FDA approves infant vaccine for diarrhea virus

mandana · Feb 5, 2006

I guess my main concern with vaccines is that people blindly use them and are not informed and educated about what is in them, the risks, etc I just wanted to make that clear. I would not personally associate myself with the anti-vax camp and of course I dont align up with the pro-vax camp either, I find myself in the middle.
Like for me, I am debating whether or not to get the HepB vaccine series. For most healthy adults (90% I think from the CDC website) recover completely and have lifelong immunity frm HepB--5% become lifelong carriers. Other countries have stopped using HepB because they do believe (unlike US) that there is or might be a link btwn HepB vax and autoimmune disorders (though rare am I willing to take that risk, especially when autoimmune disorders run in my family? I might be more suseptable).
So I have educated myself about the risks vs benefits of thos vaccine. I am not anti-vax, but people simply do not educate themselves about any of it! They give all newborns HepB (and sorry but unless they are born to HepB+ mothers, the newborn is a drug user or having unprotected sex what is the point? Especially when many studies show the vaccine only lasts for 7 years or so is it really protecting teenagers from contracting HepB? Would it be better to postpone this vax until they are teenagers or another high risk group?). I'm still educating myself on this one :)

It really isn't fair (or accurate) to assume that those of us that are pro-vaccine aren't aware of the opposing point of view or the ingredients in vaccines. I promised not to debate, and I dont' intend to, but please don't think that we're all just accepting because "they" say we need them.

Have you ever met anyone that had Hep B and recovered?! The convalescence is not pleasant.

And as for rota not being a problem in the US, it certainly is in my area - during my ped rotation, roughly 40% of the children in the hospital were there because of rota. And I assure you, plenty of them were breastfed exclusively.

Amanda

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 5, 2006

Thanks for clarifying that Marilyn Mom. I'm in line with you on this one. My problem is not with vaxxes but with the fact that they're mandatory. In every other health issue there's informed consent and we get to assess the risk/benefits for ourselves and make a decision. Why should vax be any different? The argument for mandatory vax is that everyone needs to be vaxed to have herd immunity. As far as I know, a person cannot ethically be compelled to do something that presents risk to himself in order to protect someone else. It has to be voluntary.

onehusbandsevenkids · Feb 5, 2006

It really isn't fair (or accurate) to assume that those of us that are pro-vaccine aren't aware of the opposing point of view or the ingredients in vaccines. I promised not to debate, and I dont' intend to, but please don't think that we're all just accepting because "they" say we need them.
Amanda

Okay, there is a population that do vax and aren't just accepting because they say we need them BUT what do you honestly think that percentage to be?

I would bet that the average mainstream USA mom who has had scare & guilt tactics thrown her way has not been 100% fully informed.

Heck, I was a very, very well informed & well read mother starting out, more so than anyone else I knew and I didn't know then what I know now - I only found out what I know now on my own, my own research - never, ever did a doc or nurse fully inform me of all of the issues surrounding vaccines.

I believe that to be equal to a crime. I would have done things differently.

How many mothers would have done things differently IF they had known these things that are not fully disclosed? I personally know alot of them, and most of them are shocked and feel "taken" when they learn these things. I'm a doula and parent educator and speak with alot of parents, most dont know things like this and it does matter to a good number of them.

(And thats not even addressing the lower income, less educated populations who seem to not have any choices at the local health dept.)

My nursing instructors don't even fully know these things!

pugmum · Feb 5, 2006

I am just curious, but some (not all) of you have mentioned that you do not believe that the vaccines are safe for your children because of the mercury, but feel that it is a good idea for children of third world countries to receive them. I may have missed something here, and I will go back and reread the posts. But if this is the case, why is no one advocating for the children of these countries? If you feel it is unsafe for your children, why are they not unsafe for all children?

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Feb 6, 2006

If you don't want your kids to have it, fine. But this might be a lifesaver for children in undeveloped countries.

AND for children in the US. There are kids out there who have become so sick and dehydrated from rotavirus that they HAVE died. Besides, the less I have to deal with roto-poop, the better!!!

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Feb 6, 2006

How many vaccines do children need? How many of them are actually needed? Plus there is the issue of vaccines and autism. My ped doesn't agree with the hep b vaccine so we wait until our children are required to have it for school. He doesn't also agree with the chicken pox vaccine. I am hoping my kids will get it on their own like their older siblings did.

wincha...

I have to disagree with you, as I almost DIED from the chicken pox when I was 7 years old. While I don't remember much, I can remember being in PAIN from my chickenpox associated encephalitis. Needless to say, my four year old has had her immunizations.

lsyorke, RN · Feb 6, 2006

My biggest concern with the current vaccine situation is the pure number of them. Just what are we doing when we assault this immature immune system with these mutiple vaccines?? What do we have now.. DPT, Chicken pox, Hep B, MMR, Haemophilus influenzae, Inactivated Poliovirus, varicella, pneumococcal. Now add rotovirus, then add in Hep A when they're older. My son is older now, but I would be thinking long and hard before I gave my infant all of these vaccines.

fergus51 · Feb 6, 2006

Every parent can make their own decisions on this one. Personally, if I ever have kids I would vaccinate and I assure you, I'm pretty well educated. If you wouldn't, that's your business.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Feb 6, 2006

It really isn't fair (or accurate) to assume that those of us that are pro-vaccine aren't aware of the opposing point of view or the ingredients in vaccines. I promised not to debate, and I dont' intend to, but please don't think that we're all just accepting because "they" say we need them.

I think the vast majority of "everyday" people have no clue what are in vaccines, how the work, or question anything about them--the Dr says they need them, hands them a sheet of paper, and injects them. I know most everyone I know how no clue

And I am NOT anti-vax, but I am not overly pro-vax either....I think there is a middle ground in this. My children have certain vaccines and I do too (we do choose--my children for instance will not get the HepB until the are older). I just don't like the way people in general are simply not given the education about vaccines, the risks, safety concerns, etc that we are about other medications, medical procedures, etc. I think that is fair.

And god bless my poor sister, she had HepA as a child and contracted HepB as a teenager (high risk behaviors) and recovered so I am well aware of what that is like unfortunatly. I was just mentioning that I was still researching the vaccine, looking at the pros and cons, the risks of both the disease and the vax, etc

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Feb 6, 2006

Every parent can make their own decisions

Yes, but most parents are not making *informed* decisions.

onehusbandsevenkids · Feb 6, 2006

Bottom line for me: either way I take a risk with my child - which is the lesser of the two evils? Hard to say - if you get your child vaccinated and he/she develops probelms from it, then you'll question yourself for the rest of your life. If you don't and problems develop - same thing.

However most of the things children are vaxed for these days are not things they would die from due to better living conditions, ect, ect....

A good read on this (and other child health issues) is How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor by Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn

Pray your children stay well, either way most parents would doubt & blame themselves.

Hard to be a parent....

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Feb 6, 2006

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/rotavirus.htm

Treatment: For persons with healthy immune systems, rotavirus gastroenteritis is a self-limited illness, lasting for only a few days. Treatment is nonspecific and consists of oral rehydration therapy to prevent dehydration. About one in 40 children with rotavirus gastroenteritis will require hospitalization for intravenous fluids.

It goes on to say in another part of the CDC site that virtually 100% of all children get rotovirus by the time they are 3 years old. So maybe this vaccine should be used on high risk children that do not have a healthy immune system?