My first introduction of the idea that vaccines may not be all they are cracked up to be came from a chiropractor I really trust.

None of his kids have any vaccines in their bodies. He suggested that it may not be a good idea to bring a baby through the birth canal and say "Welcome to the Earth kid. Here's a vial of traces of all the horrible diseases we have here."

Point taken.

Then there's the other side of the spectrum. If it weren't for medical advances like vaccines, wouldn't our mortality rate be much lower? People used to die at alarming rates from things like measles, mumps, polio and small pox, right? Didn't vaccines stop that?

It's safe to say that I'm still not sure what to do about this, so I asked my Facebook and TRI1025.com friends to chime in.

They did.

Here are the links that people shared. I'll place them in order received, newest to oldest.

This video of Penn and Teller was shared on my timeline on Facebook, and it is not safe for work. Or kids.

Here is one more link that a friend shared. Her comment (Sarah) is below.

Finally, here are the comments as they were left on my Facebook page.

Paige said:

Study them very thoroughly and understand what is in each of them. I am all for natural immunity after my perfectly healthy 3 year old became diabetic after being vaccinated for the 100th time up to that point. But final choice is yours as parents (at least for now). One thing I learned later is that the MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rebilla) can be split into 3 separate vaccinations given at different times, which lowers some risks. Good Luck!

Nancy said:

Do your research for both sides. That is very important so you, as parents, can make an informed choice.

Mike said:

We got them for the twins...but made sure they were spread out and never got too many at any one time.
But like Paige said...do your research and don't do anything you aren't comfortable with...ask the doctor lots of questions.

Holly said:

My son was a preemie, he has received his vaccinations. Never had a second thought.

Sarah said, and attached the Dr. Sears video above:

The youth clinic does shot only visits that don't require a co pay. They are every Tuesday/Thursday. We spread out using Dr. Sears schedule. I bought his book as well. I suggest using him as a resource.

Jessica said:

The risk of morbidity/mortality from a preventable disease far outweighs (and outnumbers) the risks involved with receiving the vaccinations. Unvaccinated children were able to rely on herd immunity years ago. With the rising numbers of unvaccinated children, herd immunity no longer exists. I'm with Holly, never a second thought with either of my children.

Jennifer said:

 I am the parent of an autistic child. I did get him his vaccinations. 
I would not have skipped his shots if I could go back and do it again. I would never want him exposed to those awful diseases. I believe vaccinating our kids is part of their protection. I never considered it to be optional. 
However, it is up to the parents. No one can decide for you and everyone is different. 
Parenting is the hardest job there is. But it comes with the greatest rewards. 
Always go with your instincts. 
Good luck

Jennifer S. said:

I have an infant right now (4 months) and with this measles outbreak going on, I am so scared since he can not be vaccinated for this disease earlier than 1 year. I fear him coming into contact with a child who is not vaccinated and who is infected. I understand the risks of vaccinations but the risk of mortality for my baby completely sways me to vaccinate. My 3 year old is vaccinated as well. Really do the research and of course make an informed decision. I read about shedding, etc and feel that the risk of death is a game changer for me. I would risk a cognitive disease over a fatal one any day.

Erica said:

As I said to someone else on this subject its never really even been a thought that I wouldn't vaccinate. I personally want the peace of mind that they are protected from severe cases.

Melissa said:

Get a GREAT pediatrician and have serious and honest discussions with him or her. I love my sons pediatrician and very much respect his opinion. There are pros and cons to both sides but i am for most vaccines but definitely not all.

Amy said:

I think everyone else has covered all the opinions. I just wanted to say your wife is adorable and her laugh is contagious. I'm so excited for you both, and whatever decision you make will be the right one.

Rebecca said:

On schedule is what worked for us. So happy you will be a dad soon!

Theresa said:

Follow the science, vaccines are safe and very effective. It's good to ask questions but I feel strongly that if you want to have your kids in any public setting then it's the right thing to do and you are protecting the ones that can't be vaccinated.

Tate said:

An extremely emotional topic. props for spending time to do your research before hand, rather than going blindly into the vaccine schedule. ultimately this decision is up to YOU.... this is your baby's health, and you get to decide. here are 3 questions that I always have my practice members think about around this topic: 1.) is this vaccine 100% necessary for the health of my child? 2.) Is this 100% safe for my child? 3.) how do i innately feel about putting this in my child's body? if you guys ever want to sit down and talk more about this, please reach out..... and, congratulations!

Thanks so much to everyone that shared their thoughts with us.

What do think about this very heated debate?

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