Friday, July 18, 2008

alternative vaccine schedule considerations and general schedule

As I was updating my alternative vaccine schedule to reflect Thumper's recent vaccines, I started wondering what I'd tell my sister if she were to ask me what vaccines her little ones should get, when she has her little one.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it's such a personal choice once you start going down that route. It's a choice that is based on so many variables that no doctor or government would have time to tailor one for you. Many of it is based on what you think your lifestyle will be like. And also, who would want to assume the liability if they told you to have it one way and your child end up having serious problems from not being vaccinated?

So if my sister were to ask me, the long answer would be a series of questions for her. Questions such as.
  1. How comfortable she would be if her child got sick from an illness that could have been prevented.
  2. How much she thinks vaccines and autism are related.
  3. If she or immediate family and friends have contact with people who will travel overseas, or are planning to travel overseas themselves. And if so, where.
  4. If she is planning to travel to places that may have lots of people.
  5. How long she plans to breastfeed.
  6. When she plans to put the little one in daycare.
  7. How often she or immediate family has contact with others in general, especially during flu seasons.
  8. How often she takes the little one out to public places.
  9. How often the little one has contact with other little ones.
  10. If the little one has siblings or cousins that visit often.
  11. If she practices good hygiene such as washing hands after every diaper change and before every pumping or handling of baby. Covering mouth when coughing. Washing the little ones hands after every outing once they get more mobile.
  12. Family history with allergies.
  13. Where she lives, how much immigrants there are, what the climates are like.
That said, she might be very confused and un-sure of her answer. In which case, I would have her do

DTaP - 2, 4, 6 months. Should not get it together with HIB/HEPb or DTaP.

Rotavirus - Her choice. I skipped. Though she should be careful if she takes her kid to Asia before the age of two as it's prevalent there, especially in winter months. By prevalent I mean, it does result in deaths.

HIB/HEP B - 4 months before child is in situation where others can bite them. So if she's in day care where they're all infants, then she can wait 4 months till biting age. If she's in mixed day care, then 4 months before the oldest gets to biting age. Should not get it together with HIB/HEPb or DTaP.

Pc - 3 months before going overseas or having contacts w/ people who go overseas, especially during winter months. Or 3 months before daycare starts. Should not get it together with HIB/HEPb or DTaP.

Polio - Whenever. 5 months before she's going to go to a country where Polio is endemic if the child is young. For an adult, it's at least 9 month before traveling.

MMR - I will get back to her on that. haha!

Chickenpox - I lean towards no vaccination, but I'll get back to her on that.

Flu - No. Has mercury

Hep A - Don't know either

Meningoccocol - Don't know either.

HPV - Nope. Too new and don't know the side effects.

5 comments:

A said...

"DTaP - 2, 4, 6 months. Should not get it together with HIB/HEPb or DTaP."

Huh?

Smurfette said...

What's so hard to understand? Get the DTaP vaccine at 2, 4, 6 months but don't get it w/ other vaccines....

The Knight Family said...

You say don't get the Hib with the PC? I am wondering why because on Dr. Sears alternative schedule he suggest getting pc and hib at 3,5,7 months. I was planning on doing that. Just curious if there is something I do not know about it.
This was helpful. I like your questions you raise for your sister...It made me really think about them and wonder where you came up with them from. I have been doing some research and have not come across all of those.Insight?

Smurfette said...

Hi

We're only doing 1 vaccine at a time. Both HIB & PC have aluminum in them and my whole point is to lower exposure to it at each time. For us, I'm getting HIB with HepB so that I minimize exposure of aluminum. Because of that, I'm getting HIB and PC on two different shots.

I liked the Sears schedule. It's just that I considered my lifestyle, and talked to my pediatrician and decided not to get it so early. We tried to save the co-pay also and so only got vaccine at each wellness visit.

When I talked to my pedi, she says that she didn't see too many hib in her years of practice. That, coupled with the fact that I knew I was eventually going to go to Asia and that many of my friends are coming from Asia, made me get PC vaccine first.

These questions are just the ones I thought about as I was trying to make my decision. Because of where we live, we actually have a lot of contact with people who come from different countries. I also get news from other countries of disease outbreaks. So to me, I'm not anti-vaccine. But the more I read about them and talk to pedi, the more I realize that it's really dependent on how likely you'd get exposed to something.

Kristin said...

Just found your blog via some bpa search...Wow, your take is 100% the same as my husband and I for our 8 month old son. After doing a lot of reading I agree with the take each vaccine as a separate case. I really like your mention about having the 2nd child means early exposure to some of the diseases. Good thoughts!!