5.05.2009

My Child Has Autism and I Vaccinate

That's the title of today's BlogHer post, in which I also come out about watching Law & Order: SVU.

If you've read this blog for the last six years, then you'll be familiar with how my attitude towards vaccinations has changed from anti- to pro-, and the very good reasons why.

And if you do feel moved to comment (and I hope you do), please remember that respectful disagreement is the preferred M.O.

http://www.blogher.com/my-child-has-autism-and-i-vaccinate

4 comments:

  1. But you didn't vaccinate your child that you had after autism because you were scared so how can you not understand someone questioning vac's. You took advantage of letting her get older before hitting her up with shots. I am going slower with children that I have had following autism and there's a chance they have benefitted from the slower schedule. So why say "I vaccinate!" when I doubt you want your 2-day old child to get stabbed for Hep B when you have autism in the family. After hearing way too many stories of significant regression following an MMR shot given to a child with a cold, I think it's safe to say pediatricians can sometimes be reckless demanding the same schedule be kept.

    There are preservatives in the shots that have not been studied so all the "studies" that have been done are not inclusive of all the risks out there... and not all the shots have been studied.

    Steph T.
    http://teach-speak.blogspot.com/

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  2. The evolution of my opinions on vaccination happened over time. My children also grew during that time. Those two processes happened in parallel. If I had a new baby I would vaccinate. Though I would likely discuss a slower and spaced schedule with my pediatrician.

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  3. Respectfully - my child has autism and I do not vaccinate.

    It scares me, but autism scares me more.

    And Squid you already know this, but for other readers yes I've kept up with the literature, I read the studies saying yes and studies saying no, and really - it might not make a difference. But it might. We don't really know yet.

    I have to say, though, that when it came down to decision time last fall, deciding NOT to vaccinate was a lot harder than I thought it would be. So I carry no judgement about anyone's choices in these tense days.

    mb

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  4. MB: Understood. I count you among the people who've done as much research as possible and have come to your own conclusions.

    I want as many other people as possible to vaccinate their children so that your children will be safer.

    The people I'm trying to reach are the ones (and the friend and families of the ones) who have no reason not to vaccinate but are allowing media-based fear to influence their decision, without doing the kind of research and without having the personal experience you've had. "Jenny McCarthy says our vaccines aren't green enough for my baby" is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

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Respectful disagreement encouraged.