Everything You Need To Know About Early Childhood Vaccinations

Parenting generally leads to a great deal of research. In addition to simply wanting to be well educated about my parenting choices, I've found myself researching parenting topics regularly for many reasons. Family and friends tend to come to me for advice and information because they know I'll find the most accurate available. This led me to further research in college, focusing most of my electives in psychology and education. You'd be surprised how much a thorough knowledge of such topics helps in political advocacy, as well.

The Center for Disease Control in the United States recommends children receive the following vaccinations before the age of seven. I've included all of the early childhood vaccinations, instead of just those that affect older children because the CDC breaks them up into 0-6 and 7-18 age groups, and it was simpler to explain everything you see on your vaccination record. While medical professionals are known for downplaying the risks, there can be serious side effects to childhood vaccinations. Many parents are either unaware of these risks or feel they are worth the benefit, but many feel some or all vaccinations are not worth the risk. Responsible parents research the vaccinations offer their children and decide what is best for their unique situations. Even if a parent decides to vaccinate their child, they may decide to wait until the child is older than the recommended age and minimize the potential side effects.

If you haven't thought much about vaccinations, assuming that they must be safe and needed like most people do, it's not too late. There are still many vaccinations yet to come, and you can start doing your research now and be well informed and prepared to make educated decisions from here on out. Below I have compiled a collection of well researched articles about these illnesses, their vaccinations, and a brief summary. I've collected articles that use mainstream sources of information, such as the US Government and vaccine manufacturers. There should be no doubt as to the validity of these sources.

Hepatitis B vaccine(HepB)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at birth with boosters at 1-2 months and again at 24 weeks. In The Hepatitis B Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us you'll find a well researched summary of the virus and vaccine. While the vaccine may be a worthwhile risk for newborns of mothers with HBV, it's illogical to administer it to anyone else until they become sexually promiscuous or interested in injectable street drugs.

Rotavirus vaccine (Rota)

The CDC recommends this vaccine series to begin no later than 12 weeks and end no later than 32 weeks. In New Rotavirus Vaccine Danger, and The FDA's Warning About the Rotavirus Vaccine, RotaTeq the most recent FDA warnings about this vaccine are discussed. It's a good thing Rotavirus isn't very serious, since the vaccine is a live virus that often infects other people the child comes in contact with. Overall, it seems an ironic risk to even bother with this vaccination.

Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and acellular Pertussis vaccine (DTaP)

The CDC recommends this vaccine to occur over a few months or years, beginning around 12 months and ending around 4-6 years old. As this series vaccinates against multiple illnesses, it's a little more complicated. You can read a little about these infections it helps prevent in Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP) Vaccines Can Have Rare, but Serious, Side Effects on Children and you can find out more about the actual vaccines in The DTaP Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us. This vaccination can be a hard decision to make. While it helps protect your child against some very dangerous illnesses, it isn't a guaranteed prevention and can have just as dangerous side effects.

Haemophilus Influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib)

The CDC recommends this vaccine between 2 and 4 months of age. It is thoroughly discussed in The HiB Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us and is another difficult decision for parents. The single strain of meningitis it protects against is serious, but can be triggered by the vaccination itself in rare cases and the fact that it significantly weakens the recipient's immune system for an undetermined amount of time is undisputed. It also has many serious potential side effects, not surprising considering an important ingredient is Ethanol (yes, the highly toxic chemical you put in your car.)

Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV or PPV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine as early as 6 weeks of age and boosters are sometimes recommended several times throughout a child's life. The studies on this vaccine are sketchy at best. The most reliable ones indicate the vaccine is more likely to cause the several issues it is designed to prevent, as well as several others. "Pneumococcal Vaccine and Otitis Media" is a well researched explanation from a highly respected source, but Prevnar, the Pneumococcal Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us is much easier to understand and explains most of the same things.

Inactivated Poliovirus vaccine (IPV/OPV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine series as early as 6 weeks. Unlike many other vaccines, there is a wealth of information available about Polio and it's vaccines. This is a very hot topic as there are many connected controversies surrounding it. In The Polio Vaccine: Part 1, The Polio Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us , and The Polio Vaccine: Part 3 you can read a well referenced breakdown of the controversies surrounding this dangerous and outdated vaccine. I implore you to fully research this vaccine before putting your children at risk.

Influenza vaccine (TIV or LAIV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine as early as 6 months and boosters are recommended every 1-5 years for life. Everything we know about this vaccine is anecdotal. No manufacturers or government agencies have completed and significant research on it. As such, there isn't anything reputable I can link you to. Without having studied it, the CDC insists that you cannot catch the flu from this vaccine, though contracting it right after receiving the vaccine is so common place that even mainstream vaccination-loving Americans avoid it. At it's best, this vaccination may prevent or lessen the effects of an annoying illness. We have no idea what it may do at it's worst, since wide use is a new phenomenon and there are no completed studies of it's effects and safety issues. This is a very big "why bother?" vaccination.

Measles and Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 12 months and again at 4-6 years old. As you'll see in The MMR Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us the MMR vaccine is an inefficient, highly dangerous, and downright disgusting vaccine. I don't know how anyone could think anything good would come of injecting aborted human embryo tissue, chicken eggs, and gelatin into a child's bloodstream. It's no wonder the supreme court is faced with the daunting task of hearing from all the families who's children have developed autism spectrum disorders or worse from this and the few other truly hazardous vaccinations the CDC hasn't gotten around to removing from their schedule yet.

Varicella vaccine (Chickenpox)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 12 months and again at 4-6 years old. This is a full discussion of the vaccine and accompanying illness. This vaccine is the height of parents putting their own convenience before their children's welfare. Chickenpox is significantly more dangerous to adults than children. This vaccine does not give them the life-long immunity of actually catching chickenpox as a child. In short, to avoid having to nurse their child through a common and mild childhood illness parents are vaccinating them so they will wait to catch it as adults. Their parents won't have to take care of them, but adult chickenpox runs high risks of serious complications and death.

Hepatitis A vaccine (HepA)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 12 months with a booster 6 months later. Again, the manufacturer and CDC have failed to do proper testing or provide statistical information about this vaccine. As such, there is very little information available anywhere. What is Hepatitis A? is a good summary of the dangers of hepatitis A, though. After finding out how mild and treatable this illness is, the vaccine can easily be lumped in with so many other "risk of convenience" vaccines that children are given. I'd rather deal with a case of hepatitis A than risk the kind of side effects that seem to be standard in any vaccine.

Meningococcal Polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4 or MCV4)

The CDC only recommends this vaccine for children ages 2-10 if they have terminal completement deficiencies or anatomic or functional asplenia or "other high risk groups." Though, I wasn't actually able to find any proof that it was safe for that age range. The FDA Licensing Action indicates they are only approved for ages 11-55, and the Product Approval Information indicates a request was made to prove this safety, but no information is available on the attempts to prove as much. The CDC has also agknowledged that the very serious GBS is a possible side effect and warns "Persons with a history of GBS who are not in a high risk group for invasive meningococcal disease should not receive MCV4." I highly recommend any parent who's doctor recommends this vaccine request the manufacturer insert that is given out with the vaccine and insist they be allowed to take it home at least over night to make a decision. If it seems like an urgent situation, they can bring the child in the very next day to receive or turn down the vaccine as the parents see fit.

I'll be honest with you. My children received all of their early childhood vaccinations. I had intended to write an article explaining why some parents choose not to vaccinate and what special circumstances drive them not to. After researching the manufacturer information and US Centers for Disease Control (the ones that tell us what to give our kids and when) information, I cannot see why most parents vaccinate. It can only be that they are as ignorant as I was. There is simply no other excuse for injecting these dangerous and ineffective concoctions into our children. While I do believe they should be available for the special circumstances where they may provide more protection than danger, I am incensed that they have become standardized. I wish I had known better than to trust popular opinion. Hopefully this will help you to more fully understand the risks of vaccinating and only gamble your child's wellbeing when *not* doing so is actually a gamble as well.