The good sergeant (that’d be me) is going to be a dad anytime between tomorrow and a month from now. As such I’ve been spending a lot of time researching whether or not to vaccinate my kid. Fortunately, living in one of the last free states I’m not compelled by law to vaccinate my kids at all. In doing my research I’m very much concerned about the safety and necessity of some of these vaccinations. As it stands now we’ve decided that:
Yes= tetanus, rubella (if we have a daughter)
No= hepB, diptheria, polio, rotavirus, mumps, varicella, hepA
Maybe= pertusis, PCV, Hib, measels
What are some of your experiences in vaccinating your kids?
Also, in the event the little crumb cruncher turns out to be a boy I’m not planning on getting him cut. The health reasons don’t seem to be there and I figure if he wants it bad enough he can do it at 18. Nobody ever asked me.
In any case I’m not calling anyone’s parenting into question. I just know that I’m about to get a crash course on being a dad and want to make sure I get it right.
its absurd that were seeing outbreaks of measles and mumps in schools because parents are refusing these vaccinations with no reason other than “i heard its bad”.
and with health care costs the way they are now, its absurdly cheaper to get vaccinations than have to go emergency rooms or doctor visits for drugs. most of these diseases are high infectious with 60-90% infection rates, your kids most likely WILL get them.
breaking down herd immunity is also terrible for public health and can cause serious problems.
this anti-vaccination movement is pretty irresponsible, and weird since it grew out of the hardcore vegan movement, into scared suburban parents.
polio you can get away with, but realize you wont be able to take your kids to anywhere outside the US.
getting cut, shrug, ask 20 women you know which they prefer.
Circumsised or not doesn’t matter… do what you want.
Get the vaccines. Not getting them will put your kids at risk uselessly; some of those diseases can be very dangerous. While most are treatable with good chances of survival, they might leave your kid crippled or disfigured for life if he contracts them.
I didn’t realize there was such a movement against vaccinations in general, I thought the big issue was getting them all together like they try to force on you.
A friend of mine forced the hospital to break the vaccinations into 3-4 different shots, instead of the big shotgun they normall do. Docs weren’t happy, but they did it. That would be my reccomendation, instead of skipping on them entirely.
Agreed. My son’s had all his shots and is smart as a whip, energetic, etc.
And good for you for not getting him circumcised. It’s not necessary and I couldn’t bring myself to do it to my son.
BTW, congratulations mate. This will change your life in ways you can’t imagine, but all for the good. Being a father is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Definitely need to get the vaccines. If you feel that getting them “broken up” like boatguy mentioned then go that route, just as long as you get them. It is absolutely terrible that children get sick and occasionally die any of these diseases which are completely preventable.
Also, what nobody ever thinks about is that alot of people can’t for whatever reason be vaccinated and their only chance is for those around them to have been vaccinated.
As far as circumcision is concerned, all I know is what I was told in lecture. The docs teaching us told us that it lowered the risk of penile cancer and may reduce the odds of contracting HIV. Also while working in a hospital I personally saw two grown men go into septic shock and die from infected foreskins.
I’m not vaccinated against anything. I’ve had mumps, measels, and everything else that was going around as a kid. It wasn’t the end of the world.
As an adult I haven’t had so much as a cold for years now.
Don’t circumcise your boy. Let him decide. I have two freinds who were both circumcised as adults and they both regret it. Don’t listen to anyone (especially if they’re circumcised) who says that a foreskin does not have much feeling or provide sexual pleasure. I does. On both counts.
I know a guy who had to get a circumcision later in life due to foreskin infection. It’s not fun to have to get it done later in life. Better to do it when they’re young so they can’t remember the experience. I know I don’t remember it, and am glad my dad made the decision he did.
I got the HepB vaccine when I was 10 or 11. No problems at all.
I thought I’d never see a day that I’d agree with PRCalDude, but here goes. Get your kids vaccinated.
The MMR/autism link myth has done much damage here in the UK. Also, there’s no medical reason to break the injections up, just get it done and protect them (for life).
Contracting so called childhood diseases later in life is not funny and can be deadly. Give your children a gift early in life - vaccinate them.
PS: I don’t see an immediate reason for circumcisions, except for some evidence that it seems to be making it harder for viruses like HIV to be transferred.
Wow, glad to see everyone is on board with vaccines. The info “connecting” vaccines to autism has been totally blown out of the water, and every but Jenny McCarthy is well aware of it.
Circumcision is kind of a gray area, many people feel this is nothing but religious carryover that traumatizes the kid, others feel there are medical benefits to it.
Between the two issues, I’d say circumcision is a wash but the vaccination is a must. If you still have concerns, voice them to your pediatrician.