[blparent] immunizing.

[Shannon Wells]

I'm not going to argue vaccinating or not, but I thought it was a law that a 
child had to have certain vaccinations in order to go to public school. Is 
this not the case? Also, maybe this is an oversight on my part, but I have 
never heard anything before now about autism caused by a vaccination. My 
husband has read all the info the docs have given us and hasn't said a 
thing. Nor, has any nurse or doctor mentioned it. When my 3 year old was 1 
and we took her to get shots, her pediatrition informed my husband and me 
that we too could get a flu shot for free. We said no, and guess what, next 
march, here I was with the flu and strep throat at the same time. Lemme tell 
ya, that weren't fun. But, next time, given the choice, I'll have to think 
hard on which would be worse...flu or shot. As I've said, I won't discuss 
whether to do it or not, because it seems to be pretty touchy, but I always 
comfort myself with the knowledge that my girls will never remember the 
pain. How do I know? I don't remember, at least, up to a certain age I 
don't.
Shannon Nicole Wells
author of WILD HEART
Staff Writer for POETIC MONTHLY MAGAZINE
http://www.christianhomeplace.com
http://www.poeticmonthly.com
http://www.myspace.com/shannonnicolewells
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at pcdesk.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 7:19 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] immunizing.


> Hi, Shannon.  Whether or not to immunize a baby is a controversial subject 
> that has been a source of contention on this list before, so hopefully it 
> won't be this time.
>
> I had heard about possible dangers to immunization, and Gerald, in 
> particular, was on the fence about it.  There were two things that 
> eventually helped us decide to go forward with the immunizations on the 
> schedule recommended by our pediatrician.
>
> First, Gerald and I both had pertussis (whooping cough) a few years ago. 
> I gave it to him, actually, after having contracted it where I worked on a 
> college campus.  For months, we both had coughing fits that were so bad we 
> would end up gasping for air--or "whooping" which is where the name of the 
> cough came from.  We would wake up at night feeling like we were getting 
> suffocated.  I coughed so hard I pulled an abdominal muscle, and I cracked 
> three ribs, two on the left and one on the right side, so then I was 
> wearing a tight bandage around the middle because the coughing hurt like 
> hell. Eventually, the cough subsided, and Gerald and I were none the worse 
> for wear.  But I could easily see how a cough like that would be deadly 
> for a young child or an elderly person.  A baby would just tear its little 
> body apart coughing.  A friend of mine said she got pertussis when she was 
> nine years old, and she remembers throwing herself to the floor and 
> sobbing because she was so sore and tired of hacking her lungs out.
>
> The second thing that swayed Gerald and I toward immunization was our 
> pediatrician.  He was passionate about immunization, and not in an "I'm 
> the doctor and I know best" kind of way.  He told us that he had worked at 
> the children's hospital in Denver for fifteen years, and he had treated 
> many children and seen some of them die needlessly because their parents 
> had chosen not to have them vaccinated.  It was heartbreaking to see 
> children with their lives cut short when there could have been a way to 
> save them. Some of the diseases for which babies are vaccinated, once 
> almost eradicated in this country, are making strong comebacks.
>
> I don't know if vaccination is completely safe.  It's been wrenching to 
> see Sarah get so many injections at once each time, usually three or four 
> shots. I've been worried about autism or allergic reactions every time 
> Sarah has gone in for her shots, especially when she was a tiny and 
> vulnerable newborn.  I don't presume to judge anybody else for making a 
> different decision because it would be tragic if immunizations harmed 
> their babies. But especially having had pertussis and seen how serious it 
> could be--and it's one of the more mild diseases on the vaccination 
> list--I'll take a deep breath and let the nurses give Sarah the injections 
> in her thighs when she goes for her next pediatric visit at a year old. 
> To me, it seems like the best way to keep my baby safe, and all I can do 
> is weigh the options and make the choice that I think is most wise for 
> Sarah.
>
> I did enough research to find out that if you decide not to vaccinate, you 
> need to get forms from your pediatrician or your county health department 
> that say you didn't give your consent for immunizations.  Those forms can 
> be used in place of the proof of vaccination when a child enters daycare 
> or public school, though I don't know if all daycare centers have to 
> accept unvaccinated children.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> It is easy--terribly easy--to shake a man's faith in himself. To take 
> advantage of that to break a man's spirit is devil's work. Take care of 
> what you are doing. Take care.--George Bernard Shaw in "Candide"
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Shannan Zinck" <shannanzinck at gmail.com>
> To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 1:44 PM
> Subject: [blparent] immunizing.
>
>
>> Ok, here is an area of major conflict for me especially. I am visually
>> impaired as a result of Rubella Syndrome so you can imagine my dilemma 
>> here.
>> To immunize or not that is the question. There is endless controversy on
>> this subject. I know 2 kids that are Autistic and it seems to be a result 
>> of
>> their 18 month needle yet if people don't immunize then the risk of 
>> Rubella
>> comes back and could potentially kill countless unborn children. I have 
>> also
>> heard that there is a connection with needles and SIDS. Man I know that 
>> you
>> can't buy into everything that is said but, who is right here anyway. 
>> First
>> they say that needles are great and now doctors push for them and you're
>> faced with ticking them off because you don't know if want to get it done 
>> or
>> not. Docs around here make it sound manditory so it's hard to argue with
>> them about it. They don't seem to give you the option of not doing it. 
>> It's
>> funny but, I can see how getting it done could be harmful considering you
>> are pumping small amounts of disease into your kid yet the later affects 
>> can
>> be potentially fatal as well. I hate making these decisions. UGH.
>>
>> -- 
>> Shannan Zinck
>> Survival is letting GOD take over!!!
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>
>
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