“Stop reading books and listen to your doctor.”
Yes, someone uttered those words to me. Before I explain the full story, I have to just say that telling someone who is working on a PhD in ENGLISH to stop reading books is beyond stupid. Sure the person does not know that about me, but I’m pretty sure my occupation, as well as my husband’s occupation are in the file. We are both teachers… who tells a teacher to stop reading books? Seriously?!?! That has to be the most ignorant thing someone has said to me so far this year.
Okay back to the story. Baby S is now 9.5 weeks old, so we took him for his 2 month checkup and shots this past Saturday. At his 1 month checkup, we mentioned to the doctor that we would like to consider a delayed vaccination schedule and potentially opt out of some of the vaccines altogether. He was fine with discussing this and just told me to make sure I checked credible sources. I promised him that I wouldn’t get my research from wikipedia and that was it. So, I did research. I purchased Dr. Sears’ book, The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, and read through the details on the vaccinations he’ll be receiving in the next few months. Dr. Sears is a board certified pediatrician, and he has a pretty good reputation in the natural parenting world. Dr. Sears breaks down what exactly is each vaccine and the different brands. He tells you what questions to ask and which brands he prefers to use on his patients. So, I wrote down a list of questions and made sure to bookmark the version of his alternative vaccination schedule that I wanted to use.
The doctor over the practice was not in on Saturday, but we saw the nurse practitioner and I’ve met her before, so I felt okay. She told us about the shots he was getting that day, and I told her I would like to do a modified schedule and showed her the schedule in the book. She said she would need to check if our doctor does this and she would be back. She took the book to make a copy of the schedule for Baby S records. I wasn’t too worried about it. I told Mr. S that I shouldn’t have asked her if it was okay I should have simply stated this is what we have chosen to do. We’re working on me being more assertive, which is why he let me handle the conversation plus I did all the reading.
A few minutes go by, and the medical assistant who administers the shots comes back in with the book.
Her: Where did you get this book?
Me: Amazon… thinking she’s interested in it.
Her: Stop reading books and listen to your doctor.
Me: *blank stare* I was silent for a moment and didn’t really know how to react to her at all.
Her: Your son will have to come to the doctor more and he’s going to associate every doctor’s visit with getting shots.
Me: *still silent but thinking* She does realize that most children will receive a shot at every doctor’s visit anyway, unless they are coming in for a “sick visit.”I finally find my voice and calmly explain that we decided to do it this way to limit the amount of aluminum he receives per day.
Her: They don’t put aluminum in shots anymore.
Me: Uhh yes they do…
At this point, I am seething on the inside. I’m thinking to myself that I have 2.5 degrees from research one universities, so while I am not a medical professional, I do know how to analyze and critique research. I decided to just be quiet, because once I’m on there’s no turning me off and someone will end up with their feelings hurt and it will not be me.
In a last ditch effort to get me to change my mind, they come in and tell me that if we follow this schedule he will not have all his Polio vaccinations by the time he starts school, so am I planning on homeschooling. I told them my husband is a teacher we know what he needs for school and we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I then looked at the chart again and realized that he will have them in time, because he will receive the last Polio shot (if we decide to get it because this is one we are considering opting out) at age 4. Baby S turns 4 in March, and he will start school that following August. Not to mention there are tons of parents who opt out of vaccinations completely and they do not have to home school. It’s a personal choice.
This is the schedule we’re using aside from the fact that I hadn’t read this book or done any research prior to him being born on vaccinations, so he’s already received two of the Hep B shots and I’ll have to remind them not to give them to him again. I will likely opt out of the third set of that series though. I am also considering postponing his MMR shot until he’s a bit older, since this is the most controversial shot in the autism debate.
As you can see he will still receive all his shots he just does not receive more than one shot containing aluminum at a time, and we have to go to the doctor more often than if we followed the recommended schedule. Baby S will not be going to daycare and I’m exclusively breastfeeding, so the likelihood of him contracting these diseases is small.
I know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding people choosing to opt out of vaccinations, but I was not at all prepared for the experience we had this past weekend. As Baby S mom, I will always do what I feel is best for him and in my opinion that is getting him vaccinated but doing it at a much slower rate than the current practice. I will admit that they had me second guessing myself, but my husband reassured me in the car and all that evening that I had done my research and we are not putting him at risk unnecessarily.
Do you vaccinate? What has been your experience when it comes to vaccinations?
P.S. I may be tempted to play this song the next time I see that medical assistant…
