Oh wow, this one always brings up lots of emotions, and rightly so!
I have been a fence sitter on the immunisation debate for many many years. I have seen first hand children have dreadful reactions to childhood immunisations. I have also seen first hand children die of 'preventable diseases'. So, please know that I don't sit on the fence because of indifference. I would challenge anyone to say there is a simple answer here. I have poured over this subject and seen many 'studies' some very much in support of immunisation and others very much the other way. None of them changed my fence sitting position! I firmly have imbedded in my mind the picture of a child dying from pertussis (whooping cough) and I also have seen the trauma of a child deteriorate rapidly from a rare complication of a vaccine. I have seen the plight of children in third world countries who don't have vaccinations and come back fully believing in the need for them. I have sat with a mother who's child's "lights went out" after a vaccination and felt the torture - maybe it was coincidence maybe it was very rare but that was all irrelevant to this woman...
We live in a very different society to what we lived in 100 years ago. We have soap, warm water, safe drinking water, access to medical support, nutritious food and importantly access to information and education. Some cultures dont' support submitting their children to vaccination at birth or even in the first year. Is it Japan who dont offer routine immunisations until 18 months? I think it is but correct me someone if I am wrong.
Someone here mentioned feeling angered by a friends comment that she felt her child was too precious to be immunised. I hear how that may cause you to feel anger. However, we do need to remember that to immunise is a choice. Overwhelmingly people choose not to from fear and they choose to from fear. Niether side is operating any differently.
I took my daughter to be immunised at 12 months. I decided that hopefully after being breastfed solely for 8 months and then with the continuation of breastfeeding that her immune system would be strong. I used other alternative therapies to support her body and took her to be immunised. She screamed non stop for 6 hours. She had a febrile convulsion and vomited a number of times within this time frame. I was frantic. I arrived at a paediatrician who a friend got me into. His advice was she was one of the rarities - she had had a reaction. She was hospitalised. There has been no long term affects that we know of. She did not have the pertussis component which is thought the main 'culprit' for reactions. It was advised that no further immunisations happen until she reached 2 and was 'probably more able to withstand the affects".
Now, this story is mine and for every one like mine there are a hundred who don't look back and maybe 1 or 2 that are worse. I am a medical person I know the stats. However, my child was too precious to me to put through that before one year of age. Too precious after seeing the worst and best of both sides. That doesn't make any one elses child less precious it just means as her mama I just couldn't do it.
I havae never used child care so the immunisation issue never was an issue with childcare. Never once has Ruby been asked to stay home from school when an outbreak of measles, mumps etc has occured. Interestingly she and three of her unimunised friends did not contract measles, or chicken pox when it went through her class at preschool/school. Many of her immunised buddies did contract a milder dose. Ruby was fully immunised by 6.
My son is 6 in a few weeks and has had a few immunisations and will complete them by the end of this year. My two little girls are 2 and 3 and will begin to be immunised at 5 like their sister and brother.
I think it is important to remember that we all do our very very best for our kiddies. I would walk over burning coals for mine as all of you would for yours. We make our choices based on our life experience, our gut instincts and our education.
Flowerchild, thank you for your post. I think that is a very educated and balanced opinion and I totally agree that we all make what we believe to be the right decision. I think it is impossible to know for sure what "the right" thing is, so the best we can do is educate ourselves and make the decision that feels right for us. If only it were simpler!!
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