I continue to get a fair bit of traffic on this post, and several folks have asked me for an update. I leave this original post with all its edits as a testatment to my own "journey." It really has been a journey, one of growth & movement, not of stasis.
I've gone from "vaccines are awesome and make us so much healthier" to "wow... 40 vaccines in two years really seems intense, and giving more than one at a time kind of seems a bad idea" to "I think we'll wait until after their brain and immune systems are more developed (so after age 2)" to "vaccines are less important to health than gut health, proper nutrition- especially fat-soluble vitamins-and a strong immune system, and don't work as well as they claim to, so let's focus on the latter" (where I was as I wrote the above posts) to "vaccines have really dangerous side-effects that are far more common than ever thought- including ADD, ASD, asthma, allergies & other auto-immune failures, and wow, are they adequately safety-tested?" to "vaccines actually assault gut health and immune systems and are pushed by biased people who stand to gain from vaccine adoption, and why aren't they truly safety tested at all." As it standsI veiw vaccination is a last resort, even then it would be with MUCH precaution (vitamin loading, detoxing, and PRAYER). Most probable are the mumps & varicella vaccines before puberty if we can't find the natural diseases somewhere. (Interestingly there was a recent outbreak of mumps at Rutgers University... all of the young adults who got it were fully vaccinated.)
In your own journey, you may want to think through the role of hygiene & nutrition in the decline of "vaccine-preventable illness" as WELL AS the decline of diseases that aren't vaxed against (if vaccines are so essential, why did cholera & typhoid also decline at the same time as diptheria?); to read the vaccine failure rates (80% of kids with whooping cough are fully vaxed- the flu shot has a dismal 1% improvement rate-- vitaming D has 8%); also to read the vaccine clinical trials and assess whether you find their "control" group acceptable (never is the "control" group of children given a saline injection or a sugar pill; they are ALWAYS given another vaccine, making it very difficult to assess true effects, and the trials are seldom blind. Double-blind controlled studies are "the gold standard" in science.). You may want to research conflicts of interest in our own CDC... honestly, do we really trust our government in the health field at all? they've had fat & sugar all wrong for the past 50 years and sure look down on nutrition & herbalism! Lastly, two more books to read are Gut & Psychology Syndrome (Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride) and Healing the New Childhood Epidemics (Dr. Kenneth Bock) which come at vaccine risks from oblique angles. Both doctors are still pro-vaccine by the end of it, but they say they should only be administered to healthy kids, and by their own standards, we really don't have very many healthy kids in the US!!
Vaccines are the "sacred ow" of the medical field right now. I don't think most doctors are actually taught about vaccines-- more along the lines of "vaccines are awesome; moving on." (I have yet to meet a pediatrician who understood any of the many reasons why parents might object to our current schedule; no, it's not just about "that one crazy Wakefield guy whose autism research was totally disproved." Sigh.)
The more I read about vaccines, the more I find them to be the absolute opposite of everything we know about caring for our bodies: they are the complete antithesis of natural. We NEVER get diseases injected directly into our bloodstream; much less falsely weakened diseases paired with heavy metals, antibiotics & known poisons. Our bodies are primed to screen pathogens through several "barrier levels:" skin w its protective bacteria & acid mantle; mucous membranes with their legions of white blood cells; stomach with its HCl; gut with its probiotics galore. And then we are programmed to fight disease quite effectively, if properly supported; and once we get one disease, it's usually the last time we ever will. By contrast to vaccines, the more I study herbs, the more impressed I am that this is the route we SHOULD be pursuing; using natural elements that our bodies recognize, taken in ways that our body can use-- aroma, contact, ingestion-- NOT injection. I keep seeing studies pop up along these lines-- curcurmin in turmeric being more effective than the Pc at preventing lung disease; vitamin D from food & sun being more effective than the flu shot... Why aren't we pouring our efforts into studying THOSE! Seems like the classic egg v. egg-substitute or butter v. margarine mistake. We keep thinking we can out-do God instead of figuring out how to better use what He's already given us.
As a final resource, I highly recommend Rachel Weaver's books "Be Your own 'Doctor'" and "Be Your Child's Pediatrician"-- she's a master herbalist/midwife. We've seen simple herbs cleanse our son of parasites we didn't even know he had (and suddenly end his constant congestion) and heal the eczema our daughter been fighting for years in a matter of 2 weeks. I've seen a friend's baby come back from the brink of death (intubated in the hospital) with the application of herbal extracts (essential oils) -- he coughed up the mucus that was choking him to death within seconds of application, and was extubated & heading home the next day. It's just amazing. God is so much smarter than us; the best we can hope to do is figure out how to use what He's made-- the glory of God to conceal a matter; the glory of man is to seek them out, as Proverbs puts it!
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Today (originally 11/16/10), I'm putting up an acceptable (to me) vaccine schedule. As a bonus, you get to see my reading list.
Tomorrow, I'll put up an explanation for why we are thinking this way, with questions for you to consider as you make your own family vaccine schedule.
Then, on Friday, you'll be able to read (if you want) a detailed "paper" of sorts going in more technical/ medical detail.
That's the plan- short & sweet, then a "Questions to Ask" guide, then finally the full shebang which you are under NO obligation to read. :) It's written mainly for my own peace of mind (I actually like writing papers), but our family doctor will be getting a copy, and I *might* try to do more with it if I think it's good enough. EDIT: this became my 3-part series on Keeper of the Home. I have uploaded the full Q & As on chicken-pox & polio, and abbreviated ones for all the possible shots.
So, without further ado, here is it is: (DTaP 4 doses, Pc 2 doses, Hib 1 dose):
12 mos--DTaP Dose 1 (can provide partial immunity against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough/pertussis)
15 mos-- Pc Dose 1 (can provide partial immunity against meningitis)
18 mos-- Hib sole dose (can provide partial immunity against meningitis)- no further doses needed if given after/at age 15 mos.
2 yrs- Pc Dose 2- no further doses needed if first dose given at/after age 12 mos.
3 yrs- DTaP Dose 3
4 years- DTaP Dose 4 (no further doses needed if given at/after age 4)
10 years- MMR & varicella vaccines, separated by at least 6 mos, only IF our kids don't get chicken pox (varicella), and rubella (German measles) naturally. We're hoping to catch the live versions, so if you have a kid down with any of those, invite us over!! :)
(We do not plan on getting flu, Hep B or A, rotavirus, HPV or IPV vaccines.)
**Edit September 2011- because of sickness, we have held off on several vaccines and will be even more delayed; I'd rather not further tax my daughter's immune system when it is already fighting off a virus, even if it's "just a little cold." I am also seriously considering completely skipping the DTaP completely with our next child(ren), due to the danger & relative uselessness (if the current epidemic is any indication) of the pertussis components (don't really care so much either way about the diptheria elements). However, because tetanus is a real danger and there are no vaccines available before age 2, I am making myself aware of which hospitals/treatment centers have TIG (tetanus immune globulin) on hand in the event of an accident before my children are old enough to get the single tetanus vax. Proper wound cleaning & care is the best defense against tetanus... and keeping an eye on my baby while at the park.
Reading list:
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child (Sears Parenting Library)
-by Bob Sears (though he has an alternative schedule, he is fundamentally FOR vaccines)Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases
- by Paul Offit (essentially a biography of the man who made many of the vaccines still used today- gives a lot of insights into his world view, motives & motivations)Vaccines: What Every Parent Should Know
-Paul Offit & Louis M. Bell (try not to let its oversimplified tone insult your intelligence so much that you throw it away after one chapter)CDC Vaccine Guide
Cautionary:
The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults
- by Randall NeustaedterThe Virus and the Vaccine: Contaminated Vaccine, Deadly Cancers, and Government Neglect
- by Debbie Bookchin & Jim SchumacherMake an Informed Vaccine Decision for the Health of Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Childhood Shots
- by Mayer Eisenstein"A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule" by Donald W. Miller, Jr.
"The Danger of Excessive Vaccination During Brain Development" by Russel L. Blaylock
"The Challenge to Mass Vaccination" by Barbara Loe Fisher
"How We Are Making our Children Sick," by Sean Manning, in Pathways, issue 20
"A Personal Perspective on Vaccination,"by Jean McAulay in August/Sept 2008 of Today's Chiropractic Lifestyle
very excited about this!
ReplyDeleteI came over from Keeper of the Home.
ReplyDeleteI see that you are planning (or may have already gotten by now) MMR and Varicella. I'm curious about your feelings on the Rubella component and the chicken pox vaccine both having been made using aborted fetal cells. I noticed you had mentioned that in your post. THanks!
Hey Jessi! I'm guessing you're looking at a list like this one: http://www.rense.com/general59/vvac.htm
ReplyDeleteAs far as my thoughts... I know this is a highly controversial aspect of an already touchy subject! Basically, I don't like the health factors of using human tissue at all, no matter the source. The fact that they are from aborted babies is very sad to me-- however, it doesn't make it or break it for me. While I'm vehemently opposed to abortion, these babies whose tissue was used were not conceived or aborted specifically to use for vaccines-- they were murdered, and then someone had the idea to use some of their cells in vaccines. Babies aren't being repeatedly killed in order to make these vaccines-- cultured cells that started out with tissue samples from aborted babies are used. So, I don't have a moral problem with it, necessarily, though I don't want any abortion to be done, ever. THAT's the disgusting tragedy to me-- that these babies were murdered at all, even years ago. What they used the tissue for is kind of moot to me. Anyway, those are my thoughts at the moment. Thanks for stopping by!
I realize this post is years old, but I'm wrestling through (along with my wife) what to do for our baby.
ReplyDeleteShe is already almost 13 months, and we had made up our own alternative schedule. So far she has had DTaP, HiB, PCV and IPV, with more than one dose of the first 3.
I keep wondering if we're doing the right thing. I like the thought process you put behind yours, and the emphasis on trusting in God while balancing that with our fallen world and dominion over it. There is just so much conflicting and contradictory information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, even in the resources you provide.
Do you still vaccinate based on this schedule, or have you rethought any of it?
Ultimately, how did you come to peace with your decision?
I realize this post is years old, but my wife and I are trying to get some peace about vaccinating our daughter.
ReplyDeleteShe is currently almost 13 months, and we have been doing a delayed schedule. We started at 4 months and did DTaP, HiB, PCV and IPV one month at a time. We then took a month off and went through them again. We had some other delays when she had a cold, so we haven't made it quite all the way through the 3rd round. Now I'm questioning what we are doing again.
I like your posts and thoughtful examination of each vaccine. I also agree that we realy have to trust in God in this, even while balancing that with our fallen world and our dominion over it.
Its just that there is so much contradictory and conflicting info on both sides of the debate. Even the resources you list are diametrically opposed (naturally, since their are pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine resources given).
Do you still follow the delayed schedule in this post, or have you continued to modify it?
I was also wondering how you weighed the risks of vaxing vs the risks of the disease, if there is any more detail besides what you've already given.
For instance, the article by Blaylock makes it seem like any vaccine is doing great harm, and I don't know how to weigh that against the supposed harm of the disease. It is made more difficult since I am not an immunologist, and have no way to evaluate the veracity of his paper, or others on the pro-vaccine side.
I think, at the root of it, I have a lot of fear about the decision no matter which path we choose. How did you come to peace with your decision?
Hey Dave!
ReplyDeleteMy own journey through vaccination and medicine in general has been just that-- a journey. We have come to a position of even fewer vaccines delayed even further... while each child is different, I just understand immunity to work differently. I kept researching and questioning why I would inject toxic material into my child's body, and wondering if a short cut to immunity would work. I encourage you to read Gianelloni Family blog because she has hundreds of articles linked and does a great job staying on top of research.
Currently, I prefer to use the resources we have now-- nutritional supplementation, essential oils, and herbal tinctures-- to strengthen the immune system and fight infectious disease when they come-- instead of attempting to short-cut the process. At this point, we will most likely not vaccinate our children at all, except perhaps with mumps and chickenpox before puberty (I'm hoping we can find somewhere to catch them though)!
Pray. I kept asking questions and researching, and doing everything I did in faith instead of fear. You can not vaccinate because you're terrified or vaccinate because you're terrified, and neither are wise routes. The Lord will give you wisdom!
Thanks for the reference to the Gianelloni blog. She has a lot of good links and references.
ReplyDeleteI am leaning more and more to not vaxxing at all, but am still reading.
How do you plan on finding diseases "in the wild" like chicken pox, when they seem so rare anymore?
One thing I'm still trying to figure out is, how have these diseases become so rare if it is true that vaccines are mostly ineffective and if the protection wears off after only a few years? I've yet to come across something that explains it. Not trying to argue, but just sorting through the info out there.
Thanks again!
Dave-- I would think the main reason it's more difficult to "find wild diseases" is that contagious disease transmission in general is avoided in our society. Hygiene alone has helped reduce disease incidence SO MUCH-- and then when we do get sick, if a person has been vaccinated, it's initially assumed that the disease is anything but a vaccine-preventable illness. As you pointed out, it's not usually kids who get these disease anymore because their artificial immunity is strongest in the childhood years-- and when teenagers & adults get sick we don't usually talk about it publicly (whereas little kid moms are always talking about their kiddos having whatever), or the sickness isn't identified until much later.
ReplyDeleteI know this is an older post, but I just found it. I have 2 older children (9 & 6) who are vaxxed and an 8 month old who is not, and I worry every day! I know I shouldn't as a Christian, but when you read stories from both sides, it just makes it more confusing. So I have a few questions, and hope you still get comments on this older post. Why are you going (or were going to vax) for MMR and chickenpox at puberty? What is the reasoning behind that?
ReplyDeleteAlso, we have greatly changed our diet, and so most of our money is being spent on food. I'm wanting to build my natural medicine cabinet, but not sure where to start. We don't have lots of money and the kids are picky, so providing nutrition through food isn't getting them what they need. I'm on the WIC program, but that food ain't healthy either (I'm working on a letter to send to the state to hopefully request changes). What are suggestions for slowly building your medicine cabinet? What to get first, what can wait, etc. And that's another problem is I want to make sure I get the best of each one, but everyone has their own recommendations and I have no clue which are really the best. Honestly, I'm tired of researching and ready to be confident in my choices. Reading books ain't gonna happen. The 2 diseases that scare me the most are meningitis and Hib. When they both start off like minor colds, but then can quickly turn serious and deadly, I wonder what I should do.
I am breastfeeding and want to continue til at least 18 months, but the way he eats the stored breast milk while I'm at work, I wonder if I will eventually run out and find a formula. I'm not able to pump as much as he eats now. And though I may consider some shots at age 2, I've seen stories of even the healthiest people (through natural healing, and immune boosting) of small toddlers get these diseases and some not make it. I know stress is not helping, and I'm trying to pray and relax especially when everyone around me are "healthy" in food choices and exercise, but still vaccinate.
Anyway, that is my spill. I guess I'm just looking for like-minded people and to hear/ read about their journeys. We have not been vocal about our decision yet as I don't "argue" well and I'm trying to build up my research. I know I should probably read more of His word than research, but I would have never become educated. This is all very new to me as with my older 2, myself (especially being an EMT), and hubby I never thought twice about vaccines until I was about 7 months pregnant with youngest. Thanks for information and updates! God Bless!
I'm sorry I am just now seeing this!! So many good thoughts here... I am hoping to do a natural medicine cabinet series soon, actually! Keeper of the Home has some good ideas if you check that blog in the meantime. The reason you could consider vaxxing at puberty for the mentioned diseases is that they can have serious repercussions if contracted later (chickenpox is worse as an adult) or while pregnant (rubella can cause fetal birth defects). As for nursing past a year, that's GREAT!! Hopefully by the time you make it to a point where you run out of pumped milk, your baby will to a point of being able to fill in the gap with table food! As for meningitis, it can be deadly, sure, but it can be caused by several germs, viral or bacterial, and the shots don't seem to prevent well enough to make the shots worth their risks. Best bet is strengthening immune system with every illness, keeping kids high in Vitamin D (sunshine!) and C and A, and knowing symptoms of meningitis and being able to seek help if in doubt (main one is a super painful and stiff neck). Good luck and God bless!
ReplyDelete