Some parents skip vaccines for kids Families seek exemptions so children can attend school

gainesvilletimes.com ^ | December 12, 2002 | By DEBBIE GILBERT

[krodriguesdc]

Monteleone's 4-year-old daughter, Maria, began developing signs of autism shortly after receiving her fourth DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) shot at the age of 13 months.

"I don't think it's coincidental," said Monteleone. "She was speaking words at nine months. But over the course of six months after getting that shot, she steadily deteriorated and lost all ability to communicate."

[MSCASEY]

Later Read

[netmilsmom]

I just wish there wasn't soooo many of the d*mn things. My daughter had to be held down to get her kindergarten shots and she is the more easy going of the two kids. I dread the thought of the two year old going for them. Sometimes I wonder if the amount of immunizations are directly related to the amount of lobbying by the drug companies. I guess the solution is to homeschool and forget the shots!! I did perfectly ok coming through Chickenpox. Why do my girls need a shot for it???

[Hodar]

"But if vaccine coverage were to fall, those diseases would return," he said, citing cases in Britain, Sweden and Japan, where attempts to cut back on vaccinations resulted in massive epidemics.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Given the larger population and the more laid back lifestyle we all enjoy, keeping ourselves healthy is even more important than it was when we were kids.

[TXBubba]

I agree with you on the chicken-pox shot. I went ahead and had my son take that vaccine in Michigan as they were starting to make it required for school. Either that or proof the kid had already had it before entering. As with all things chicken pox can be dangerous if the case is bad enough and sores open up in the mouth and airway. I do think a person has to go into these things with an educated mindset. I'm sure all these parents have had bad experiences. Does that mean I think we should stop immunizations? No. Personally, I am having to think about the posibility of getting the smallpox vaccine when it is offered. I've never had a problem getting my kids vaccinated but this one is causing me some concern for some reason.

[TXBubba]

Also, I think the reaction of kids to shots has a lot to do with how their parents prepare them for the experience. If Mom and Dad get all worked up then the kid is really going to get worked up. My son did cry with his shots but ONLY when he got them. I didn't make a big deal about them ahead of time. In fact, I told him there would be a little pinch and it would hurt for a little bit but not for long. Of course, he sees me get two allergy shots a week and knows I don't go into convulsions so I think it doesn't worry him much. It is hard on Mom for the babies though.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Re chicken pox: just because a child gets through chicken pox "okay" doesn't mean it's no big deal the child had it. The virus remains in the body and quite often resurfaces as agonizing and recurrent shingles in later life. Don't skip this one, at least not until an easy and reliable cure for shingles is developed.

[luckystarmom]

My twin girls were never bad about shots until after their kindegarten shots. One of my daughters screamed bloody murder before she had to get a flu shot this year. She knew the kindegarten shots hurt.

As for vaccines in general, I think that every parent should really research vaccinations before giving them to their children. One of my daughters had seizures as an infant. We gave her a modified DPT shot. My daughters are occasionally on oral steroids for asthma. This makes them extremely prone to serious complications from chicken pox. Because of this, my kids got the chicken pox vaccine before it was even mandatory.

If I had one child already with autism, I would have to really think about (and research) getting subsequent children vaccinated. They can't prove that there is a connection between autism and vaccines, but they also can't disprove it.

[TXBubba]

My concern about the shot was exactly this. They aren't sure the vaccine doesn't lead to the shingles later in life. So, while we might be preventing our kids from the disease in childhood we could be assuring them of the shingles in adulthood. That is the question I had on that vaccine.

[TXBubba]

Something must be different in Texas regarding "kindergarten shots". My son had his "last" round of shots at his 4 year old well child appt. They said he was done until age 10 or 14 or something. Are these the same shots only given later in other states?

[knuthom]

Monteleone's 4-year-old daughter, Maria, began developing signs of autism shortly after receiving her fourth DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) shot at the age of 13 months.

But after her daughter, Alyssa, had a near-fatal reaction to a DTaP booster two years ago, she's convinced that vaccines pose a danger.

All vaccines do not pose the same risk. The DTaP has been associated with more problems. I found this out when my son had a severe reaction after his second shot. I was told by the health department not to get him any more, but to get just the DT shot. I have followed that advice for my next two children as well.

[krodriguesdc]

they assured us all that this was a safe vaccine back then...

only when children started to get hurt did they retract that...

what's it going to take before the medical establishment comes to grips with reality and accepts the fact that parents have a right to make choices for their children!

every parent should have the right to just say NO to any medical procedure that is thrust upon their children!

[John H K]

If I had one child already with autism, I would have to really think about (and research) getting subsequent children vaccinated. They can't prove that there is a connection between autism and vaccines, but they also can't disprove it.

They can't disprove a connection between autism and baby food. So clearly parents should clearly think about not feeding their kids at all.

And it's untrue that a connection between autism and vaccines can't be disproved. Every serious large scale study can't find a link at all; that constitutes "disproving" in my book.

The real problem here is vaccines have been so wonderful for so long parents don't have the foggiest clue how horrifying childhood communicable diseases are.

[luckystarmom]

There is definitely a genetic link to autism. One possibility is that the vaccines start some genetic trigger in these kids.

A child will die if they don't eat food. I would say the benefit outweighs the risk in your example.

The benefit a vaccine provides may not be worth the risk in a family with autism.

Right now, it is all theory. No one knows, but I don't know if I would be taking chances if I already had an autistic kid.

There has been one study in England (I think) that showed a link between autism and vaccines, but that study was very, very flawed.

I have a child with cerebral palsy. We know exactly what caused her brain damage. I'm in a lot of groups with other special needs kids, and most of them have autism. I don't agree with a lot of their thinking. A lot of them are totally against vaccines. I love vaccines because I have daughters who could die from chicken pox and would likely die from pertussis.

I just think every parents needs to weigh the benefits vs the risks.

We will not be getting the smallpox vaccine unless we are exposed because my daughter has eczema. She is at high risk of having complications from the vaccine. The benefits do not outweigh the risks at this point in time.

[Physicist]

The real problem here is vaccines have been so wonderful for so long parents don't have the foggiest clue how horrifying childhood communicable diseases are.

Ding! Ding! Ding! That's exactly the crux of the matter. These diseases used to wipe out entire families of children, commonly. Even if all cases of autism are caused by these vaccines, they're still an incalculable boon for mankind.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I've never heard of the vaccine leading to shingles (though perhaps there is some research indicating that it might, and I just haven't heard about it), but having the chicken pox disease definitely puts one at risk for later shingles.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I've never heard of the vaccine leading to shingles (though perhaps there is some research indicating that it might, and I just haven't heard about it), but having the chicken pox disease definitely puts one at risk for later shingles.

[TXBubba]

I just heard the smallpox and eczema connection on the news tonight. My husband's family has a history or eczema. I think it is passed through the mother's side. Although my husband doesn't have it himself, I am concerned that one of our kids could carry the gene. Now I have even more to think about.

[TXBubba]

Guess we will find out when my son grows up. I haven't decided how to handle it with my daughter yet. I don't know where Texas stands on it yet.

[luckystarmom]

Talk to your doctors. My daughter has bad eczema. She also had a very severe reaction to a virus called molluscum. It's a type of pox virus that usually creates a couple of pox marks on people. She developed 100s all over her legs.

I think she has a low immune system. She always gotten sick a lot and she almost died when she was a baby.