• An underlying condition (such as an immune problem or cancer) that precludes
live vaccines
• Illness on the schedule vaccination date (a
quick read through VAERS reports – which
are public record and available online –
indicates that a high percentage of vaccine
adverse reactions occur in children who
have a cold or other previous condition)
• Allergy to any ingredient of the vaccine, or
to the ingredients used to culture the virus
or bacteria
intelligence. Preventive care alternatives are a
powerful tool to approach the medical field as
a whole. That, and learning to disagree without fighting.”
You can also delay administering any given vaccine. Parents concerned about vaccinating very
young infants or giving multiple vaccines at one
time putting undue stress on a child’s immune
system may want to explore this option.
Amy Baxter MD FAAP, Director of Emergency Research at Scottish Rite Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is pro-vaccine, but she is quick
• A prior history of reacting to the particular
to point out that the CDC’s recommended
vaccine
vaccine schedule is also hard on children psy• A strong family history of a bad reaction to
chologically. “The incidence of fear of needles
a particular vaccine.
has increased 252% in the past two decades,
keeping pace with the number of vaccines
Taking Charge of Your
given. Kids get 6x the number of injections,
Own Vaccine Schedule and this results in a fear that can last a lifetime.
Needle pain, and the relentless number older
Once you’ve taken all this into account, it’s
kids get at once, affect how they feel about
time to choose your approach. There is no
preventative healthcare. While the injections
right or wrong. You can use the CDC’s
before age 2 don’t correlate with any adverse
recommended vaccine schedule or abstain
problems and the schedule is good, between
from vaccines altogether, but it’s also OK to
ages 4-6 kids do better with no more than 2 at
take the middle road.
a time. They’re already protected, and the CDC allows
It’s within your rights to
for the boosters to be given
The best we can do is make
choose certain vaccines and
at any time between age 4-6,
the best of our available
refuse others.
resources. And by choosing
so there is no reason to give
dialogue over debating the
them all at once except conAs wellness coach and mom
issue, you’ll be doing just that.
venience (and possibly health
of four Aida Adams puts it,
insurance policy).”
“Never rely on a fear based
decision. Ever. For medical or any choice for
that matter. I believe that the main vaccines
are a good thing, (but) some diseases (can)
be avoided with preventive care medicine,
supporting and building your immunity and
strengthening what I call your body health
Regardless of your ultimate decision, it’s important to realize that no decision is foolproof. Life
involves risk, in this as in everything else. The
best we can do is make the best of our available resources. And by choosing dialogue over
debating the issue, you’ll be doing just that.
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