nurses and parents that don't follow CDC vaccination schedules

[gfcfnina]

I'm a new nurse (RN) and planning on specializing in pediatrics. I am curious on how most experienced nurses view/ deal with/educate/etc. parents who make the decision not to vaccinate, or to do limited vaccinations but do not follow the CDC schedule for vaccinations.

Thanks for your input!

[MelodyButlerRN]

I believe in the power of science and statistics. My children and pediatric patients all more likely to become ill with a vaccine preventable disease and suffer long-lasting side-effects than to encounter adverse affects via the immunizations. Unvaccinated children are going to be hospitalized more frequently with a contagious disease than those who are up-to-date with their vaccines..

[klone, MSN, RN]

I am a nurse AND a parent who doesn't follow AAP recommendations for childhood vaccines.

As a nurse who deals with parents, I tell them what the AAP and the hospital's pediatricians recommend, and I give them the VIS to read over. That's it. My own personal opinions and biases are never brought into the picture.

[3xmom]

"Better to be a little bit sick than a whole lot dead" HMC M.....

A bit of advice given me by a division chief regarding the importance of getting vaccinated.....

I wonder what he would of said to me when my 9 month old coded in the pedi office after a round of vaccines? He was brought back after 2 minutes, thank god, but if you think as a mother I was going to take him back in 12 weeks for another round of what "killed" him your insane. I have 3 children, my oldest who is now 22 had each and every vaccine recommended, my middle son is the above child, that was his last experience with vaccines and I do think one day I will catch him up (he is 12 now) but not until I have the ability to have it done in the emergency room(I'm a current student and we do not have health insurance). My youngest daughter, I have also held off on because of the situation with her brother, but once again she will get them in the ER when she is older.

Another thing...........all of my kids are healthy and active, I would even venture to say more so then most.

[rn/writer, RN]

We had our kids get vaccinated on a delayed schedule. They had everything by the time they hit kindergarten, but I just thought there were too many shots given at one time. If there is a problem, how do you know which vaccine cause caused it when they're injected with a group of vaccines in one visit.

I'm a strong believer in vaccines. But I'd like to see the schedule be a little less aggressive.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Let me move this to the pediatric forum.

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

This so personalas the panties you wear. I follow the current schedule for my daughter; however, that is my personal decision. There is so much information you can give a parent and let them chose. It is there choice.

[littleneoRN]

In general, with controversial decisions such as vaccinations, circumcision, etc., if people ask, I try to present the information something like this.

"The AAP recommends this because blah blah blah blah."

"People who disagree with that generally do so because they think that blah blah blah blah."

"Further research has looked into that concern and has found blah blah blah blah."

Basically presenting both sides as apart from being my own personal opinion and treating all opinions with respect but also making clear (for both the sake of my license and fairness to the patient and family) what the current recommendations of the AAP/CDC are. From this, people can't usually tell what I personally think. (I know this because then they usually ask.) My response is generally that these are complex decisions and I don't yet have children, so I haven't had to decide for myself. Even if I do have an opinion, they don't need to know...this keeps things simple.