vaccines

This week, I took Nathan to get his MMR shot.  If you're shot savvy, then you know that this is usually one that is given around 12 months.  If you know that Nathan is now 20 months old, then you also realize that we are behind schedule.  We have chosen to spread out some of Nate's vaccine's to avoid getting multiple live virus vaccines at once.  This choice has made things much trickier than I had expected.  I really didn't realize that making such choices was so unusual or would be met with such resistance.

The reason behind delaying some of Nathan's vaccines is due to the possible correlation of vaccines to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Please note that I said possible.  I know that this has not been proven (and have been reminded of this fact by more than one health care professional as of late). However, I think there are enough studies out there to indicate that there is at least the possibility that these two are related.  

I have read about all this in depth, I have friends who have dealt with these issues personally, and unfortunately we are dealing with some of these issues ourselves.  I won't go into what all factors would/could line up to make multiple vaccines dangerous for some children, but I really do believe that it's not the best thing for our kids. 

We haven't always felt this way, but over the past 2 years we have come to realize that one of our children does have some developmental delays that are symptomatic of an ASD.   Without going into all that, I will just say that we have what I believe to be justifiable concerns.

Anyway, when I broached this subject with our healthcare facility, we were told that all vaccines were mandatory and have to be given on schedule.  Not alternate schedule.  No flexibility.  If I wanted to do something different, I would have to go through the Public Health Dept.  If I brought him into our normal facility, he would be given ALL of the shots he needed, no matter how many that may be. 

 (By the way, the typical 12 month old is given around 9 vaccinations at once.  Nine.  In the form of 3-4 shots.  And here's a fun fact: 3 of these are live viruses... if you get a live virus vaccine alone, you have to wait 4 weeks before you can get another one.  Unless you get them all at once.... then I suppose you can get as many as you want??  Does that make sense?)

Anyway, we have jumped through the hoops.  I have waited for 2 1/2 hours in the waiting room of a local health department, just so I could be treated like nothing short of a child abuser by the nurse who accused me of neglect for not "fully" vaccinating my child.  I didn't even bother explaining again that I will be vaccinating my child, only not all at once.  Besides, she was so busy judging me, I don't think she would have heard me anyway.

Well, by hook or by crook, Nathan is vaccinated now, and we did it in the way we thought was best for him.  But I had to jump through flaming hoops to get there.  Did it make a difference?  No idea.  Will this prevent some type of damage to his brain or his immune system?  Maybe, maybe not.  The point is that I don't know.  And as long as I don't know (and no one else does either), we're going to do what we think is the safest for our children.

What has bothered me most about the whole situation is being treated like a criminal because *obviously* the government knows what's best for my children.  And *obviously* I don't.  I haven't enjoyed this small peek into "the good of the masses" superseding the rights of the individuals.  I am a parent who is trying to do what is best for my child, and I would like to be free to do that.  

Socialized medicine, anyone?  No thank you.