One of the main arguments I keep hearing used to justify complying with the mandatory vaccine schedule for pre-school children is, “Well, we were all vaccinated, so what’s the big deal?”
It’s true that I was vaccinated in accordance with the CDC’s schedule at the time. Here’s my pre-school vaccination history:
When I was two months old, I got a shot of DTP and a shot of OPV. At my four month well visit, I was given a second shot of DTP and a second shot of OPV. At my six month well visit, I was given a third dose of DTP. Then I was good for awhile until at fifteen months, I was given the MMR. Three months later at 18 months, I was given another round of both the OPV and the DTP. At four years old, I was given another dose of the DTP and of the OPV. Then, I was ready for kindergarten.
My daughter’s mandatory vaccine schedule, had I not opted out of most of it for health reasons, would have looked quite a bit different. Here is her ideal vaccination schedule to start kindergarten according to the CDC:
My daughter would have first been exposed to the influenza vaccine while still gestating within me. Then, fresh from the womb, before being released from the hospital, she was supposed to get the Hep B vaccine. Four weeks later, she was supposed to get a second Hep B vaccine. At a mere two months old, when I was getting my first two immunizations, my daughter was supposed to the DTaP vaccine, the Hib vaccine, the IPV vaccine, the PCV vaccine and the Rotavirus vaccine. Two months later, at her four month well visit, she was supposed to get another dose of the DTaP vax, the Hib vax, the IPV vax, the PCV vax and the Rotavirus vax. Her next well baby visit was supposed to be at 6 months. At that visit she would have been given another Hep B shot, another DTaP shot, another Hib shot, another IPV shot, and other PCV shot, a flu shot, and a final Rotavirus shot. Then, we’d take a six month vaccine break. Her immunizations would pick back up on her first birthday and I would go in and her her another Hib vaccine, her first MMR vaccine, the chicken pox vaccine, the PCV booster, and a vaccination for Hep A. Her 15 month well baby visit would have been a breeze because she’d only get the DTaP at that visit. At 18 months, she would get another flu shot and another Hep A shot. At two and a half, she’d be ready for another annual flu shot. Again at 3 and a half years old, she would have gotten another flu shot. At four years old, before pre-school, she would have been given another MMR vaccine, another DTaP vaccine, another chicken pox vaccine, and another IPV vaccine. One more flu shot at 4 and a half and then (provided they don’t add any new vaccines to the schedule in the next couple of years) she will be ready to start kindergarten.
I think we can all agree, at the very least, that those two kindergarten readiness schedules are vastly different from each other. So, I request that that argument be stricken from the record. Will anyone second that request?
I understand that it’s a lot of shots. I can’t say I look forward to my daughter’s check-ups anymore than she does. Maybe I’m not up to speed on things, but what is the objection to vaccinations, even if there are so many?
Kaitlin, I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just post my blog about what’s wrong with vaccines and hope that you will read it. http://www.regardingcaroline.com/mychild
They sure have gone crazy with the number of sis they give babies! Thanks for putting the lists together for comparison.
The other thing to consider is that some generations were not vaccinated in this argument. In other words, my mom was vaccinated, but her mom was not. So her mom passed on natural immunity through the placenta and milk. And during that time of her mom having babies and raising toddlers, vaccination was still becoming routine, meaning the population was a mixture of naturally immune and artificially exposed people. To claim that “I was vaccinated and it protected me” is not possible or clearly documented. And to claim that they are fine is another unicorn prance altogether, what with cancer, alzheimer’s, parkinson’s etc skyrocketing in the baby boomer generation and beyond.
That’s a super good point.
Yes, I’ll second that.
Maybe I’m a little older than you and my kids a little younger, but I never received an MMR vaccine because it hadn’t been invented yet, you still got vaccinated separately for measles, Mumps, and Rubella, and you didn’t get them until your kindergarten physical, at which time I had already had Mumps and rubella. On the other hand my kids were supposed to get the Chicken pox vaccine at 6 months, and another dose at a year, They were also supposed to get the MMR Vaccine before 6 months, and the first DaPT vaccine before 3 months, also. The idea that the flu vaccine while pregnant will protect your baby, is BS. My pediatrician told me so. The flu virus is to large to pass through to the baby, therefore, getting the vaccine or even the flu, while pregnant will not increase your babies immunity. You would have to get it before you were pregnant.
I find hear type of argument for all sorts of things. It has holes every time. These types of arguments are usually from my or my wife’s parents. We see it as a defense mechanism, not a well thought out, rationale. Some examples:
“We didn’t feed you organic food and you turned out okay.”
hole #1: Pesticide use is WAY more prevalent today.
hole #2: Accepting neurological diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons as “normal aging diseases” does not sit well with us, when there is growing evidence that these diseases are linked to pesticide ingestion.
hole 3: The prevalence of processed foods has increased since I was a child.
“We gave you formula and you turned out fine.”
hole 1: Who’s to say what developmental potential we didn’t reach
hole 2: Are you aware of attachment issues may have had to work through?
Any others?
Thanks for the great post!
Totally agree.