Nurses children and vaccinations, how do you feel?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am on another forum that is very anti-vaccinations for children (or anyone for that matter), and it got me thinking how do nurses and other healthcare workers feel about vaccinations and anti-vaxer's. Most of the posters on that forum are very hostile to anyone in healthcare and no matter what a healthcare worker posts it is always wrong or they are spying for "The Man". :uhoh3: They tend to see healthcare workers as uninformed, uneducated, and uncaring. How do you feel about vaccinations for yourself or children? Do you ever have people that are very anti-vaccination and what reasons do they give? And do you think that most people that decline vaccination are informed about or understand the effects of the route they are taking? I am not trying to judge, I am just very curious.

HPV is linked to the process of turning cells "immortal" which leads to the cancer process. So vaccination against HPV is preventive by definition against the cancer process.

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The parents with concerns have a valid concern. There are indeed problems with vaccines. We in the healthcare fields know this.

Having said that I am very pro vaccine. Research has show us that for the vast majority of people and children the benefits of many vaccines far out weight the risks.

Not everyone should receive every vaccine that is out there. In fact we do not all receive every vaccine. There are some that are reserved for only certain class of people such as travelers to certain countries etc.

There are a few people and children who have had bad things happen as a result of a particular vaccine. These people should be in the future careful about any vaccine and parents have good reason to be concerned about the siblings of any child with a bad reaction or result receivening the same vaccine.

One must keep in mind that the percentages of those who actually have a bad experience with the most common vaccines are very very low. Yet we should not ignore it nor ignore the concerns of parents (missinforomed or otherwise).

We need to keep in mind that in the USA at least that vaccination is so prevalent and common that we do not have to worry execssively about a few who may adamently refuse. Thier likely hood of catching the disease is lessened by the fact that most of us are vacinnated and will not pass the disease to them.

My sister's child got small pox from the vaccine. Her doctor then refused to vaccinate her subsequent children. It was quite a number of years later that they discontinued giving that vaccine based on the fact that the only receint cases of small pox were from the vaccine it self.

We do know in a small number of cases there are other ill effects from different common vaccines. We also know this to be true with less common vaccines (such as those reserved for travelers) That is why every vaccine is not offered or even recomended to everyone. The benefit must out weigh the risks. If that were not the case there would be little reason not to vaccineate everyone with every vaccine that exists.

a vaccine is a drug we know there is no such thing as a benign drug.

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Specializes in Peds, GI, Home Health, Risk Mgmt.
My daughters will be. Even if she doesn't have sex until she is married, her husband may have and he can infect her. You can get the strains of HPV that cause cancer at any time and I want her to be safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released their review and recommendations for cervical cancer and the new HPV vaccine: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr56e312a1.htm?s_cid=rr56e312a1_e

(Continuing nursing ed credits available later this month on this article). :)

HollyVK

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Not according to the CDC...

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/thimerosal/faqs-availfree.htm#1

It seems that the only vaccines that still contain mercury (thimerosal) are some flu vaccines (though you can get preservative-free if you look for it) and some tetorifice-diphtheria boosters for kids over the age of seven.

Now, fine, there is a chance that there is 0.0002% of mercury left in the vaccines given to our babies and toddlers. Does the anti-vaccine community really believe that this possible 0.0002% is actually continuing to cause problems like allergies and autism? I think we need to start looking elsewhere in our community for the triggers for these things. A lot more things have changed since the rise in autism besides the increase in childhood vaccines. When I was a kid, we didn't have antibacterial soaps and household cleaners, microwaves, cordless or cellular phones, etc. We also grew up getting TONS of fresh air (even in the winter) and eating a lot of fresh food instead of all the fast food and preservative-laden snacks that kids eat today.

I'm not going to risk my daughter's health because there is a chance of her being exposed to a possible 0.0002% of mercury in the vaccines she got last week at her 2-month check-up.

Honestly, I'm risking her life and health more by simply strapping her into the corificeat, driving on these crazy streets, and taking her to the pediatrician's office where tons of sick kids are sneezing on the magazines in the waiting room...

Keep in mind that while companies are no longer producing many vaccines with thimerosol, the shelf like of vaccines is very long and most being currently given still contain it. Also, Hep B vaccine contains thimerosol (per CDC website reference above).

I find it strange that those willing to inject their children with known harmful substances because it's what everyone does are considered informed while those who research and make their own decision are considered ignorant. I'm not saying that those who vax aren't informed, just that I believe the majority of people who do vax have done absolutely no research.

My decision not to vaccinate my son is based on my son's health problems. My decision to vaccinate my daughter stemmed from the fact that she has no health problems. My son will be vaxed accordingly before he goes to school- assuming his health problems are resolved. I believe that is when my responsibility to public health is strong enough to make that decision.

ITA about crazy drivers, I was never so nervous as bringing my first child home from the hospital. It's like they can't even see my "Baby on Board" sign ;)

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Specializes in NICU.
Keep in mind that while companies are no longer producing many vaccines with thimerosol, the shelf like of vaccines is very long and most being currently given still contain it. Also, Hep B vaccine contains thimerosol (per CDC website reference above).

If a clinic or doctor's office has "old stock" then yes, there might still be thimerosol in the vaccines. But all you have to do is ask around - I did and my pediatrician (who has a baby of his own) assured me that his office has completely switched over to the thimerosol-free vaccines. And the link I provided also mentions the Hepatitis B vax - there is a preservative-free version for infants and children. As a NICU nurse, I can tell you that we've been giving this for several years and the label is highlighted in bright orange to signify that it is indeed the infant and children's preservative-free type.

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If a clinic or doctor's office has "old stock" then yes, there might still be thimerosol in the vaccines. But all you have to do is ask around - I did and my pediatrician (who has a baby of his own) assured me that his office has completely switched over to the thimerosol-free vaccines. And the link I provided also mentions the Hepatitis B vax - there is a preservative-free version for infants and children. As a NICU nurse, I can tell you that we've been giving this for several years and the label is highlighted in bright orange to signify that it is indeed the infant and children's preservative-free type.

That's good for most who are concerned, at least. Unfortunately in our Military Treatment Facility they have the old kind and do not order the thimerosol-free only because the parents request it.

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That supposed "old stock" is certainly long "out of date" by now. You doc certainly should not be giving out of date vac's.

Like most parents who are honest about it, my son's autism was apparant shortly if not immediately after birth and had nothing to do with his 12-18 month vac's.

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Specializes in Perinatal, Education.
That supposed "old stock" is certainly long "out of date" by now. You doc certainly should not be giving out of date vac's.

Like most parents who are honest about it, my son's autism was apparant shortly if not immediately after birth and had nothing to do with his 12-18 month vac's.

I have also heard my friends who have an autistic child that they noticed something not quite right from the beginning--certainly before they were a year old. Then I've also heard of other children starting out normally and then things changing either suddenly or gradually over time during the preschool years. It is puzzling, and I can certainly see why people are confused. Especially when there are few answers.

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Wow, you sound like my kind of weirdo!:coollook: Call us eccentric, it sounds more dignified! Free and independent thinkers.

P-RN I've never heard of colleges asking about vaccinations. My 4 grown sons have had no problems, two are presently in college. My oldest was briefly in the Navy and thus was vaccinated against everything under the sun, of course.

I went to the University of Iowa, and at that time (early 1990s), they did require proof of measles immunity. I don't remember about anything else.

At Christmas, my dad asked me about "Evidence of Harm", that book that says vaccines cause autism, and I told him to get it from the library first. No, I haven't read it, but the people I have seen online who did were the colander-on-the-head types. Google "MMR conspiracy" and be prepared to get an eyeful.

If nothing else, people MUST be immunized against tetorifice because it is ubiquitous in soil bacteria and the disease is 100% preventable.

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I feel the same way about this one. I can see where from a public health standpoint it may help since there will always be those who continue to have early unprotected sex. However, as you said, HPV is quite preventable without the vaccine. At my last physical, I was offered the HPV vaccine but did not take it--why would I need to take it if I'm going to wait until I'm married to have sex? Totally unnecessary and I'd rather not be the guinea pig for such a new vaccine. Like many of you, I am generally pro-vaccination but am leery of the newer ones until they have been out a while and shown to be safe and effective.[/quote']

The HPV mandate idea has since been rejected, and I think it should be voluntary BUT offered to males as well. But do remember that people can and do get HPV or other sexually transmitted diseases from rape and sexual abuse, and what if you married a man who has been married before, and he was never with anyone else but his wife was and gave him something? It's a complicated thing.

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this reminded me of my favorite person and musician, Neil Young, who was vaccinated against polio yet he contracted it when he was a little boy. He had to reteach himself how to walk, he is emaciated from the disease and I imagine polio was partly responsible for the violent seizures he has, now. Maybe he took the live vaccine, I don't know. But in his case he might have been better off not having a vaccine at all.

I'm not a big Neil Young fan, so I did not know that about him. Might it have contributed to his having two disabled children as well?

He could possibly have been a victim of the Cutter incident, where children were given insufficiently weakened polio vaccine. Here's a book about it.

http://www.amazon.com/Cutter-Incident-Americas-Vaccine-Growing/dp/0300126050/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199250875&sr=1-1

Which reminds me, I should go to the library tomorrow and see if they have it as I've wanted to read it for some time.

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I vaccinated my chlidren, but I was very angry that my pediatrician didn't give me the option of one of the vaccines (not sure which one), could be given mercury free.

I only discovered this when a friend, who has a son the same age as my twins, stated that her pediatrician gave her the option...had it even been offered, I would have elected to go mercury free (unless that is all her practice gave...I'll probably never know).

I personally, think the entire autism/vaccine connection is simply some children are not going to react the same to vaccinations, and some will have permanent effects from them...just like not all drugs have the same reactions in all people, and some have very rare reactions.

Millions of children receive them every year, and have no side effects...however, that is of no comfort to a mother who walked into the ped's office with a perfect child, and then a couple of days later, noticed that something wasn't right.

To me, it doesn't take an MD to put two and two together.

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