julia - max gets 10 points for working you out so quickly though... *pictures max on chaise pointing at something* "fetch, mummy!"

ange - i flagged hep b and hib from the beginning. rotavirus gave him a strong reaction so flagged that too. later after reading up on dr sears (most unbiased i can find) i decided that i will follow an alternative vax schedule. sears also is the one who says breastfed, stay-at-home babies are low risk, so there is more latitude to pick and choose what you will and won't have, although every mum can choose when!! (in japan, they don't do any until 2 years of age)

i chose infanrix as the safest one (which i'm assured is mercury-free).

some say it is the mercury that is linked with autism. others say that it's because babies get something like 38 vax before 18 months (in these combined shots). some mothers noticed it after the MMR and blamed MMR, although it's more likely they noticed it because MMR is the big one at the end.

one reason to separate out MMR and others (such as this dreadful new hexa) is because certain paediatricians believe a small body having to detoxify so many chemicals at once increases the incidence of side effects. dr sears says that to get a 6-in-one vax, they must alter the list of ingredients to make a suitable carrier (so all 6 fit together with some stability). this is what i don't want in my sons body.

i am the boss round here, so i choose what he gets and what he doesn't, even if i have to pay for it. severe mumps infection can cause permanent sterility in little boys, so that is one i will get. the measles and what not were infections i had as a kid, and where infections won't be fatal, i choose to let james get natural immunity, should it occur. (i also had real chicken pox and it wasn't exactly boogedy).

(should add, my dad was a doctor and he only gave us DTP).

james will probably get the hep B shot at 12 years old... just before he starts getting curious about things that could cause him grief (and when he's big enough to process it).

this is my two cents. i know plenty of people just vax to the schedule. i choose not to - maybe i'm a troublemaker, maybe i wouldn't want anything done to this child that i wouldn't want done to me.

:hurrumph:

anyway - god, who asked me?? *trails off*

in the end - everyone needs to do the research and make their own decisions. those are just the reasons for mine