We don't do shots

Baby B’s big one year pediatrician appointment is coming up in two weeks. When talking about how I’m excited to see how big he’s gotten (on the scale) with another mom, especially because we missed his 9 month appointment, she said, a bit horrified, “But what about his shots? You went in for them right?”

No.

We don’t vaccinate. There. I said it. Most of the world is all ready thinking “baby killer” (yes, I’ve been called this).

It wasn’t a decision J and I made lightly. Like everything else involving our kids, we researched the bejeezus out of it. For every anti-vax study/article we read, we read a pro-vax article/study. We spoke with our children’s pediatrician until we were all blue in the face – and she was really awesome about it!

But during our research, a few big things really stood out for us.

1. There is no proof vaccines were responsible for the decrease in infectious diseases. Cleaner living conditions, antibiotics and moving out of crowed cities are more closely associated with the decrease.

2. There has NEVER been an independent (not funded by the pharmaceutical companies who profit from the vaccines) peer reviewed study showing vaccines are safe.

3. Many of the dreaded "vaccine preventable" diseases aren't even all that serious for healthy people. Not even polio (if caught early enough, of course)! When deaths are reported, you don't know if that person was 98 years old or had cancer or another autoimmune disease in addition to getting the vaccine preventable disease.

4. When "outbreaks" happen, the vast majority of those affected are fully vaccinated. The live virus vaccines can shed and CAUSE the diseases they are supposed to prevent. The package inserts themselves say to stay away from immunocompromised people for several weeks because of this shedding.

5. The US is the most highly vaccinated country in the world. We also have the highest rates of chronic disease in children in the world. Diabetes, arthritis, asthma, autism, ADHD, obesity, lupus, allergies, celiac disease, etc. This increase corresponds to the increase in recommended childhood vaccines. Obviously, we're doing something wrong to cause/contribute to this.

6. The placebo used in safety studies is not simple saline or water or anything benign. It's ALUMINUM! Aluminum is a top suspect in vaccine injury! Some placebo that is!

Don’t worry, we really do know all of the “pros,” too. Just for us, the negatives outweighed those. It’s what works for us.

We’d rather keep our children out of dangerous situations. And although it is true that the risk from vaccines doesn't come close to the risk of putting your child in the car, which one is more avoidable? If I can mitigate the risks to my child, that is what I will do. I don't want my child having formaldehyde or fetal bovine cells injected into them, the same as I don't want them eating junk: it's bad for them. Statistically, most of the disease that have been "eradicated" have more to do with better sanitation than vaccines, so I choose not to have my kids injected with things that we know are poison. I think parents that choose to vaccinate are doing what they think is best, just as I think I am doing what is best for my kids.... It's a personal choice.

It is something every parent has to research very seriously. Look at how diseases are spread, the risks of complications, how the vaccine works (i.e., the pertussis vax does not prevent pertussis, it lessens the symptoms and fully vaccinated people can carry the bacteria and pass it on to others), how many deaths from the vaccine vs. deaths from the disease, and most importantly...how would you feel if your child was injured or died from a vaccine, or from a vaccine-preventable disease...which one would you be able to live with? It's so easy to say "oh it won't happen to my kids" until it does.

It is definitely something that every parent has to take personal responsibility for and put time and effort into researching. I'm hugely supportive of parents who vaccinate and who do not vaccine or who are somewhere in between as long as their decision is based out of time and invested effort in researching. Taking anybody else’s word for it (even just your pediatricians) and not doing your own research is something I do not support. It's my belief that this is one area of childhood where it is crucial for parents to take personal responsibility and invest time and effort into.

So yeah, that’s why we don’t do shots around here.