On delayed vaccination schedules:

This is forefront in my mind right now because we just had Kian's 12 month appointment and again are (still) vaccine free. They are mostly willing to just let me be and make my decisions. They haven't really pressured me at this point to do anything, which is nice. I, straight up, told the NP that I first delayed because of my own reactions as a child, I am not in the "Autism is caused by vaccine" camp, (although I think there are connections) and now my opposition is to the chemicals, aborted fetal tissues and mouse tissues that are in vaccines. She didn't say much, just said okay, let them know where I'm at with it next visit. It's nice to not be pressured, although I'm sure they talk about the 'wacky mom' after I leave.

Anyways, I've been doing more research about the delayed vaccine schedule. Obviously, Kian would be severely delayed in his vaccine schedule even if I were to start now. That is not the point. The point is that this delay or spacing out of vaccines is wonderful and I want to share it for everyone else! It gives parents who may not know a lot about vaccines, who are nervous about them, but do want vaccines, to get some help and not overload their child's system. Dr. Sears' "The Vaccine Book" is the best bet, but others out there are sharing their schedules, based on this book, along with tips to help vaccines go smoothly with both child and parent.

First, tips for the best possible immunization outcome:
*When you do get them vaxed, dose them up on probiotics before and after. (I'll do a post on probiotics soon, Kian and I take them daily!)

*Make sure your kid is "abundantly healthy" on vax day - postpone if your kid is ill, might be coming down with something, has a fever or is recovering (within the last two weeks) from illness.

*Make absolutely sure that the vax is new and has no thimerosal!

*If your kid can take supplements, Vitamins A, C, and Zinc can be used as immune boosters, starting up to two weeks before and going up to two weeks after shots are received.

*Try for one-at-a-time (he recommends spacing the MMR, for example).

*Monitor for any symptoms of illness after vaccination carefully. (if your child was ill when they received the vaccine you won't know if it's from a virus, an allergy, or the vaccine. ANY symptom out of the ordinary should be noted and watched!)

*If your child has any adverse reactions, by all means postpone until they're older and their immune system is more developed.

*If the child is experiencing any allergy symptoms (such as seasonal/pet allergies), postpone the shots until symptoms have subsided.

*Hep B on the day of birth is only appropriate if the mom is Hep B positive. (I skipped this because my newborn was not a drug addict or promiscuous sexual being!)

*If your child has food allergies or you suspect food allergies, eggs and yeast can be present in some vaccines, which should be avoided by children allergic to those substances. (probiotics help control and regulate yeast in the intestines and body)

*If you breastfeed, by all means continue through the vax schedule - it will definitely help their immune system.

*Research! and be assertive as the parent of your child.

Symptoms of Reactions: For a child it may vary from soreness, simple rash, fever, diarrhea, projectile vomiting, lack of appetite, sleepiness, crying or malaise. In more advanced cases the infant may cry uncontrollably, scream for hours, or just stare into space. The child may lose motor control and not be able to sit, crawl or walk. In even worse cases brain damage, mental deficiency or death. *for inconsolable crying lasting more than 3-4 hours, high fever, loss of skills, any neurological symptoms, get help right away! call doctor with any oddities, unusual symptoms!

Why:
Here's why spacing them out, or giving one at a time, separating combos (separating shots like measles one time, mumps one time and rubella another instead of the straight MMR shot): if your child reacts at all, even slightly, to one of these vaccines that are a combo shot, or when he's received at least 4 pokes on the same day, HOW are you going to know WHICH one caused the reaction? It's an overload to the system. A newborn has some antibodies from mom, especially if breastfeeding, but putting 4-8 virus in his tiny 10 lb body all at once will cause his immune system to freak out.

Delayed schedules:
Dr. Sears' recommended (and very popular) schedule:
2 mo DTaP, Prevnar
4 mo DTaP, Hib
6 mo Hib, Prevnar
9 mo DTaP, Prevnar
12 mo Hib
15 mo Hib, Prevnar
5 years Tetanus booster
Recommends giving them only 1 or 2 at a time to decrease the chances of side effects, use of Vitamins A and C prior to and after the shots to help decrease the chances of a reaction.

Meningitis and Pertussis to be the most possible and most serious for infants. He considered Meningitis possible AND serious for toddlers, but rare beyond age 2.

Polio, heb b, diptheria, and tetanus as diseases that are very serious, but that your young child would NOT catch them.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella as rare and not serious for infants and toddlers.

Chickenpox to be common and not serious.

If you plan to travel outside the US, that the following shots were important, Polio- Africa and Asia: Tetanus- wounds more likely on vacation, and less access to a shot while traveling

Ask for blood tests to see if the teen had developed natural immunity already to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chicken Pox.

*Hib, rare but serious meningitis. safe ingredients, side effects minimal, no mercury, rated 4/5 score , recommended
*DTaP, pertussis serious under age 1, side effects minimal, beef extract the only worry, tripedia vaccine is low mercury in single vial dose (less than .3 micrograms). recommended for pertussis, 4/5 score recommended
*Prevnar, common and serious meningitis, safe ingredients, more chance of side effects, 4/5 score recommended
*MMR, disease usually mild in kids, fairly rare, side effects and ingredients considerable, 50 cases of Measles per year in CA, rubella shot can cause arthritis in women, this shot has the most serious side effect profile. 1/5 score (essentially saying, there's no good reason to give this to your child)
*Heb B, STD, rare in kids, but serious if caught, side effects considerable, ingredients safe, does contain residual formaldehyde, kids 2/5 score, (again no good reason to give to your child)
*Chicken pox, disease mild but common, side effects and ingredients considerable, used to have 55 deaths per year, disease waning, kids 2/5 score, (not entirely necessary)
*Polio, diseases not in Western Hemisphere, side effects safe, but ingredients questionable, 2/5 score (not entirely necessary for your child)


"SortaCrunchy" has a helpful list on her blog about the delayed schedule.
1.Hep B-Delay until the year before starting school, although we may consider starting the series as early as two and half if we are considering preschool at the time.
Hib4 mo, 6 mo, 8 mo, 17 mo
IPV4 mo, 6 mo, 8 mo, 17 mo (booster at 4 years)
DtaP5 mo, 7 mo, 9 mo, 15 or 18 mo (booster at 4 years)
Pneumococcal (PREVNAR)one dose at age 2
Varicela (Varivax)Age four, if at all
MMRMumps – 15 mo Rubella – 27 mo Measles – 39 mo Booster – age 5

2.DTaP (only Daptecel brand with no cow extract and a smaller dose of the pertussis component)- 2,4,6,18 months (booster at 4 years)
Prevnar and HIB- 3,5,7,15 months
IPV-9,12,24 months (booster at 4 years)
Mumps (by itself)- 12 months
Rubella (by itself)- 2 years
Measles- (by itself)- 3 years(boosters at 5 for MMR after titers have been checked)
Hep B (and possibly A)- probably start at 2 1/2
Chickenpox- not doing until grade school

Chew on this:
If a “dirty bomb” exposed a large segment of US citizens simultaneously to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenza B, three strains of polio viruses, 3 strains of influenza viruses, measles, mumps, and rubella viruses, the chickenpox virus, and 7 strains of Streptococcus bacteria, we would declare a national emergency. We would call it an “extreme act of BIOTERRORISM”. The public outcry would be immense and our government would act accordingly.
And yet, those are the very organisms that we inject through vaccines into our babies and our small children, with immature, underdeveloped immune systems. Many are given all at the same time. But instead of bioterrorism, we call it “protection.” Reflect a moment on that irony. ~Dr. Sheri Tenpenny

Final thoughts:

1. Low infection rates and high vaccination rates should not be the cornerstone of our public health policy. Vaccine reactions should not be discounted, whatever their numbers. Further, the true cost-benefit of the vaccination program must be considered, and what has been presented is barely the tip of the iceberg.

2. Parents, and all adults, must retain their right to refuse vaccines. They are not without risk, and those “rare” complications can result in significant costs, both economic and in terms of human life.

3. Children, and all adults, who refuse to be vaccinated are being discriminated against. They are losing their rights:
a. Rights and access to a public education.
b. Rights to access to health care, as doctors discharge them as patients.
c. Rights to food because often moms on Medicaid are refused food stamps.

These rights—including the right to refuse—must be ensured.
When we give government the power to make medical decisions for us—and force us to vaccinate and medicate our children in the name “health” and “policy” and for “the greater good” we, in essence, accept that the state owns our bodies, and, apparently, our children.
Dr. Sheri Tenpenny