Routine vaccine for your kids??

[MissJo]

Just wondering if anyone has any info on whether it is a good idea to continue rountin childhood vaccinations once a parent (i.e. me) has been dx with MS? Mine only have the last ones left at 4.5 yrs, second round of ones they had when they were younger. So since they had the first dose already, maybe it really doesn't matter. I can't find any good answers anywhere. At least not good enough for a crazy, overprotective, paranoid mother like me. All I've been told is continue as normal.

I'm most concerned with the MMR as it is a live vaccine. From what I can read, there is no real link to MS...but what if you're somewhat genetically predisposed due to a parent's dx? I know it's not really hereditary - but chances do go up in your kids from 1 to 3%....or so my neuro tells me.

Maybe I am being overly cautious and ridiculous....my dh tell me so!

Thanks.

[SNOOPY]

MissJo,

I strongly believe in childhood vaccinations. My children were born after I was dx'd and they have had all of their vaccinations.

I do not believe childhood vaccinations has anything to do with MS. Protect your children...vaccinate.

My opinion.

[mjan]

I hear your concerns for your children... of course.
And that concern only makes you a wonderful mother.

If I were having children now. I would definitely space out the shots. The vacines they give now are many more than when I had children. To me, the preservatives that is in question I believe. I know, I have reacted to the flu shot so now do not take it. I never get sick though.. I am older and worked in public health too long. I just have a lot of chronic illnesses.

There are books you can read about to guide you as a parent on whether to vaccine or not. A lot of the research/answers for many medications and vaccines is sponsored by drug companies..for the good..and for not so good in my opinion. Sometimes the side effects are worse than what its treating you for, I believe.

Be informed..get as much information as you can.
Let you kids be kids though.. I know you are.

Good luck to YOU too.

Jan

[Kj]

I also firmly believe in vaccinating children. Although there is some evidence that viruses may be associated with MS, I do not believe that vaccines would be in any way related.

The research suggests that some with MS may have experienced a flu or flu-like virus immediately preceeding the onset of MS symptoms. Vaccines do not seem (to me) to be related to this effect.

Good luck.
Kj

[Jennyfoo]

The only reason to avoid live vaccines are if you, yourself are taking the vaccine, and you are immunosupressed or immunocompromised. I can't have live vaccines because I'm on Humira for my RA-type arthritis. My kids can have live vaccines though. I checked.

Please do not let heresay prevent you from protecting your children and any children who would come in contact with your children if they got one of the diseases that we have vaccines for.

There have been many more outbreaks of measles and other life-threatening diseases since people have erroneously linked vaccines to autism, which has been scientifically debunked. Fearmongering has cost the lives of children who not only went unvaccinated by the choice of their parents, but also babies who were not fully protected from these horrible diseases. This is a hot-button issue of mine, as the mother of a child with autism. I don't like the scare tactics used in the name of the disorder my daughter has(and I likely have too). Genetics are the #1 factor in autism susceptibility.

[rosepetals]

I am a RN and won't ever take another vaccine.

My son almost died from the pertussis vaccine. He turned blue, stopped breathing, was cold.

I developed MS symptoms almost immediately after getting the Hepatitis A and B vaccines in College for the RN program.

I always get sick from the flu shot when I used to get it. Immediate spiked a fever for days. More severe than doing without it.

There is a relationship between receiving the shots and neurological injury. Type in a search for the vaccine and the hazards or simular wording and you will see the relationship.

The hep. vaccine is known to cause transverse myelitis and MS. There is a relationship with autisim and vaccines.

It is a risk or personal choice you have to make. I prefer not to have fetus and dead animals injected into my bloodstream. The preservatives are also very dangerous.

But, it is ultimately the parents choice. There are many good books that tell the history of vaccines. Polio was already on its way out by the time they came up with the vaccine. They found people who had a diet high in sugar and had their tonsils out were the ones who tended to come down with it.

[QuickType]

There is a relationship with autisim and vaccines.

I don't believe that has been proven. A lot of people believe there is a link, and there's a lot of talk online about it.

Just to show that everyone's experience and viewpoint is different, my experience with vaccines is almost exactly the opposite of rosepetals' post.

My young daughter has experienced no concerning side effects or symptoms after any of her vaccinations.

I had all my vaccinations as a child and I don't remember any MS/neurologic symptoms growing up.

I had the hepatitis series almost 10 years before I even had any symptoms and never experienced a problem.

I had several flu shots with no problems at all.

Now, obviously, it can't be proven that the shots I received either did or did not cause MS. My siblings got the same shots I did and none of them have any neurological issues or serious health problems.

I am just saying that experiences and opinions differ, and you should consider all sides before making such an important decision.

[Pharm Girl]

I developed MS symptoms almost immediately after getting the Hepatitis A and B vaccines in College for the RN program.

I was diagnosed with MS after receiving the 2nd set of Hep B vaccines for pharmacy school - I had MS symptoms after the first set and after the 2nd set I was having a full blown MS attack (I guess it was a relapse since I had sx after the 1st set). I did not have to receive the final/3rd set as my neuro wrote me a letter saying I couldn't have them.

I too am nervous about vaccines and have had the same questions. Awhile back I saw a program where the physician recommended that parents in this situation may want to consider scaling back on the vaccines - that is, not getting them all at once like they tend to do, but spacing them out. Keep up with the research and talk to several physicians before you make a decision. While I am not interested in getting anymore vaccines (but I'm 30) I would want my children protected.

[MissJo]

Thank you for all the replies. I have thought about this until my arms went numb...I think the stress of it all was getting to me! I finally decided to go ahead with the shots but I am spacing them. DTap today, went as good as can be expected. I will wait to see my family doc to discuss my concerns about the MMR but will likely be doing that too (since he already had his first dose and since there is an outbreak of measles in my city). I feel a bit better that they won't both be given at once. I just want to do what's best for my kids, as I am sure we all do. Thanks again, I found all the replies helpful.

[MelissaQ]

I am an RN and I do believe in children being vaccinated.
I went to a pedatrician when my 2 oldest were very young that didn't give the pertussis vaccine (it was before the dTap), otherwise he gave all the other vaccinations. My middle child ended up with whooping cough. She was soooo sick and it was very scary.

Having said that though, I developed MS symptoms after graduating nursing school and becoming a nurse. I had to get 2 series of Hepatitis B in the span of a few years and when I got hired at the hospital I work at I was told I needed an MMR. Which I got, and my MS symptoms started shortly after. Not like within days or weeks, but maybe more like a few months. So maybe that doesn't mean anything but it makes me wonder.

[Jenny3838]

I too had my first presentation 10 days after a tetanus shot. Therefore, I can never get another vaccine including the flu shot. Fine with me.

I was diagnosed with MS after receiving the 2nd set of Hep B vaccines for pharmacy school - I had MS symptoms after the first set and after the 2nd set I was having a full blown MS attack (I guess it was a relapse since I had sx after the 1st set). I did not have to receive the final/3rd set as my neuro wrote me a letter saying I couldn't have them.

I too am nervous about vaccines and have had the same questions. Awhile back I saw a program where the physician recommended that parents in this situation may want to consider scaling back on the vaccines - that is, not getting them all at once like they tend to do, but spacing them out. Keep up with the research and talk to several physicians before you make a decision. While I am not interested in getting anymore vaccines (but I'm 30) I would want my children protected.

[ScutFarkus]

Get those vaccines!

Please, get those vaccines!

Vaccines are exceptionally safe, especially compared to the diseases they protect against. The claimed dangers of MMR, multiple vaccines, thimerosal, etc. have been reviewed extensively and repeatedly failed to be supported by facts.

There was a fairly recent Frontline called "The Vaccine Wars" that covers the situation pretty well. You can view it online from this link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/vaccines/view/

It's important to remember that just because one thing seems to happen after the other thing, that doesn't prove that the first thing caused the second. So anecdotes from people who had MS symptoms or started walking backwards or whatever after getting a vaccine really don't prove anything. These types of anecdotes can be an indication that a possible relationship should be investigated, but don't let them stop you from getting vaccinated.

You can find a lot of good information on the Internet, but you can also find at least as much bad information. While every voice may deserve expression, not all opinions should be given equal weight when you're considering what you read.

/Scut

[onlyairfare]

I do volunteer humanitarian aid work in the Third World, and I can assure you that measles, mumps, diphtheria, polio, meningitis and a host of other diseases are not "on the way out." They remain widespread where kids aren't vaccinated, and still cause many fatalities. We are experiencing measles outbreaks in the US again too, now that unfounded hysteria has caused some parents to refuse vaccination for their kids.

I have seen children die from measles. I have seen immune-suppressed adults die from whooping cough they caught from a grandchild or child who just had "bronchitis." The healthy individual didn't die from whooping cough, but the grandmother they infected (or the incompletely immunized baby sibling) did die. Please, unless there is a serious contra-indication like immune suppression, get your kids vaccinated.

I have a number of adult friends who now have post-polio syndrome threatening their livelihood and even their lives today. They didn't die from polio when they were kids, but now it is coming back to get them. They were unfortunate enough to get polio before the vaccine became available.

Many people nowadays are to young to know or recall the 1950's when everyone was afraid to go to the swimming pool in the summer lest they catch polio. They have forgotten the kids who had to live for years in an iron lung because of polio. It's a terrible disease, and totally unnecessary to get it now that it's preventable by vaccine.

We're "victims of our own success." No one remembers all who were crippled or died from these diseases, so we think vaccines to prevent them are not necessary any more.

[rdmc]

Having said that though, I developed MS symptoms after graduating nursing school and becoming a nurse. I had to get 2 series of Hepatitis B in the span of a few years and when I got hired at the hospital I work at I was told I needed an MMR. Which I got, and my MS symptoms started shortly after. Not like within days or weeks, but maybe more like a few months. So maybe that doesn't mean anything but it makes me wonder.

My MS symptoms kicked in shortly after getting the Hep B series of vaccine (I worked in a dental office and it was required.) So, in light of that, we refused the Hep B vaccine for our son...got all the others, including some not on the "normal" list because we traveled to some countries that required other vaccines. In fact, our son also got BCG vaccine when we were living abroad.

That being said, a few years ago I had the pneumonia vaccine and had an awful relapse, so I've sort of sworn off vaccines for myself.