Hello. I haven't read all the replies, nor will I. This is a real hot-button issue. I'll just try to describe my situation, in case it helps lend another perspective.
I had my son two years ago at the age of 41. I have multiple chemical sensitivity (which is just a way of saying my body has toxic overload) which I tried to address before he was born. I had all of my mercury fillings removed. I stopped using deodorant with aluminum. I replaced teflon pots. I stopped eating canned food. I only eat organic, free range, wild, etc food. Many, many other changes to help me detox. I doubt these changes did much good, but every little bit helps. I didn't drink coffee while pregnant or trying to conceive. I exercised. I took no OTC drugs. But I knew my son would be born at a toxic disadvantage compared to a baby born to the average healthy 25 year old.
I wanted to spread out the vaccines, but our pediatrician wasn't very accommodating. He agreed to postpone the Hep B at birth, but the hospital administered the Vitamin K shot against my wishes. At his 2 month visit for shots, the pediatrician said they were out of the normal course they give, so he would break the shots up into two separate visits. At the 4 month visit for shots, they had the Pediatrix 5-in-1 back in stock, so my son got that, as well as HiB and Prevnar. My son reacted very, very badly. It was terrifying, as a parent. He screamed and was inconsolable for three days. He stared at the wall. He would not make eye contact with us. I have learned this is from brain swelling from the vaccines. I have also learned this combination of vaccines contained approx 975 micrograms of aluminum.
For the 6 months shots, the doctor agreed to break them up again into two visits, as we had done at the 2 month visit. the doctor also insisted my son get a flu shot, against my husband and my wishes. he was insistent. My husband had the flu earlier in the year, and had not given it to my son. It was late March, yet the doctor was adamant. My son reacted horribly and had all of the symptoms of the flu for 5+ days. Later, when we introduced eggs, he was 'sensitive' to them (ie he vomited for hours and hours). I have a strong suspicion this has to do w/ the flu shot he was given.
My son exhibited many indicators parents describe of their kids who later go on to develop regressive autism:
- He was a terrible sleeper for the first 2 years, never waking up less than 4 times per night.
- He wasn't good about making eye contact, and often stared up at ceilings and fans. He was generally fearful around others.
- He was late to walk and talk.
- He had food sensitivities.
- He has eczema.
- He was born to older parents.
Most importantly, he had several previous bad reactions to vaccines. This matches how many parents describe their children who go on to develop regressive autism. The stories are all very similar, 'my son had several bad reactions to vaccines, and then finally he had the worst reaction of all, stopped talking, and slipped into a dark hole from which he never recovered'.
We decided not to proceed with the MMR vaccine at 12 months. I started reading studies. I didn't find any that were convincing one way or the other. Most are funded by the pharmaceutical companies, and if you read the study critically you find obvious flaws. We interviewed other doctors, and found some who admitted they didn't think all of the vaccines on the recommended schedule are needed, and that it may be beneficial to draw them out, and not group so many together. I found that the available science wasn't really very good. If anyone has studies they think are designed well and represent good science, please send them to me. I am receptive to reading them.
I investigated risk. I evaluated the risk of each disease against the risk of the vaccine. People are quick to blame me, and say things like "if you don't get your son vaccinated for measles, you're putting children at risk who can't tolerate vaccines." Well, from my perspective, my son is one of those at risk. I am not willing to risk his brain. I may be blamed for putting unborn babies at risk. But you can't look at this one risk of complications from measles in a vacuum. When you decide to drive your car every day, you put people at risk (and this is just the decision to drive, not even considering if you speed, run a red light, or make a phone call while driving). If you decide to keep a weapon in your house for self defense, you put everyone at risk who enters your house in the future. Doctors will recommend amniocentesis even though that carries a 1 in 200 to 1 in 400 risk of killing the child. They think this is an acceptable risk. Yet they don't think it's acceptable to risk getting measles (with an estimated 1 in 1000 cases ending in death). We weight risk every day. In my mind, most people take far greater risks all the time than the risks associated with not getting vaccines. I understand the concern is when you put other people at risk, but everyone around me takes actions to put my family at risk every day. I believe the three biggest killers of children are car accidents, drownings and guns. Those things are risks we can control, but we chose not to. So to summarize this paragraph, I think people don't do a very good job at looking holistically at risk.
I've probably written enough for today. I did a ton of investigation, and came to the conclusion for my son, that it wasn't worth the risk for him to get the MMR at 12 months. I don't know if we'll resume vaccines, but he's developing really, really well now. I can't completely discount anecdotal evidence from parents who have witnessed vaccine reactions, because I have been a parent whose observations have been ignored by doctors. I have witnessed a brain reaction to combination vaccines. I do not believe sufficient studies have been done, and would like to see better, independently done, science.