Vaccine Research: What do I do????

What do I do???

I found myself asking this a few months ago.  I had a knot in my stomach.  I was so unsure about vaccinations, but wasn't sure why.  I wanted to tell my doctor to halt everything, but didn't have a reason in the world other than a gut feeling.

If this is you, then here is a starting point.

If it's down to the wire and you are lost and confused and need to buy time, just ask your doctor if you can put off the next vaccination for a little bit until you do further research.  If you're doctor is not okay with this, then you might need to find a new doctor.  Why?  Because this is a sign that your doctor is gung-ho vaccinating all the way, and on time.  And if you're questioning vaccines, then there's a good chance that you & your doctor aren't the right fit.

Each time I have mentioned concerns to my doctor he has been very open to it.  His first suggestion was a spreading out the vaccines.  Instead of shots at 2, 4, and 6 months, she'd get them at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.  It sounded good to me, so I went with it.  It also bought me some more time.  Once I started really digging into the research, I realized that I'm not sure I want to get her vaccinated at all anymore.  I emailed him some of my thoughts and he said that we could talk about it at the next appointment, or I could schedule an appointment specifically for the talk... it was my choice.

At the next regular appointment we talked more about it.  I shared the information that I brought (just the highlights-- he is a doctor after all!), and my thoughts and feelings towards it.  We settled on no more vaccinations until at least 18 months.

We also talked about rotavirus & Pc vaccine.  I had noticed that Hazel hadn't had all the regular vaccines for her age and asked him about it.  He said he doesn't do those vaccines in his office (unless requested by a parent) because he feels they aren't beneficial enough.

Let me tell you, my doctor is rare.  I honestly am so thankful we have him.  Instead of vaccines being an uphill battle, he is willing to talk with us and understand our concerns as parents.  He respects that we are Hazelnut's parents and we respect that he is going to give us his professional medical opinion as well as his personal opinion.

So if you're questioning things, buy yourself some time.  Do your research.  Know why you choose what you end up choosing.