One of the (few) things Devin and I put off researching before Laurel was born was the very thorny topic of vaccinations. You wouldn’t think this would be a thorny topic at all, what with how vaccinations have saved millions of lives that could otherwise be lost to polio, whooping cough, measles, etc., but it is — especially in San Francisco, where people host parties to expose children to the chicken pox. When we were kids, I don’t remember vaccinations being an issue, but since the rumors kicked up that vaccines are somehow related to autism, suddenly people are much more interested in avoiding the slight chance of autism (a connection that has been disproven) than in avoiding the, say, 1 in 100 chance their child will die of pertussis if he or she is unlucky enough to get sick.
We thought we might turn out to be the sort of parents who wanted to delay vaccines a while, so as not to overload Laurel’s system with pathogens. One thing that has changed over time is that kids get more and more vaccinations. By the age of six months, it’s recommended that kids get three sets of shots, protecting them against nearly a dozen different things, some of which they can’t get unless they have sex or share needles with someone. So, while I was at home laid up with a nasty bout of mastitis, Devin trundled off to a several-hour panel on vaccinations, and came home with a sheaf of notes from the opinions of child-health experts, homeopaths, Wiccans-or-something, and a couple of middle-of-the-road types. After talking about it, and realizing just how many things Laurel could be exposed to on your average Muni ride with dozens of passengers, any one of whom could have just stepped off a plane from Sri Lanka or Tanzania, we decided we’d play it safe and get her vaccinated against most things as quickly as possible. Plus, because I wasn’t making enough milk to satisfy her nutritional needs, it seemed like I wasn’t providing her with a full set of immunities, either.
In addition, one of our baby friends — a girl who was born two days before Laurel and delivered by the same midwife — contracted pertussis when she was just three weeks old. Her father drives a taxicab and, after being exposed to whooping cough, probably by a client, came home with a cough. In adults pertussis is mild, but the little girl was in the hospital for roughly two weeks. She was lucky to be one of the ones who didn’t die from it, but she was still coughing for weeks afterward. And this was before she was old enough to be vaccinated.
So Laurel has had most of her shots up until now, and she’s taken them well. She cries a little at the injections, and is maybe a little fussier or more tired for a day or two afterward, just like we are when we get shots.
Still, we waffled recently when deciding whether to get flu shots for her. We debated whether having the flu would be very serious for her, or whether she’d build better immunity by getting sick than she would by being vaccinated. We held off until a couple of weeks ago, and then decided that all of us should be vaccinated, both against seasonal flu and H1N1. Our research suggests that the flu is generally mild for babies, but in a few cases can be severe and fatal, just as with adults. Our pediatrician’s office says its patients have only had mild cases of H1N1, but that’s been in children old enough to describe their symptoms; we felt babies are still pretty vulnerable. Of course, now we’re waiting to see when — and whether — they will get any of the H1N1 vaccine. We’ve already done the first round of seasonal flu shots (babies get two, while adults get just one), and although she’s been sick for a few days, the bug seems unrelated.
Living in this city does mean treading carefully when it comes to other people’s opinions. Many do choose not to vaccinate, or to delay vaccinations until a child is older. If you’re like us and generally feel they’re a good idea, it can be tempting to ask someone what on Earth is going through their minds. But for those whose kids don’t ride public transit, don’t play with other babies and are generally more isolated from disease, it may make sense to wait or not vaccinate at all (or at least until the child is old enough to decide for him- or herself). Still, vaccinations are about protecting the community as much as the child, and that’s yet another reason we’re choosing to vaccinate Laurel — because so many of her peers aren’t getting the same protection.
– Beth
James said,
November 4, 2009 at 10:11 am
Well thought out and expressed, Beth. I agree with your views and actions as well. Having been born in the 40’s, I’ve had many a needle in my small body with some scars to show for it. But I’ve never contracted any of what the vaccinations where designed to prevent.
I’m cautious as well about inducing an agent into my system and some years I choose not to get a flu shot. That decision is usually based on how I feel, strangely enough, and how strong I feel my immune system is at the time. I don’t know if I can explain that any better but given my history with a major disease I have a sense of what’s working and how well that is always with me now. I listen.
Yours and Devin’s decisions are sound and well investigated. With the pathogens that are floating around on this planet now those decisions could save a life and probably will.
I always enjoy reading your thoughts and processes, Beth. Look forward to seeing you, and the family soon. Have a beautiful day.
Tara said,
November 4, 2009 at 11:42 am
It sounds like you guys did all the right research and came to a reasoned decision. Laurel can continue licking the things in the park, now!
I think I had shots for measles, rhubella (rhuwhatta?), and polio as a baby, but I don’t think the shot-suite included much else.
I can see wanting to protect one’s child, and I’d probably be inclined to go the same route. But I wonder sometimes about how much weaker (based on completely cursory research and analysis) “we” seem to be, based on the popularity of these highly recommended, new-fangled vaccinations. Parent friends these days seem to lose their minds over the possibility of chicken pox in their kids, though it was a rite of passage for us in second grade. Etc.
Jennifer Crispin said,
November 4, 2009 at 12:47 pm
What one has to remember is that while most children come out of chicken pox none the worse for wear, except for maybe a few scars from pox they couldn’t stop scratching, it does lead to serious complications for some. My high school guidance counselor’s daughter died from it. As far as I know, she didn’t have any prior medical conditions to indicate that she was at any particular risk.
Anyway, Beth, I agree that this was a very measured and well-thought out post. I try to talk about vaccines in a calm manner on occasion, but at some point my brain boggles over and I always seem to end up in a rant.
Also, while I’m sure you’d rather get the H1N1 vaccine sooner rather than later, there is some evidence to support that if a child has been vaccinated for *any* other flu more than a month previous to receiving H1N1, then that child would only need one shot, not two.
I’d still keep bugging your local health department anyway. She’s in one of the highest level risk groups, I’d be surprised if some isn’t made available to you soon.
thecarrawayseed said,
November 4, 2009 at 12:51 pm
We could have gotten it from the Health Dept. last week, but we would have been waiting hours in incredibly long lines — not that feasible with a young baby who wants to nap every couple of hours. Plus, I was a little worried about what either of us might pick up while waiting in line. It’s just as well we didn’t, because we were both sick by the end of the week anyway, with something else.
azfree said,
November 4, 2009 at 12:54 pm
With all the messages pro and con vaccines, sometimes its hard to know which way to go. But I personally believe you made the right decision — particularly based on the logic behind it. It is a decision we also struggled with. Our doctor was telling us one thing, and our friends were telling us other things. And the media isn’t generally helpful on such matters. I think one of the hardest parts about being a parent is trying to make the right decisions for your child to protect them at all costs.
mooseloon said,
November 7, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I really like your well thought out decision. You also get to a point that a lot of people miss- vaccination is for the good of the population as well as the kid who is vaccinated. If there are a few un-vaccinated (or whom the vaccine doesn’t take hold in) they are generally protected by being too small/isolated population for the disease to really take hold & infect the vulnerable.
I generally agree with vaccination; i’m not really sure i’m down with vaccinating babies against the “only gotten from sex/needles” diseases until they’re a little older though.