Since I’ve started doing some blogs on vaccines and we’ve been discussing the issue in the forums, I’ve been getting more and more questions about vaccines. Today I’m going to answer them as best as I can. Please understand, that I’m not a medical expert. I’m a plain old mom whose had a lot of babies. Consequently, I’ve done a lot of research. I believe that every parent needs to be responsible for researching the best option for their child.
Where exactly do you get your information?
I try to pull information from a variety of sites. It really depends on what I’m wanting to share. In general though, I try to use sites of proven authorities (like Dr. Sears) and non-profit agencies. I have also included information from government sites like the CDC and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Board.
What is the point of delaying and separating vaccines?
The point of delaying and separating vaccines means that your baby gets less harmful ingredients at one time. Vaccines need a delivery fluid (some are made with egg protein for example), and preservatives, and sometimes they contain ingredients to help the vaccine work better. As one poster in the forums said, it makes sense not to shoot your baby up with tons of chemicals.
I do not believe that in general, the body is incapable of handling massive immune responses. In fact, the birthing of a baby elicits a natural, but massive immune response. I think healthy babies are capable of hosting thousands upon thousands of antibodies at one time.
Doesn’t delaying vaccinations put the baby at risk?
That question is really relative to the specific situation. It all depends on what the child care situation is, whether or not the mother is breastfeeding, as well as where the family lives. So I’ll answer for my own children. As I mentioned in the forums, we delay and separate vaccines. My kids are exclusively breastfed for an extended period and they’re home schooled. Not only does this mean the babies are at home. . .it means that the older kids aren’t bringing stuff into the house.
I have more questions to aswer. . .look soon for more Q & A!
See also:
Are Vaccines Safe? Other Things You Should Know
Are Vaccines Really Safe? Looking at Safety Differently