Vaccinations and the non-PANDAS child

[lfran]

In California, you *can* pick and choose, at least in the recent past.

 

You sign an affidavit saying that you have a philosophical exemption to some or all vaccines. In my experience, the schools won't ever offer it to you and won't even tell you about it, but when you ask for it, they hand the form right over (at least, they did at both our private daycare/preschool and the public elementary school).

 

Some PANDAS kids do have exacerbations with vaccinations, esp if the child has an active infection or isn't full recovered. I do not plan on doing anymore vaccinations on my older boys (one PANDAS, one not). What my concern is what if she has the predisposition for PANDAS and it just didn't surface the last time she had strep. I'm also wrried about activating an immune system in a girl who has a family history of autommmune disorders and PANDAS in particular. Also, the MMR is one vaccine scheduled. I'm worried about that one. If she did get that one, that one is live, right? Does it shed and would my PANDAS son be exposed? Am I worrying too much? My husband said it's my decision what we do. I don't think you can pick and choose when it comes to declaring an exemption.

[thereishope]

Thank you for all your answers. I compared her vaccine charts to my boys. It seems she's due for the second MMR, DtaP, polio. My boys got those at 5 years old so perhaps I won't even have to make this decision at her 4 year appt. I read somewhere you couldn't pick and choose but now that some of you said you can, I will weigh that possibility more. I agree, that I do not feel comfortable AT ALL with a live vaccine. The question is the polio and the DTaP. I also wonder if they have now added a rotovirus to the vaccine schedule.

 

I know some kids have had negative reactions to the DTaP. I believe that was the vaccine that injured the son of the president of NVIC. I don't know if we have a separate tentanus vaccine available here. I guess I have a lot more research to do on the specific vaccines.

 

I think I will ask for titer tests to check for immunity as well. If she is immune, I will feel a sense of relief and have more in my arsonal if ceratin family find out we chose not to vaccinate. I think we will have to keep that decision private.

 

My ped didn't flinch when I passed on booster chicken pox and flu vaccines for my kids so I am hoping there isn't confrontation if I pass on vaccines for my daughter.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Vickie

[lfran]

My younger son (now 6) had all but one of his DTAPs and I didn't want to give the last one. I asked for titres to check his immunity and he was fine.

 

So you may be fine, also.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Thank you for all your answers. I compared her vaccine charts to my boys. It seems she's due for the second MMR, DtaP, polio. My boys got those at 5 years old so perhaps I won't even have to make this decision at her 4 year appt. I read somewhere you couldn't pick and choose but now that some of you said you can, I will weigh that possibility more. I agree, that I do not feel comfortable AT ALL with a live vaccine. The question is the polio and the DTaP. I also wonder if they will try to push a second pertussis now or if they have now added a rotovirus.I don't know about that.

 

I know some kids have had negative reactions to the DTaP. I believe that was the vaccine that injured the son of the president of NVIC. I don't know if we have a separate tentanus vaccine available here. I guess I have a lot more research to do on the specific vaccines.

 

I think I will ask for titer tests to check for immunity as well. If she is immune, I will feel a sense of relief and have more in my arsonal if ceratin family find out we chose not to vaccinate. I think we will have to keep that decision private.

 

My ped didn't flinch when I passed on booster chicken pox and flu vaccines for my kids so I am hoping there isn't confrontation if I pass on vaccines for my daughter.

[matis_mom]

Thank you for all your answers. I compared her vaccine charts to my boys. It seems she's due for the second MMR, DtaP, polio. My boys got those at 5 years old so perhaps I won't even have to make this decision at her 4 year appt. I read somewhere you couldn't pick and choose but now that some of you said you can, I will weigh that possibility more. I agree, that I do not feel comfortable AT ALL with a live vaccine. The question is the polio and the DTaP. I also wonder if they will try to push a second pertussis now or if they have now added a rotovirus.I don't know about that.

 

I know some kids have had negative reactions to the DTaP. I believe that was the vaccine that injured the son of the president of NVIC. I don't know if we have a separate tentanus vaccine available here. I guess I have a lot more research to do on the specific vaccines.

 

I think I will ask for titer tests to check for immunity as well. If she is immune, I will feel a sense of relief and have more in my arsonal if ceratin family find out we chose not to vaccinate. I think we will have to keep that decision private.

 

My ped didn't flinch when I passed on booster chicken pox and flu vaccines for my kids so I am hoping there isn't confrontation if I pass on vaccines for my daughter.

I just quickly wanted to mention that while browsing and trying to make the decision as to whether to vaccinate or not, I came upon an article that said polio only started being a problem after they started mass vaccination. In a study on children who contracted polio, they found that nearly all of them had been vaccinated (for something else) about a month or so before coming down with polio. Basically it said that the shots were what triggered the polio. I wish I could find that article again!

But any way, my point is, if you are NOT going to do the rest of the shots, you probably don't need to worry about polio. It is a scary thing, and that is the one vaccine I was going to give my daughter, but now I've decided not to do that one either.

On a side note, we wound up in the ER last week because baby had a fever and swollen fontanelle, so in the midst of that I was thinking maybe I should have done the menigococcal one... it turned out to be viral, but they had to do a spinal tap and all. It's never easy with kids!

[thereishope]

I heard that about causing polio with the live, oral polio vaccine, but not with the shot too. I'm glad the baby is okay:)

 

 

Thank you for all your answers. I compared her vaccine charts to my boys. It seems she's due for the second MMR, DtaP, polio. My boys got those at 5 years old so perhaps I won't even have to make this decision at her 4 year appt. I read somewhere you couldn't pick and choose but now that some of you said you can, I will weigh that possibility more. I agree, that I do not feel comfortable AT ALL with a live vaccine. The question is the polio and the DTaP. I also wonder if they will try to push a second pertussis now or if they have now added a rotovirus.I don't know about that.

 

I know some kids have had negative reactions to the DTaP. I believe that was the vaccine that injured the son of the president of NVIC. I don't know if we have a separate tentanus vaccine available here. I guess I have a lot more research to do on the specific vaccines.

 

I think I will ask for titer tests to check for immunity as well. If she is immune, I will feel a sense of relief and have more in my arsonal if ceratin family find out we chose not to vaccinate. I think we will have to keep that decision private.

 

My ped didn't flinch when I passed on booster chicken pox and flu vaccines for my kids so I am hoping there isn't confrontation if I pass on vaccines for my daughter.

I just quickly wanted to mention that while browsing and trying to make the decision as to whether to vaccinate or not, I came upon an article that said polio only started being a problem after they started mass vaccination. In a study on children who contracted polio, they found that nearly all of them had been vaccinated (for something else) about a month or so before coming down with polio. Basically it said that the shots were what triggered the polio. I wish I could find that article again!

But any way, my point is, if you are NOT going to do the rest of the shots, you probably don't need to worry about polio. It is a scary thing, and that is the one vaccine I was going to give my daughter, but now I've decided not to do that one either.

On a side note, we wound up in the ER last week because baby had a fever and swollen fontanelle, so in the midst of that I was thinking maybe I should have done the menigococcal one... it turned out to be viral, but they had to do a spinal tap and all. It's never easy with kids!

[Tenacity]

A quick note:

 

Several parents on this thread have expressed concerns about "live" vaccines. Be aware that "killed" vaccines can also trigger PANDAS/PITAND exacerbations. This happened to my son. Dr. K. indicated to us that he has seen a number of such cases, and that it may have something to do with immune complexes -- as opposed to regular antibodies.

[thereishope]

All vaccines do activate the immune system. With PANDAS and PITAND kids you want to keep their immune systems as calm as you can. It is a lot to weigh.