About Vaccinations for Kids Starting School

suzanne4, RN · Jun 5, 2004

When I lived in Arizona and worked in a PICU at one of the major teaching facilites, we were forever getting patients in for some reason or another that never had their full set of immunizations, and many had acquired life threatening illnesses because of it.

Now I am quite happy that even the US government is requiring it for any one moving to the US to have the series of shots if they haven't already had.

Perhaps this is one way that we will get better control. Sure there is always going to be the child that is either allergic to the vaccination or has other health issues. But for the parents that have no medical background and are just with-holding the injections because that is something that they read on the internet or in a magazine, ?????? :angryfire

Energizer Bunny · Jun 5, 2004

I think this is another issue where education is the key.....don't you?

suzanne4, RN · Jun 5, 2004

100%, but unfortunately some parents will believe more of what they find on the internet than their own doctor.

Energizer Bunny · Jun 5, 2004

Yep...and some just don't want to be educated and will listen to anything that they hear from others too!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 5, 2004

great advice offered here:

the children's hospital of philadelphia - vaccines: separating fact from fear

watch 'vaccines: separating fact from fear' to find answers to the most commonly asked questions about vaccines.

Energizer Bunny · Jun 5, 2004

Thanks for the above link. I have got to sit down and look at all of this when the kids go to sleep tonight if I can pry my eyelids open.

camay1221_RN · Jun 5, 2004

Heavens knows that's the truth!!!

100%, but unfortunately some parents will believe more of what they find on the internet than their own doctor.

memphispanda, RN · Jun 6, 2004

I don't expect that most doctors keep up with the latest research on all these things, and they certainly don't have the knowledge of my children that I have. Sad, but true. Remember the vaccine for rotavirus?

Energizer Bunny · Jun 6, 2004

Speaking of all this, I happened to be looking at my Babytalk magazine and there is an article about vaccinations with a website for more info. Ironic, eh?

Altra, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2004

My own purely unscientific observations: the two moms I've known who objected to vaccinations (for reasons unrelated to their individual children's health status) were both Very Nervous Nellies, and tended to sieze upon any reported instance of adverse reactions to vaccinations as *proof* that established medical practices are generally full of baloney. :uhoh3:

Funny how their kids were always sick from exposure to every sniffle & sneeze that went around...

Energizer Bunny · Jun 7, 2004

The one person that struck a chord with me was the one that insisted that the government was keeping it from us how bad the vaccinations could actually be for our children. Talk about a conspiracy theorist!

laughingfairy · Jun 7, 2004

Getting titers checked is a good idea if you have any concerns...I had to have 4 MMRs before I would titer. Have never titered for the hepatitis and never had a known case of chickenpox or the vaccine but do titer for that...so Kara's pediatrician ran a batch of blood work on her to make sure that she wouldn't need additional boosters...said she has never done that before and that my family is pretty weird...my sis is the same way.

My mother had measels and mumps in early adolscents and then terrible cases again when she was in her late 30s... again she titered for nothing.

DS is adament about not havingthe vaccines for her baby...she says if we are this unpredictable she doesn't trust it with her baby...afraid of unheard of side effects, shots for and infant that do nothing,etc. because "our family is weird" :rolleyes: