What's your schedule?

Today I feel like blogging about vaccines. Just because it's heavy on my mind since we will be getting one this week. :(


I have always been rather leery of the vaccines that are injected into my little guy. Not because of the pain it causes him. No, that's temporary. More so because of the lifelong effects it may have. Do we really know what the effects are? Do we really know that it's safe and best? I've done a lot of research on the topic and we devised our own plan that we are comfortable with, as a family. I am not going to list our plan here, just because I feel like it is each person and family's responsibility to decide for themselves what is best for their situation. However, I will say that I DO feel like it is a very big deal and a huge responsibility that is very frequently overlooked by parents. All too often, we just go with what the pediatrician says. We are made to believe that they know what is best for our kids and we leave it at that. But really, all kids aren't made equal. And because of that, we chose to do a lot of research and devise a plan, along with our pediatrician, that worked for Jake. In the end, I'd rather be safe than sorry. :) Even if it does cause a few eye rolls here and there, if Jake isn't hurt by our decision and is possibly saved from any kind of damage that could occur due to the bombardment of 4 shots at once (which end up being up to 12 different immunizations when you count the combo vaccines!!!! holy cow!!!)


You know the blood brain barrier, which is required to process vaccines appropriately, is not even intact until at LEAST 6 weeks of life. By then, according to our schedules, we've already given 2 Hep B vaccines.


"The blood-brain barrier is not intact in infants until at least 6 weeks of life.  This is why a newborn with a fever must be subjected to a spinal tap to rule out menningitis.  Any virus or bacteria that a newborn is exposed to can go directly to the nervous system.  This is why the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth is so dangerous. Between 1991 and 1999, when the shot contained thimerisol, giving it at birth would have resulted in mercury crossing into the brain since the blood-brain barrier was not yet intact.  As a nurse, I'm concerned that this information about the normal timing of a blood-brain barrier forming is not more readily known.  I think this normal delay in the forming of a blood-brain barrier is an important piece of the puzzle and one of the reasons for the surge of autism in the 90's."----Mary Barbera RN, MSN


 The blood-brain barrier is immature in the infant. (Blood vessels of the brain are very selective in allowing material to pass from blood into the brain, hence the term blood-brain barrier.) This barrier allows for greater distribution of drugs into the central nervous system in the infant. All of these factors influence how a drug is distributed in the body.


I could probably go on for ages with statistics or quotes on how important educating yourself and your family on this subject is. But I'll leave it at that.


And also a diagram comparing the amount of vaccines we received as children to the amount of vaccines our children are receiving.

Also, in case you were wondering, or needed clarification... it is NOT recommended to give your child tylenol before or even AFTER vaccines. It actually LOWERS the immune response you're supposed to have, making the vaccine LESS effective. A fever is a natural immune response when the vaccine enters the body. Now, there IS a difference in a normal low-grade fever that immunizations cause and a serious fever that needs medical attention. Serious fevers after a vaccine are likely due to a reaction. I can tell you this, though... Jake has never received more than one vaccine at a time and has never had a fever afterward. Not even low-grade. So, I would be interested to know if it's just the bombardment of a ALL those immunizations at once!


Anyway, that's what's on my mind this fine Sunday (while I work) :)


Happy Sunday, my friends!!