Ness27, as of April 2007 (when i stopped reading, having made my decision) there were no scientific studies which indicated there was anything to be gained by delaying MMR vaccination, or any possibility of harm from the vaccination. I'm not talking about online opinion, anecdotal evidence or magazine articles, only scientific studies in respected medical journals (my personal preference for research). Younger children are more at risk of severe injury or death from measles. Mumps and rubella are generally less risky for tots and can be delayed if you wish (you'd need to opt for the seperate vax, rather than the combined MMR, and delay the rubella and mumps ones) but should be given before puberty as mumps in a pubescent male can cause permenant infertility and rubella in a pregnant woman is disastrous for the baby.

All one can do is read, research, check. Parenting, like life, is a balancing act. When i have #2 i will re-do all of my research, because something new might have happened, some new evidence might have come to light. As things stand i decided to vaccinate because there are many many risks from the illnesses they vaccines protect against, and zero scientifically demonstrated long-temr risks from taking them. I will not vax #2 because i vaxed #1. Other people have done other research and come to different conclusions - that's their lookout.

To me it is pointless to list the ingredients in the vaccines here - how many of us are biochemists who design vaccines? How many of us can say what is or is not needed in a vaccine? These people (i know some) have usually done 7-12 years at university - it is not a science one can learn on the internet. Just because we don't know why something is in a vaccine, or don't like the look of something, doesn't mean anything. The spermicidal lubricant is a perfect example - pick an irrelevant use for something and then use that to describe it! I know a premmie baby who was dying due to a circulation problem. Her life was saved by VIAGRA, her mother didn't say "no, that's for male impotence! Don't give it!". Most biochemical substances have more than one possible application, and i'll bet that ingredient has an application within the vaccine solution that is NOT about killing sperm!

I knew a little girl who died of measles in 1986. These diseases might be much rarer, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous.

Bx