Question for parents of non-immunized children..

We have 5 neices in our family. Strangely..they all go pregnant at the same time. Everyone jumped on the vac bandwagon except my daughter. Whenever we heard anything about any of the babies...they were sick. Whenever we had family get to gethers....all were crabby and had snotty noses...except my grand daughter. She was snot free and bright as a penny. I also am a nurse. I know some of the diseases can be horrible....but I feel the incidents of reactions to shots has become more common and just as damaging. I also cought the swine flu yrs ago. It wasn't a pretty picture....but I still don't have flu shots and have never again had the flu!!

All of my children are fully vaccinated, partly because most of my "herd" is not vaccinated, meaning most of our friends do not vaccinate, so that pretty much puts much more pressure on us. I was much more worried about infant diseases (whopping cough and Hib. mostly) because that is when it is much more likely to kill. Inevitable someone I know has children with whopping cough every year. Someone else lost a baby to Hib.

Personally, everyone has to make their own decisions. I do hear a lot of things along these lines from friends, that children have better immune systems that aren't vaccinated, that children that aren't vaccinated get sick less, or a friend told me that only those children vaccinated for chicken pox have bad cases of chicken pox (uh?). Anyways. People see what they want to see and remember what they want to remember. We are all the same in this regard. My vaccinated children are probably less sick, not more so, but I'm open, I certainly haven't done any hard scientific research into the matter (and neither have non-vax'ers I might add, it is just old wives tale talk).

Most just haven't dealt with many disease's. When I was growing up my mother worked in ICU in a small county hospital and took care of dying children from preventable diseases, I'm sure it has colored my own thinking, if my mother wasn't an RN with this back ground, would I have vaccinated? Who knows. I can tell you though, if our herd immunity comes to the point where these diseases make a real come back, we will all be lining up around the blocks to get our children protection.

As to the less sick thing, I do think some of it is true but only because of the OTHER life style choices around non-vaccinating. Making total assumptions and stereo-typing: Such as breastfeeding, healthier whole foods, more outdoor exercise, less TV, and homeschooling (less germ exposure). I know my youngest was hardly ever sick (fully vaccinated) then I put her in Kindergarten, I swear, it was horrible, she was sick for 6 months straight, it is better now, but it was just because she hadn't been around a lot of other kids living on the farm with older siblings (we've always homeschooled). Guess she didn't get out much! Kids just NATURALLY are sick less as they get older because they've already gotten many of the viruses.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

My son is almost 3 and is in school 3 days a week. We are part of a moms group where he hangs with other kids to play. We go to parks, playgrounds, even the daycare drop off at the supermarket. He is almost never sick. Before he was born my husband and I both got Tdap shots an I breastfed until he was a a year and a half. My son has gotten the Dtap because we live on a farm and tetnus is a concern of mine. Also because I couldn't get Tetnus by itself. Our Dr talked me into getting two shots at once for his second Dtap and a menangitis (sp) He was sick within 20 minutes. Fever, achy, lethargic, within 24 hours I was ready to take him in to the ER because he was so much worse. I haven't vaccinated since and other then a really minor head cold he has been the picture of health. Never had the flu, never had an ear infection, nothing.
Even his teacher commented on how Liam is the only kid who hasn't been sick and never missed a day of school. The other kids are vaccinated and are constantly home sick from school. He does eat well and he does play in the dirt. I am NOT a germ a phobe!

My brothers kids are in school Are completely Vaccinated and CONSTANTLY sick.

I don't buy into "herd Immunity" because when I worked at the humane society every dog was brought in vaccinated put in isolation for 2 weeks then put in general population. At least once a month the shelter was closed down from parvo running rampant in the kennels. If herd immunity worked then very few if any dogs should have been sick instead of most of the dogs alot of the time. JMHO

I worked for 3 years in a very busy pediatric office with 3 docs & a NP.
I was the nurse who gave the babies shots.
Professionally speaking I didn't notice an upswing in illnesses for infants that had recieved immunizations nor a downturn in infants that didn't.
Living a healthy lifestyle is what matters.
For my own 4 children who were completely vaccinated starting in 1980 and ending just recently I had two that seemed to be constantly sick. My oldest until she was 4 or so & my son not until he had adnoids & tonsils removed @ age 6. Both suffered from frequent otis media & colds.
Interestingly enough my sickest child who was immediately intubated on birth (straph B pneumonia, bs of 27 ect) is our healthest family member. She rarely becomes ill. Her first two months of life she almost glowed due to antibotics. I breast fed her for 9 mos.
The others for 6, except the last one who was bottle fed (2 toddlers & worked 40 hours).

Tonight the Rochester evening news ran a story that there was a known case of measles in May visiting the area. Wsn't reported if that person was from the area of the outbreak in Ohio. They gave the location of hotel and what airline that person used.

I won't lecture just shake my head abit. My grandmother lost two children - one to malaria & one to chicken pox.
My father had a mild case of polio as a young child. He didn't start walking until he was 3


~~ pelenaka ~~

All of my kids have all of their shots. Never sick. We have travelled to Africa, South America, and various countries in Europe - never sick.

We get all our flu shots every year.
Noone is over weight, wash our hands, little if any fast food.

We were in malaria heaven Zambia - nothing.

But no matter if you get your vaccines or not, eventually you will die.

No children here. Lots of dogs. We didn't 'believe' in vaccinations. Everything was fine, till we had to go to drastic measures to save our first four dogs. Okay.... didn't vaccinate the next ones, and a lot of them died. We vaccinate them all now, according to normal vet guidelines.

I'm all for parents not vaccinating. I feel a child/young adults life belongs to the parent, up until the moment of emancipation.... do with them as you please, as long as no torture is involved. It'd be best if you homeschooled your children (in the first place) and restrict their activities out in the 'world'... as there are bad things out there, that will kill them, if left to their own devices. Faith is a wonderfulsome thing. I like faith. But I also like healthy doses of antibiotics when called for.

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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

Pets are our own little science experiment, they turn over faster then the children and we can watch entire life cycles. Kind of interesting if you think about it.

I do have friends that don't vaccinate the kids and as a course didn't vaccinate the animals. Then they had a goat die a horrible death from Tetanus, I should have asked if she was going to immunize the family from Tetanus now or at least the animals but I didn't. People have very strong opinions of vaccinations and I'm kind of with Texican on this, I don't try to change anyone's mind on the matter, it's not up to me, I only get to decide for my own family.

As a side note, those prepping for SHTF scenario's, those of us up to date on immunizations have a much higher chance of living through any sort of break down in society. I think most people think, oh well, if my child or I really contract something we can always go to the hospital, and that might not always be the case (plus hospitals aren't miracle centers and sometimes too late it too late).

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

While our children are now vaccinated, they weren't as babies. I didn't like the fact that so many of the vaccinations are "bundled" together. They were never in daycare, but they were always around other relatives their own age. When they were 3 and 4 we started the process to get them ready for kindergarten, which included shots.

We live in a city, but they never seemed to get any sicker than any other children. The occasional cold or whatever, but nothing major.

Again, our objection wasn't with the idea of vaccinating, but with the way that they all seem to packed into supershots. We had a long conversation with our doctor and she was able to order the individual components and immunized them against only one thing at a time.

Incidentally, I got a tetanus shot a year or two ago. I had a nasty reaction to it. My arm was black and blue and hurt horribly for at least a week. I'm not sure that I want to put myself through that again...

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~TheMartianChick~

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Neither of my children are immunized. My daughter has never had a serious illness, plenty of colds, but she always recovers within 2 days, sometimes shorter. My son is the same, always getting over his colds right away. I would like to expose my kids to chicken pox if I get the chance.

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Go Big or Go Home!!
1 Tim 3:2-3 "Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out. Convince, Rebuke, Exhort with all long-suffering and teaching."

I don't have children but I am one of those kids that was never immunized.

I am 37 years old and two years ago had the sniffles and sneezes, I mentioned to my hubby that I didn't know what was going on and he had to explain to me that I had a cold...never had one before. Then on Feb. 29th this year, I thought I was going to DIE...fever, dizzy, hurt everywhere, etc....went to the doctor and he told me it was a strain of the flu that was getting folks that don't normally get the flu.
I asked him if a flu shot would have prevented it and he said no. Gave me a z-pac and I was good to go.

My husband will be 42 in five days (I can tell ya'll how old he is cuz he nevers reads this forum ) and is a First Responder at his work and is required to get his shots.
He gets the flu every year...he did not get the flu that I had however.

Anyway, I have never had a shot and never had a tetanus shot and don't plan to.
If I had children they would not either.

I also grew up in the country and somewhat isolated...didn't have fast food until I was 17 so I do think that has some bearing on my immune system being what it is.
I can also tell you that I was hit by a piece of ricochet bullet at our range one day a couple of years ago, cut me open pretty good and hurt like crap. We cleaned it out and put bandages on it and it sealed up and scabbed over in no time. Everyone was in shock except for me. I know my body and my immune system.

I don't take vitamins and I get my womanly exams every year. I eat as much fresh produce as I can, buy local beef grass fed and my own chickens and I drink milk (raw milk when I can get it) and I try to stay as stress free as I can.

I personally believe that vaccinations are not necessary and should not be required by law.

Acidophiles is wonderful for the immune system. I give it to all the puppies to prevent any issues. If all of the US would follow your example of simply eating a daily yogurt, we would see a drastic reduction in communicable diseases.

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Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I haven't read the thread....but as per the OP's query....

My first two, now 15 and 17, may have had some very basic shots within a year or two of birth, I don't recall the specifics. Praise God, they seem to have suffered no ill effects......
Neither of them have been to a doctor, since.
The rest of my merry band have never been to a doctor, and I don't do home vaccinations, so....

Our experience is that, when the occasional cold or flu comes through, bed rest and chicken broth go a long, long ways. Of course, eating out of the garden all their lives can't hurt.

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“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Barry Goldwater.
III

I'm following this thread, don't have kids, but I can say that I'm glad I got the polio and tetanus vaccines when available. In fact, I regularly booster for tetanus (every 5 years) because its so awful if you get it. I also got the pneumo shot (NEVER a flu shot) a couple of years ago. Prior to that, as an asthmatic, I was sick 2-3 times a winter with bronchial pneumo. I've not had it since. I don't use an inhaler, I control my asthma with antihistimes and herbal remedies.
If I had a child, I'd be looking at what the end result is for some of the childhood diseases - measles and mumps and chicken pox they can recover from with possible reduced incidence of permanent disability. Polio and Tetanus, they can't.
My now deceased father never got the chicken pox, he died at 85, healthy except for his heart gave out from old age. His philosophy was to eat at home, live cleanly (wash your hands) and avoid large crowds when possible.
I tend to believe that "herd immunity" does work - to some degree. Just watch what is happening with the ecoli outbreak in Europe. No one has immunity and see how fast its spreading....

If your non-immunized kids don't get ill you can thank kids like mine who are immunized. As a nurse and the parent of a child who nearly died after getting the flu, I can tell you that all members of our household get annual flu shots. Everybody but me has had pneumonia shots. Guess what I'm getting this year?

By the way, when DD was homeschooled she rarely got ill because she just didn't get exposed to illness. Homeschooling school aged children reduces illness exposure of younger siblings. This can be good and bad. Teachers at my son's Christian school said that when middle school children started school after being homeschooled were sick all the time because they hadn't been exposed to all the viral illnesses of young childhood.

By the way, I don't know how one could not expect such an inflammatory subject to remain without debate.

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

Your doc was pacifying you with the Z-pack. Antibiotics are ineffective against the flu (=influenza) which is a viral illness. I have never heard of a strain of flu more in common in those who have never had influenza. What type did you have?

Vaccines not necessary? I guess not.... if you don't mind young kids dying like they did when my mom was young. You'd also have to be OK with permanent disability and houses that must be quarantined because of the measles, mumps, etc. DH is older than I and had high school friends who died and some who were permanently disabled by polio. Certainly even then most children lived but child death rates were much higher. Not for me or my family, thank you very much.

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

Ok, this is PRECISELY why I asked for NON-VACCINATING FAMILIES to respond and why I DIRECTLY asked for people to keep their opinions and judgmental responses TO THEMSELVES.

This thread was NOT FOR DEBATE. If you want to force your opinions on people and judge people please start your own thread. I asked nicely but your comments were NOT warranted or appreciated.

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A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Some people can just discuss hot topics and still maintain control over themselves and not create debate. Part of it comes from knowing when the conversation applies to them and whether or not they have something of use to offer to the topic. When the conversation is for discussion and NOT debate, debate should not be created. Everyone posting prior to this seems to have done just fine.

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A closed mouth gathers no foot.

What exactly did Joshie say that was so inflammatory?

City kids are FAR more likely to be exposed to infectious pathogens than a homeschooled country kid would be (except for tetanus). I don't know what city you've been to that seems like a sterilized shipping container. Cities are probably the filthiest places on earth. Crawling with contagion. Ever look at the floor of a subway car?

Maybe if you had been more specific and ask that only people who agreed with you 100% were allowed to respond?

Having an opposite point of view is also part of discussion.