So many topics have become controversial. Whether or not to vaccinate your child is a HUGE one in our era. This is just our story about our kids and with data thrown in from recent doctor appointments. I am NOT a researcher, nor have I done the extensive amount of research that so many other parents have.
I was a clinical nurse for 7 years. That means I gave injections/vaccines daily at work. In all my years of doing that, only one child (a baby) had a severe reaction which entailed calling 9-1-1. The baby boy had an egg allergy but the mother didn't know that yet because she had never fed him solid food. He got the flu vaccine and didn't make it out of the front door before his body went limp in the lobby on the way out. That was it... the only reaction I had seen. Until the Gardasil vaccine. Then I had 3 young girls who fainted within 10 minutes after getting the shot. 1 of those 3 girls had a seizure on top of the fainting spell. The kicker? The parents of each one of those girls brought them back in for the remaining set because "it was better than getting Cervical Cancer". Hmmm.
Then it was my turn to be the mom. I quit my job just weeks before delivering my first son. I had no issues about vaccinating him. I felt peace about it, I prayed and asked God to make sure that he would be ok, and I told my new pediatrician that I would be a good mom and follow the CDC vaccination schedule. The first day of shots came when he was 2 months old and oddly I panicked! Suddenly, I questioned and HOPED that I was doing the right thing. Well, the kid got all 5 shots, didn't really even cry, and never had a symptom to show he ever got them. That was the year of the big Swine Flu scare. So the H1N1 was brand new, and the Roto Virus was new, too. Well ... I decided that MY child didn't need to get those shots because they were new and I didn't feel that the studies were done long enough, so those were the only vaccines I skipped. He is currently 5, in Kindergarten, fully up to date on all vaccines, never missed one, and never had a reaction or problem. Gold Star Mother, Gold Star Kid, perfect example to all pediatricians in America of how our system is just Gold Star Perfect! Right?
Well... there was baby boy number 2 in there. Here comes the second son - in true "second baby" style. Born 1 week early, healthy, perfect sleeper, never fussed, easy eater... just perfect! His 2 month well child check comes and here we go.... 5 shots coming right up! Except he screamed. For hours. And hours. And days. He cried in his sleep and spiked a fever. Hmmm... I thought it was quite unsettling. I didn't call the doctor because I didn't need to be "that mom". We take a trip 3,000 miles away from home and are gone for 2 weeks. We come home but the baby has had this horrible diarrhea for a while. The BRAT diet seems to make it worse so I take him in. Stool cultures done, baby has blood in his stool and possible parasite. Better treat him with high doses of GI meds and antibiotics. 4 month check up - baby still having diarrhea but no fever so lets go ahead and do round 2 of all 5 shots. Baby SCREAMS. 24 hours later there is a rash on both thighs. I decide I should call the office and report it. It IS a reaction and my nursing experience knows that any reactions to vaccines must be reported. Severe reactions must be reported to the CDC. I am told by the nurse that we need to "watch for an allergy to latex since the rash HAD to be from the band aids". I didn't buy it in my heart but I shoved that feeling down. He got sicker and sicker and fevers started getting higher. I took him back in and was told he had his first ear infection. Back on meds. Sad mom.
There were 5 more visits to the doctor between his 4 month shots and 6 month shots. By the time his 6 month check up came up, he was really about 7.5 months old because it was the first time he was off antibiotics and fever free. I told the nurses and the doctor that I was nervous about the injections and I did NOT want them using latex or band aids. He got the 5 shots again. 24 hours later, there is that rash again. 48 hours later? It is from his hips to his feet. I immediately call the doctor and report it once more and the nurse says, "its ok. Just give him some Benadryl." One week later, we are in urgent care again, high fevers, more ear infections. Referred to an ENT.
The ENT runs a couple days worth of tests. He insists that baby's ears are fine and not infected and lets me know that doctors in offices don't have the ability to accurately diagnose ear infections because they lack the equipment. Otoscopes give an indication of redness and of swelling, yes, but NOT infection or fluid build up. That is what the huge machine is for and the one that checks pressure, too. Baby was fine. Hmmmm.
The months drag on. Fever after fever after fever. I skip the doctor at 9 months and 12 months because who needs a well baby exam when you are in urgent cares and sick visits every week to two weeks? And you can't get shots with a fever or on antibiotics.
Baby hits 15 months and guess what? He is free of fever or meds so I take him in. I have researched vaccines now and I think I am pro. I tell the doctor that I don't want to vaccinate anymore due to the previous reactions and I let him know that formaldehyde is a key preservative in all the vaccines he has had up to date. He says, "Ok. So lets just do the MMR because he is way behind and the MMR doesn't have formaldehyde." CRAP! What do I do? I didn't have a game plan. I didn't know how to fight that one! I hadn't expected this response and I AM the Gold Star mom that vaccinates her child!!!!! CRAP! I quickly wish I had my husband in the room to go over this decision, but its on me and I feel like I need to make the choice NOW. Ok... well I know the MMR is a LIVE virus. I know that research says it DOESN'T cause Autism. (Right?) I know that the doc is saying that its free from formaldehyde. ok. Lets do it. But I tell the doc that its the only one I will agree to. The nurse gives it to him.
The following week the baby is seen in urgent care and the doctors office a total of 3 times. He has hives from head to toe, fevers are over 104 as usual without any way to bring it down. We are told to put him on prednisone and antibiotics but we assured and promised that its NOT a vaccine reaction. Now this Gold Star Mom has seen enough and decides that the status is no longer needed and I decide to tell the doctor that I don't agree! I refuse to put my child on heavy steroids for the 2nd time and I want to know whats wrong! I am patted on the back and told that he has another ear infection.
Have you seen fire come out of a mom's nose? How about the ears?
Baby is now almost 17 months and has had a fever of 103 to 104 for 12 days. The doctor's office says the ears look ok this time. (uh huh) It must be a virus. In that 12 days the temps never fall below 103. 2 urgent care visits and 1 doc apt and ALL doctors agree that its viral. I decide that this game of good mom/nice patient is over. I find a new doctor.
Now we are at the new doctor. She spends over an hour going over the details of the last 18 months. (I forget to mention above that baby has severe reactions to bug/insect/ant bites too) She looks at me with those mom eyes that read, "Your baby is sick. Really sick. And I can't believe the last office hasn't done one single blood test." But then she just comes out and says it. Nowhere in the records does it show that baby has had any vaccine reactions. Not documented. Not reported to the CDC. And with all those fevers, not a single blood test? Not even an iron test or finger stick or blood sugar test? Nope.
Here is the fun part: So the new doctor says that the baby could most certainly be having allergic reactions to the vaccines. But it would be a metal allergy, most likely, and that would mean that she needs to know how to proceed with his shots. But lets get a whole bunch of blood work and run an allergy panel to make sure its not food, environment, etc....
Blood tests come back. No parasites. Extremely elevated IgE (usually proving a toxic allergy in the body systems), elevated platelets (Cancers or due to infections), elevated T4 cells (HIV or immune diseases), and Low CD8 Suppressor cells (usually an immune deficiency). This kid is sick. Oh... and no "normal" allergies to food or pollen or dogs or cats or grass, etc.... We are now sent to the All Childrens Hospital specialty of "Immunologist" for further testing.
Monday.... Great news! Not cancer. Not great news: He is too little for the skin allergy testing. But we can do a more detailed blood report to test for the immune problems. But this doctor says that something on the blood results looks odd. He didn't make immunities to the Pneumonia vaccine, but he did to the others. So we NEED to give him the booster. He is now immune deficient with a possible Auto Immune Disease. What if he bumps in to a kid with bronchitis? What if he is in contact with pneumonia? He will be hospitalized!!! But he has vaccine reactions. So we are assured that it is the safest place on earth to be given the vaccine because they have ALL they need right there if ANY form of allergy or anaphylaxis happens. They will just give him TINY doses every 20 minutes in different spots on 2 legs, not one. And watch.
Seriously? We drove 2 hours to do this? My baby is now officially a guinea pig. Oh my gosh. Here we go. First shot. Nothing. 20 minutes later... something. A red hard bump with a few spots around it. We are told to give him Zyrtec, 4 cc's every day. We are sent home with instructions on when to have the blood re tested. But 24 hours later? You guessed it! RASH! 4 days later... the rash has spread, baby is grabbing his stomach, itching the back of his throat and I am DONE. I call the immunologist and he speaks with me directly. Here is what he says; "He is most likely having a reaction to aluminum. Aluminum is the highest preservative in the Pneumonia vaccine. If that is what his allergy has been, the metals are in his blood stream. You need to start him on Prednisone right away, and Benadryl and keep him on Zyrtec and an antibiotic." THIS IS INSANE!!!!
I call the new pediatrician back. She says this; "Well you need to call him back and ask how we get the metals out? There is a doctor in Tampa that is doing metal detoxification on children who have metal allergies and its not easy to do... but lots of his patients have behavioral problems such as ADD or ADHD or Sensory disorders and once the metals are removed the symptoms are gone. Plus, you need to ask him how we proceed with further immunizations?!"
I respond, "Future vaccines? I will tell you how we proceed! As this baby's mother we ARE NOT PROCEEDING AT ALL!" She says, "totally understandable. Then we need to know how to document all of this so that he won't have to fight the school system come kindergarten."
So you are caught up. He has a rash. He is now roid raging. His tummy hurts. He is angry. And so is his MAMA. There will be a sequel because this isn't finished. We will do the further tests in 3 weeks and we will have our follow up evaluation on January 20th. But this mama is DONE being the Gold Star Mom with the Gold Star Plan with the Gold Star Kids.
Why did I feel like the doctors knew my kids better than me? Or the CDC for that matter? Kid number 1 had NO issues. But kid number 2 did. If I had an allergy to a med, like Codeine, would the doctors bully me to keep taking it? NO! They would find another solution or another pain medicine. So WHY are they NOT giving parents another option for vaccines? Why are preservatives needed?
So here is my opinion: Watch your kid. Pay attention to his body and his emotional and physical reactions to things. Don't allow a doctor to pretend that they know better than you. Don't doubt your parental instincts. Don't feel like I did and feel the need to please your physician by complying. I was so worried about letting the doc down, that I let my son down. And myself down. Fight for your opinions. They matter. If you choose to vaccinate like I did - do it as long as you don't see anything happen. If you do - STOP. The damage can be too hard to fix and can take a toll like you wouldn't believe.
