Question to non or delayed vaxers - don't worry, not another pro or anti vax debate!

[LizLemon]

Hi all

My DS has been fully vaxed (except for the chicken pox), and he is fine and has had no adverse reactions.

I have always been pro vax but as I'm reading more my faith in the concept is shaking. This new bub is due in July and obviously I will be pretty soon after that be faced with the first lot of shots.

My question to anyone who doesn't or delays vax, has your behaviour in relation to your child and the outside world changed because you haven't vaxed? What I mean by this is, are you heaps more cautious, do you avoid doing certain things etc.

I am tempted to delay the first lot of shots but then I imagine I will never leave the house for fear of bub being exposed to whooping cough. Do any of you feel this way, or am I imagining that the risk of either (a) exposure to the bug or (b) the medical outcomes to bub?

I'm really interested in and grateful for your thoughts, so TIA.

[Yeddi]

I guess I have done things a little differently. Before I started looking into things I was of the old opinion that vaccinated meant immune, and that kids couldn't catch the disease because they were vaccinated. I'm now more aware, so have asked for my DD, even though vaccinated, to be treated as though she is unvaccinated by her school. In other words, if there is an outbreak of whooping cough at her school, I'm happy for her to stay home and not put her in the firing line because people wrongly think vaccinated kids can't catch and spread the diseases they are vaccinated against and send them to school when sick. I'm far more aware of quarantine for BOTH of my children, the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, and am more likely to enforce it.

But as for my unvaccinated son. No, I don't do anything differently. I do the same things, see the same people - that sort of thing.

[LizLemon]

Thanks Yeddi for your response. I agree, I would want DS to be treated as a "non-vaxer" in that instance too. Can I ask then, if you don't do anything differently with your unvaccinated son, is it because you trust the people around you to tell you when they are sick, or you believe the actual exposure/catching rate to be less than what the hype would have you believe, or you have faith in his body to be able to fight any problems?

I just need to know if I am more scared of the big bad bug world than I need to be, or if I just don't have faith in anyone around me to tell me they are sick (which is the case unfortunately) etc.

[Mummato2]

For us we choose to NOT use any form of Daycare - and we are in a position that I don't need to.

We also let other mums with new babies that we are coming in contact with know that we don't vaccinate (this is more for them than us - I find some people are misinformed and get worried that our kids will pass on all sorts of germs)

We did keep our children from being handled excessively in the first year - mainly for things like whooping cough - and we were 'lucky' in the sense that they never got anything more than a headcold.

Homeopathic vaccination is a great alternative - we use this. The point is to get the immune system in the most optimal health so that the body fights whatever it gets effectively.

We are probably a bit more cautious when arranging playdates with other kids - if they have clear or green snot or have had a temp we ALWAYS reschedule because that's how most things (little or big) start.

But in all honestly with the exception of watching the general wellness of those that are handling bub and keeping unnecessary handling to a minimum, our life hasn't really changed......i'd also assume that vaxxing mummas would do the same anyway because vaccination doesn't mean exemption from illness

[Yeddi]

Can I ask then, if you don't do anything differently with your unvaccinated son, is it because you trust the people around you to tell you when they are sick, or you believe the actual exposure/catching rate to be less than what the hype would have you believe, or you have faith in his body to be able to fight any problems?

Firstly, these are just my opinions and what works for us. I'm going to go with option A and C and I'll give you a D.
So for A: For me it's a fairly easy decision because I live a fairly quiet life, I generally prefer my own company or that of my family (gatherings normally have about 12 people or more, so not small), but I would know if they weren't well, or had been off. I try to make it so that we spend the bulk of our time at home, apart from the school run, we only go out 2-3 times a week anywhere else at most. He doesn't get handled by other people than family that often.
For C: I do have quite a strong belief in his body to fight of sickness. Most of my friends who have had kids at the same time have already had one or two colds, that often last for about a week. They think this is pretty normal - I do not. DS is 8 months and has just had his first runny nose. DD and I have had colds this last week, so I thought he was coming down too but it hasn't eventuated. I'm now unsure if it was actually just related to teething as it only lasted 2 days and since the day after he has the typical red cheek. He's yet to be sick, even though the rest of the family did catch whooping cough when he was only 2 months old. It was a rubber meets the road time where I questions myself, but it wasn't an issue for us.

D: It takes a little from option B. I think some of the diseases aren't as likely to be caught by my child - polio, diptheria, hep b. There are others I also don't think are the boogey man they are made out to be unless said person who catches it has an underlying condition or issue - measles, mumps, chicken pox. The main ones that I think are the threat they are said to be is Tetanus and Whooping Cough. But the WC vax misses many strains and is mostly passed through long exposure to adults, vaccinating babies for it is the wrong target IMO. The tetanus is the only vaccine (with vaccinations current formulas) I would consider to get a vax for, but as my little man is not mobile at the moment I haven't made any decisions on that one in particular yet. If I did do it, I wouldn't do it until after two year old and I would do a blood test and stool test to check his immunity first.

[skybie]

most cases of whooping cough stem from the parents and/ or gandparents affedted with it, not the outside world
My children dont have sex or share needles with anyone that has hepatitis B either.
Do your reasearch, decide what level of exposure risk u and your children have, look into the actual diseases your children are being vacced for, then decide what u want to do

[LizLemon]

For us we choose to NOT use any form of Daycare - and we are in a position that I don't need to.

We also let other mums with new babies that we are coming in contact with know that we don't vaccinate (this is more for them than us - I find some people are misinformed and get worried that our kids will pass on all sorts of germs)

We did keep our children from being handled excessively in the first year - mainly for things like whooping cough - and we were 'lucky' in the sense that they never got anything more than a headcold.

Homeopathic vaccination is a great alternative - we use this. The point is to get the immune system in the most optimal health so that the body fights whatever it gets effectively.

We are probably a bit more cautious when arranging playdates with other kids - if they have clear or green snot or have had a temp we ALWAYS reschedule because that's how most things (little or big) start.

But in all honestly with the exception of watching the general wellness of those that are handling bub and keeping unnecessary handling to a minimum, our life hasn't really changed......i'd also assume that vaxxing mummas would do the same anyway because vaccination doesn't mean exemption from illness

Thanks Mummato2 - I'm going to start researching homeopathic vac. I'm still not sure either way but best I arm myself with as much info as possible. Re the assuming vaxxing mums would do the same - I certainly do. Although with DS I at least feel a bit of comfort for him that he likely has LESS chance of catching something that he's been vaxxed for, and that if he does the illness is likely to be less severe. But I am very careful if I think he is sick around other people's kids. Others aren't quite as considerate!

[LizLemon]

most cases of whooping cough stem from the parents and/ or gandparents affedted with it, not the outside world
My children dont have sex or share needles with anyone that has hepatitis B either.
Do your reasearch, decide what level of exposure risk u and your children have, look into the actual diseases your children are being vacced for, then decide what u want to do

Yeah I know re the grandparents and parents - DH and I have both had whooping cough jab, as has my mum. Dad can't as he is allergic to tetanus. As for the in-laws I don't know that I can quite force them and I'm not sure they are on the same page as me as to illness and precautions.

Hepatitis we refused at birth. I guess it's just whooping cough that I'm really afraid of...

[HotI]

I guess it's just whooping cough that I'm really afraid of...

The whooping cough vaccine doesn't cover all strains of the virus that cause the disease so whether the child is vaccinated or not the child is still at risk and therefore protective mechanisms should be used.

[LizLemon]

The whooping cough vaccine doesn't cover all strains of the virus that cause the disease so whether the child is vaccinated or not the child is still at risk and therefore protective mechanisms should be used.

Yeah I know - why can't anything be easy!!