I need to get something off my chest. On the topic of vaccines.
I might not have mentioned that I spent a half hour googling measles symptoms yesterday night. Bet you didn't know that an unvaccinated child has a 90% chance of getting measles if exposed? (Not the most scientific source but certainly a publication reflecting the AMA advice: http://www.babycenter.com/0_measles_1417820.bc) Wait! Aren't we pro-vaccines? Yes, indeed. But the fusspot is too young for her MMR. And apparently there's been an outbreak somewhere around here. And my baby is covered ankles to the top of her head in read bumps. Bumps which look like little blisters all over her perfect pudgy body.
And I am pissed that I even have to worry about such a disease. But just like the U.S., vaccination here is a "personal choice." And daycares cannot legally exclude a child based on their choice. So if I want to work, I have to send my child to a daycare where they may be exposed to a potentially fatal disease before she is old enough to vaccinate. And there is truly nothing I can do about that. And of course even if she was vaccinated it is not 100% effective. Her health relies on the conscientious parenting of her classmates. Every morning when I drop my baby at daycare I trust that the other parents are kind and aware enough to vaccinate their children.
And well, I just found out a friend of many years has decided not to vaccinate her toddler. And more than that, to publicly proclaim her newfound belief in unscientific books and lots of prayer (for the record I have no problem with delayed vaccinations or selective ones. Chicken pox? Flu? Fine, your choice. Measles? It is super contagious, makes babies very sick, and having lived in the developing world I have seen toddlers die from far less serious diseases). And honestly, I want to send her an e-mail and tell her that her child is no longer welcome in my house. Because when they come to visit her child will have just stepped off a plane, will be traipsing around NYC (which is rather densely populated), and sharing food and toys and hugs with my beautiful fusspot.
Yes, I know we encounter unvaccinated children every day. My baby goes to daycare, to playgroup, to the park, the library, the cafe, on planes and trains and buses every month. But those are unknown risks and have a clear benefit - keeping her mama sane. This is me saying I have to draw the line somewhere, and I will not knowingly invite a fully vaccinated toddler into my apartment. And of course JD things I'm a lunatic and irrational, but how would I feel if my fusspot got sick after a visit from this little girl? It is a preventable risk, and I am pretty sure it's worth alienating a friend over.
And my baby? Consensus of her daycare workers (who see an awful lot of sick babies here) and a friend who dropped by is ... just the familiar ol' dreaded pox. The irony is delicious. The pro-vaccine mama lands up with the baby who gets the pox twice before her first birthday. Thereby making the vaccine impossible but also not guaranteeing immunity since she is so young and still breastfeeding (and thus relying on my immunity). And with that I'm off to nurse my itchy, grumpy, uncomfortable baby who nursed every hour on the hour last night.
And one more thing. Now I have to weigh the risks of giving my baby the flu jab while sick with the risks of her not getting it all (rescheduling apparently being not possible here).
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5 comments:
I support everything you said, 100 percent.
I am married to a pro-vaccine chiropractor. We did spread out her vaccines so she got them on at a time (but she got all on schedule and the inconvenience of multiple visits to accomplish this was our problem, nobody else's.
We hemmed and hawed on Chicken Pox vaccine but chose to get because LP would be in hospital multiple days for her surgery. We get her the flu vaccine to placate her pediatrician and cardiologist but generally think its B.S. And hype. Since she is not in daycare nor school and has no siblinhgs her risk is minimal.
We are anti H1 N1 vaccine. Too new, too hyped, too rushed to market.
I did a lot of research on vaccines when Emery was born. I even read an entire book on it. I mean, I like to read, but a WHOLE book on vaccines? Still, I think we all should educate ourselves on what we are putting into our children's very vulnerable and developing nervous systems.
We ended up doing a selective schedule with more spacing. We vaccinate all the major ones, but for instance, we did not do the Hep B vaccine when my girls were newborns and 2 months old. Cristian and I both have negative titres and we've opted to save that one for a few more years later.
As a side note, actually giving my children vaccines is AWFUL. I keep telling Cristian he has to take them the next time. It's worse now that Emery actually knows what they are and who gives them.
Hope fusspot gets better soon. Poor babe.
As a mama of two unvaccinated "toddlers," I just have to say that I am sorry that you are going through this yet again. :-(
I can totally see where you are coming from, and for that reason in general (herd immunity), we will eventually selectively (the important ones) vaccinate. I couldn't do it in the first year, and the pedi and I are currently hashing out our schedule. I would like to wait until two years, but it might start closer to 18m. In the first two years, a child goes through something like 80% of their brain development. I just can't make myself pump them full of chemicals and monkey kidney cells when so much change is already happening in the litle bodies.
That said, if they went to daycare and/or weren't nursing, I probably would be starting their vaccines earlier. I hope to have the twins vaccinated for the really big stuff before we have another baby because I don't think putting that baby at risk is worth it. We have been very lucky with the twins; I have been able to stay home with them, to nurse, to avoid public transit and most crowded places in general. I think that they have had three colds this year. Not bad, I'd say.
But, I can understand where you are coming from, and if I were in your situation, I would probably do things differently than I have.
Cheers.
Sorry to hear the fusspot is ill, I hope she gets better soon. The pox is going around T's daycare too and I really hope he doesn't get it.
I am so with you on the vaccine thing - especially since my mum nearly died from the measles when she was a kid and it damaged her eyesight.
I am strongly pro-vaccine, as expected from somebody with a solid scientific background :)
A chap who blogs at respectfulinsolence has many good points to make about the pseoduscience that gets thrown around in regards to vaccination. It's almost un-trendy to call it like it is about that sort of thing these days...
But.
I didn't come here to spark vaccine debate- I came today because, dear blogger, I have yet to recieve your confirmation email to MY sing out for the xpol this year.
Could you do an absent minded lady a favour and check your spam filter and give me an email? :)
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