I took DD6 to the doctor this morning (just for a referral to a pedi opthamologist to treat her amblyopia) and the question of vaccines came up (new pediatrician). Dd was fully vaccinated until 9 months, and had a partial set a year. No vaccines since then. So I explained my concern about vaxes and the doc respected my opinion (YAY!). But, she did highly recommend the Hepatitis A vax, because we live in a border state. Hep. A wasn't required in TN, and none of my kids have had it. So, for you vax geniuses... What do you know about the vax?
Not a vax expert and all mine are fully vax'd so take it from that perspective BUT....Hep A is not a fun experience and prevalent when I did missions work in Mexico.......so, if I lived in San Antonio, I'd get them vax'd.....we have not got the Hep A for the kids because we live in VA now. (I've had it I think but its been years ago) I am leery of the new vax that my daughter is "supposed" to have when she's a middle schooler....that new cervical cancer one. Gonna have to do all my research before that doc appt. I'm sure others will chime in with more expertise :lol:
my kids are all vaccinated. Right now in our town we have a mesils eppidimic....... from those who do not vaccinate
I am not fond of vaccinations myself. However, if there is a risk of getting Hep A, then I think I would vaccinate. If your kids have had no problems with any vaccines than chances are they will have no problems with this vaccine. It is hard decision. However, either way you play the odds...one way you risk the vax and the other way you risk Hep A. What is the greater risk? In your case it maybe Hep A.
Unless your daughter is sexually active, the vaccine is irrelevant. HPV is an STD and that's all that Guardasil protects against. Guardasil has been banned in just about every single other country except the USA because it causes ALL sorts of problems. Not the least of which is death (infertility is also a common side effect, btw). So... um... yeah... I wouldn't do it. As far as Hep A, I have no opinion either way as I have never researched it fully. I would read all you can about how it's transmitted. If it's unlikely your children would encounter it, then you can weigh different risks than if it's something spread by casual contact.
This is what I found so far. It really doesn't seem all that necessary. I am going to do more research before I make the decision. Candidates for Hepatitis A Vaccination: High-Risk Populations: Travelers to developing countries with high rates of hepatitis A, including Mexico Men who have sex with men Users of illegal drugs People who work with hepatitis A virus in research settings People who work with infected nonhuman primates Recipients of clotting factor concentrates People with chronic liver disease (because of risk of fulminant hepatitis A)
Is it contagious person-to-person, Pam? If it is, realize that you're in a city where over half of the population (and very likely more) makes regular trips to Mexico. I'd find out if it's contagious person-to-person, and if so, I'd get it were we down there. If it's NOT person-to-person contagious, though, I probably wouldn't mess with it according to that list you posted. We're in the same boat, current (with the littles) up to about 9 mos and not much if anything since then. My oldest I think is current, as he had to have them when he entered ps back in pre-k. jmho
I was a biology major in college and taking Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and other classes like that made it so I can be very comfortable about vaccinations. If you want to be better informed than you are, I recommend that you do some googling and read about the immune system and how it works. In this way you will be addressing the topic from an unslanted view. Googling the vaccines themselves is likely to run into websites that are stongly slanted pro or con. I get my kids all of the recommended vaccinations with the exception of those that are brand new. I sit and wait on those. I will in say 3-5 years when my dd's are older get them the vaccination against HPV. Hepetitus in its various forms is a nasty disease at best. My father had hepatitis when he was in the navy. He and others on his ship contracted it, it was later found after a shipwide outbreak, when they were fed partially rat meat hamburgers while ashore in Naples Italy. (late 1950-early 60's I don't remember the year, and was not around then). What he described was horrible. There were a couple of other things that they had at that time also. YUCK. At first they thought it was mono, then they thought some guys might have caught some stuff from prostitutes, but it came down to the group who all ate at a certain place. One thing to factor in is the possibility that your child could at some point in life need to take in blood during surgery, accident etc.
Thanks Amie for doing all my research!!! See I hadn't even gotten that far to know it was for just the STD related cervical cancer. My 9 year old doesn't even know the complete birds and bees conversation yet. Just got the training bra a month or so ago :lol: So, we'll be opting out of it if that's all it covers. As for the Hep A, I think that folks have gotten it from food sources (restuarant workers, etc.) so definitely check out the "how to contract Hep A" sections of medical info. I could be remembering it completely wrong and my kids are hollering that I'm late tucking them in so I can't google it myself....right this minute.
Statistically most of our dd's will deviate from the path of sexual purity that we would want for them. Additionally they could encounter an asymtomatic virgin husband who contracted it from his mother in the birth canal. They might marry a man who had previous sexual experience or does so after marriage. Just things to toss out there for the other pessimistic thinkers like myself. If you choose not to vaccinate agains HPV, please at least make sure your highschool age dd's are knowledgeable about the virus and the fact that there is a vaccine. That way they can decide as adults if they want to be vaccinated. Most cervical cancer does not show up until middle age.
Hep A is contagious person to person. That is why they recommend the vax for it. It is so easily spread. I also believe Hep B is also. Now the one you have to have contact with blood is Hep C. All I know is that Hep is a horrible disease, but A and B are preventable. I would recommend it, but it is your call.
All valid points too Vantage.....glad I have a few more years to weigh all the options :lol: I'm sure when it comes time to make the decision, I'll be polling you ladies again! Rhonda
Haven't read the other posts but our dr and public health nurse recommended the hep vax for our boys. They said you just don't know what people have these days and if they marry someone who has had s#x before they could be at risk if that person has hep. So, we decided to get our boys the series of hep shots.
[QUOTE=Actressdancer;182735 Guardasil has been banned in just about every single other country except the USA because it causes ALL sorts of problems. Not the least of which is death (infertility is also a common side effect, btw). I not sure where you are talking about, as Gaurdasil is currently available in over 85 countries, including USA, 27 EU countries, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand,and Brazil and is being considered in another 40 The vaccine can help in the prevention of cervical cancer as approx 15 types of HPV is the leading cause of the cancer I will be having my daughters vaccinated when they are older. I believe that by vaccinating them, and arming them with knowledge about their bodies/sex etc, can only help them.
I just wanted to add a comment on the Guardasil vaccine. I want my girls to be pure for marriage. I am teaching them modesty and a bit about sexuality now (they are 4 and 3 ~ the 9 month old -not teaching yet). That being said, I plan to vaccinate my girls. God forbid, but what if one of the girls was sexually assaulted? A horrible thought but 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. With some statistic citing as high as 1 in 5 will be victims. It is a horrible thought, but worth considering IMO.
That is a good point if you object to the vaccine based on a moral issue. I can't get as far as to debate morality when the vaccine is simply not safe. As long as the safety of the vaccine is an issue I will NOT make the decision to vaccinate my girls. I did not give birth to lab rats. If they choose to have the vaccine later on...you can get it until 26...then they can do that. With getting vaccines or not getting them we are all playing the odds. I don't know what the odds of my girls possibly being exposed to HPV are...but if I vaccinate I just upped the odds of some new vax causing problems. Basically, as long as it is my call...no cervical cancer shot based not on morality but on the safety of the shot. As far as Hep A....all I know is that my kids are vaccinated for it. All my kids are completely up to date on vaccines. None of my kids have ever experienced a problem with any vaccine....so it depends on the individual. Because my kids have had no issue with vaccines, if a diease was more of a risk than the vax, I would vaccinate.
I have a slightly biased op. of vax. My son had a severe reaction to the DTAP shot. He got a really high fever and had febrile seizers in less then an hour. The doc. refused to admit it was the shot. Ds hasn't had any more shots, and dd hasn't had any she is 2. I am planning on getting the kids their shots when they are older. But I am going to pick and choose which ones. Not just cart blanc everything as reccommened. We will pick and choose and do then seperately The hep are ones my kids will get. Just because of the high number of Mexicans here, and the possiblilty of Mission trips later. HPV will not be given to my dd until much later after others let their kids be lab rats. I found this article from those north of the border pretty intresting http://www.cwhn.ca/resources/cwhn/hpv.html My FIL is a microbiologist and he warned us to be careful about which vax's to give our kids, and when Here is another link for the HPV It is a watchdog group, but they have links to the FDA adverse reaction (ie death) pages. where it is a highlighted here. http://www.judicialwatch.org/6299.shtml
All types of Hepatitis runs rampant in Southern California. There are some vaccinations I wish I didn't allow Ems to have, but the Hepatitis vaccines I am glad for. I wouldn't want to take a chance with it. There are to many people who have it.
