaccines. say you want to break up the Pediarix into single vaccinations. it sounds good, because you are exposing your child to fewer vaccines at one time; however, by breaking them up you are exposing them to considerably more aluminum in the long run. how do you make this decision?

[ELaurie]

but here's a resource where you can read more about this:

 

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations.

[catalinakel]

I didn't vaccinate at all for my kids until they had to go to public schools. They were then 6 and 7 then, and we did the whole shebang, with follow up shots too. All were fine. And I was ok with it all, finally, as a result of what the guy who wrote Apologia Science has on his website about vaccines.

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

My "modified" schedule is very random. I delay vaccinations until 1 year, forget about them for awhile, and then get back in gear when my children turn 2. LOL> I figure the later they are vaccinated, the better able their immune systms will be to handle the bombardment from a foreign invader vaccine. I also don't allow more than 2 vaccines at a time over a 6 month period. Blessings. (Oh, and I delay the MMR for as long as possible).

[Peela]

Similar to Camy here- fairly random. We waited till they were well over 1year, had another batch a year or two later, I think nothing more till last year when I decided to make sure they were covered, for some reason (they wre 12 and 13). Even the doctor insisted on checking first (I think its called a titration) with a blood test to see what was needed- she is good that way, believes in vaccinations but not a drop more than necessary. We had lost their records from babyhood and couldnt remember what they had been vaccinated against- the doctor checked their blood. The nurse was just willing to give them everything.

 

I think the thing is to watch their reactions. Neither of my kids ever had any adverse reactions to vaccinations. Both were still breastfeeding for all their vaccinations under the age of 5. If they had seemed to react, I would have been much, much more careful about it. Even last year when they ended up with several over a few weeks- no apparent reactions at any time. So I never felt the need to give them single injections. For them, and me, the less injections the better (I wont vaccinate dd14 with the cervical cancer vaccine, for example). Neither has allergies, both are very healthy. I think that would play more into the picture for me than anything- what can my child's immune system handle?

I am very glad we waited that first year, but i am not sure how much it would have mattered what we did after that.

 

Another point about the aluminium. I gave my kids a heavy metal test a few months after they were vaccinated last year- there are fairly inexpensive ones available nowadays. Both came up positive to mercury, and I was very upset about it- although neither showed any symptoms other than my son's learning diffiulties which he had always had. I coudnt think where the mercury would have come from- they dont like fish- except the vaccines. I put them both on a good diet, lots of water, and meanwhile researched what to do for them. A couple of months passed- I tested them again- no mercury-in either. Strange. I think their bodies just got rid of it. I think kids are exposed to way too many chemicals and heavy metals nowadays, but a healthy kid can handle a fair bit and a healthy system will offload things, if given a chance.

[Pretty in Pink]

thanks for the input gals. my oldest two were vaccinated according to the regular schedule and never had an adverse reaction. my two and a half year old was vaccinated more sporadically. it was something i discussed with the ped. at each visit but i chose to space the shots out more. we are certain of our decision to vaccinate, especially being a military family. it is just difficult to make the decisions, especially when your ped. is pushing for the regular schedule...

[Carpe Diem]

I am mostly worried about the long term effect...autoimmune diseases, cancer. Do a google for SV40.

 

I don't know the answers, just enough to scare me.

[klmama]

I gave my kids a heavy metal test a few months after they were vaccinated last year- there are fairly inexpensive ones available nowadays. Both came up positive to mercury, and I was very upset about it- although neither showed any symptoms other than my son's learning diffiulties which he had always had. I coudnt think where the mercury would have come from- they dont like fish- except the vaccines. I put them both on a good diet, lots of water, and meanwhile researched what to do for them. A couple of months passed- I tested them again- no mercury-in either. Strange. I think their bodies just got rid of it. I think kids are exposed to way too many chemicals and heavy metals nowadays, but a healthy kid can handle a fair bit and a healthy system will offload things, if given a chance.

 

That's true for most, but just because someone seems healthy doesn't mean they are able to excrete heavy metals appropriately. According to our doctor, some of the mercury gets bound into the brain and no longer shows up in blood tests. I'd just as soon avoid the whole thing and take my chances on the illnesses.

[Titus.Two.Five]

My oldest 3 were all vax'd on schedule. My 4th was vax'd on schedule to age 2, and my 5th never had a vax until just a month ago and he is almost 5.

 

I am slowly doing vax's for my last 2 children, 1 vax at a time and I am keeping the doses as far apart as the max recommendation. My 2nd and 4th children both had reactions, however, because they do so many at once, we never did know *which* vax caused it.

 

The downside to doing only 1 at a time is the drawn out process for the child. Sometimes I think it was easier on the child to just 'get em done' rather than 1 shot every 3-6 months. It causes some anxiety in the child with the must go back soon looming over them. sigh

[Mommyof4ks]

My DD was vaxed on schedule with no reactions. My DS5 was on schedule until my DD3 was dxed with cancer and cannot be around anyone who has just been vaxed with live vax. We have not done any of his 4 year shots, but we will most likely wait until the summer when he is not likely to get sick and then just one at a time, because now he has asthma and to shoot down the immune system all at once scares me. Obviously my Ds3 stopped his vax at 19 months, but we don't have much 'herd' immunity around here since there are a number of families that don't vax, so I am a nervous wreck since any of those diseases can kill him quickly.

 

I have discovered that the chicken pox vaccine does not work. My 1st and 3rd children got CP despite the shot, and my 2nd got it from the shot (even though the doc swears that is impossible, it was 21 days from the shot when he got his first bumps). They never got fevers, but all of them were itchy and filled with bumps, so I don't know if it was any 'easier' on them than if they had not gotten the shot.

 

My DD will never get the gardisil shot, but that is a discussion for another day I suppose.