Since I mentioned it in my last post...

Vaccinations... Oh joy. It's one of those topics I love to hate. Not surprisingly, this topic is much like the parenting topic. Everyone has an opinion.

Let me add this disclaimer first. If you choose/chose to vaccinate your children on schedule that's your business. I am simply posting my thoughts on the topic. If someone would like more info, hopefully soon I will be organized to provided them with links and book recommendations so they can research for themselves.

While I respect the choice that parents make to vaccinate, I do not think it should be a decision that is made without doing any research first.

There are several options when it comes to vaccinations.

1. A parent can vaccinate fully and on schedule.
2. A parent can select certain vaccinations and only use those on schedule, omitting the rest.
3. A parent can delay certain vaccinations, but give all of them to the child.
4. A parent can select and delay vaccinations.
5. A parent CAN choose to not vaccinate at all.

We have decided to do either option 4 or 5. Here's why.

We believe our child is a gift from God. It is our duty to protect him from harm, keep him healthy and to raise him in a godly home. I cannot, in good conscience, vaccinate my son fully and on schedule if there is any question that those vaccines may harm him; especially in light of the fact that most of the diseases that the vaccines fight are now easily treatable or are no longer being spread.

Now, my son has a runny nose and a cough today and that is about to kill me, so I certainly don't WANT himt o catch measles, chicken pox or what have you. I just have come to the place where I think *right now* the risks from receiving the shots are far greater than the risk of him catching the illness.

The schedule that the CDC has recommended for the immunizations has mostly been recommended because the first two years of life are the most likely times a parent will take their child in for well-child care. Because of the fact that most aprents only take the child in to the doctor to treat illnesses after the age of two or three, the CDC thought it would be best to recommend all vaxes be done when they knew parents would be taking their well children in for checkups. THat makes sense. You can't give a sick kid or a kid who isn't there a vaccination, now can you?

I do think vaxes have done some good things. Polio is not really an issue any more and that's a great thing. At what cost though was polio virtually irradicated? After the introduction of the polio vaccines, cancer rates shot up. That's just a correlation and offers no proof of causation, but it is something to ponder.

It bothers me that while the CDC has denied any connection between autism and autism spectrum disorders, the govt. has set up a fund for those who are permanently injured by vaccines. That tells me that the govt. knows that vaxes are not safe -- at least not as safe as we are told they are. Combine that with the astounding number of children who are dx with ASD now and I am not convinced that vaccines are not a part of the problem.

I also take issue with the chemicals and other ingredients used in vaccines. These chemicals include, mercury (toxic), aluminum (toxic), anti-freeze (listed under the chemical name and also toxic to humans), and aborted fetus cells (ummm... gross and terribly heartbreaking).

I don't allow my son to suck on a mercury popscicle, why would i inject that stuff into his blood stream?

Yeah, I know thermisol (mercury) is supposed to no longer be in vaccines, but it is still used in the making of the vaccine and then "washed" out. Nope, not gonna buy that the mercury is gone.

And aborted fetus cells... If I am pro-life, how can I allow my son to be injected with a "medicine" that was created with a murdered baby? I know, I know... we should recognize that his tragedy was used for something good, right? I'm not so sure. Every life is sacred and to utilize a vaccine that was created from a murdered child to "save" my child is hypocritical in my opinion.

Studies have also shown that preemies hav had serious, near fatal apneaic episodes after receiving the DTaP. Yet, they still wanted me to vax my 5 lb. 2 mo. old son on schedule with a full dose, when HE WAS ALREADY ON AN APNEA MONITOR. I'm no doctor, but I'm not stupid.

Let's not forget that catching the actual disease often confers ifelong immunity while vaccinations often wear off after a period of time. Hence, the mumps outbreak in the midwest. Most of the people infected had been fully vaccinated.

One more thing, the only way to know if you child is going to have a serious injury from a vax is by allowing them to get vax'd. I just am not comfortable with that.

And NO, I do not have to vaccinate my child. Almost every state allows for at least a medical exemption. Most offer a medical or a religious exemption and some offer a philosophical exemption as well.

So, if you vax'd your child, no judgement from me at all. I wish there was a way I could vaccinate my child without worrying about the serious side effects. I am not at that point yet. Perhaps when my son is much older and a lot less fragile.

Then again, will my baby ever be anything other than my baby who needs to be taken care of? I doubt it.