LilSugar

Shot Shocker! Pediatricians Dumping Parents Over Vaccinations

Kate Stahl — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:34:13 PST

The controversy over vaccinations is one that will likely continue for years to come, and as a parent, I've been operating under the assumption that it's my job to decide what shots and schedules I am and am not comfortable with. So when I recently read about a new trend of pediatricians refusing to treat families who don't follow their recommended vax schedules, I was slightly shocked.

The National Vaccine Information Center says an alarming number of pediatricians are electing not to treat families who refuse, delay, or alter vaccination schedules. According to a study conducted in the Midwest, 21 percent of the 900 pediatricians surveyed in nine Midwestern states said they have discharged families from their practices for continuing to refuse all vaccines. This is in despite of the policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which states, "Families with doubts about immunization should still have access to good medical care, and maintaining the relationship in the face of disagreement conveys respect and at the same time allows the child access to medical care."

So what do you think? Should doctors have the right to dump parents who don't follow their vaccination schedules? Or should they be required to treat all patients, regardless of vaccinations? Weigh in below!

More Parents Are Choosing Alternative Vaccination Schedules For Their Kids

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:03:56 PDT

The times, they are a-changin' when it comes to vaccinating your tot. Following recent news that an overwhelming majority of parents are not comfortable with the vaccinations their children receive, a new study finds that more moms and dads are using alternative vaccine schedules for their kids than ever before. According to the latest issue of Pediatrics, 13 percent of families are not following the calendar created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, choosing to use alternative schedules that delay or skip various vaccines. Among the most missed vaccines are those for the flu and chicken pox, while the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) is the most frequently delayed, despite findings denying the link between the vaccine and autism.

Take a Shot at 6 Quizzes That Teach You About Dog Shots

PetSugar — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:18:01 PDT

It can seem - especially to your budget - that doggies require endless vaccinations. Still do you know what they're being safeguarded against? Take these quizzes about six diseases that pups commonly get protected for to see if you're a shot-calling expert.

Quiz: Parvovirus	Quiz: Hepatitis	Quiz: Distemper
Quiz: Rabies	Quiz: H3N8	Quiz: Coronavirus

When Did You Get Your Last Tetanus Shot?

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:00:54 PDT

Do you remember getting a tetanus shot as a kid? They were so painful. When explaining why a tetanus shot is important, people always mention stepping on a rusty nail. Apparently rusty nails aren't the only things to worry about. Tetanus is a disease caused by bacteria that live in dust, animal waste, or soil. If you get a cut, burn, splinter, puncture, insect bite, or any other break in your skin, your wound can become infected with these bacteria. When the bacterial spores multiply in your body, they create a poison that affects your muscles and causes uncontrollable spasms. It can even affect your breathing and result in death. Yikes!

As a child, you most likely were vaccinated by the time you were 6 years old. Every 10 years after that you should get a booster shot. Since I'm sure many of you are walking around barefoot this Summer, I was wondering . . .

Have You Had Luck Getting a Swine Flu Shot?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:12 PST

I don't have to read about the shortage of swine flu vaccine, I'm living it. Everywhere I go to get vaccinated it's the same - there are not enough shots to go around. Supplies are extremely limited, and a recent poll conducted by Harvard University School of Public Health says that 70 percent of adults and 66 percent of children who tried to get vaccinated couldn’t.

On Friday the National Center For Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said that the high demand is outweighing the supply, but that more doses would be available in the coming weeks. I've heard this every week and no matter where I go, I leave without getting a shot. I'm starting to get frustrated but I want to protect myself.

Have any of you had better luck than I have?

Will Your Tot Be Attending a Swine Flu Party?

LilSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:48 PDT

Is swine flu the gift that keeps on giving? While at the park the other day, I overheard a few moms chatting about the recent announcement that the FDA approved the swine flu vaccine. The mamas were debating whether or not they were going to be vaccinating their children and one woman shocked me with an unusual way that she was planning on keeping her lil one protected.

To find out her idea, just

read more. She proudly announced that she wants her child to get the swine flu and that she would take him to an H1N1 party if she could find one. I heard of such parties back when the swine flu hit mainstream media, but I didn't think anyone would actually consider attending one. And in case you missed it, an H1N1 party is where folks seek out the milder version of the H1N1 virus by coming into contact with someone who has the 2009 version of the flu. People are fearing the potentially mutated and more deadly strain of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control recommends against attending or holding such parties as it's impossible to tell how the flu will affect each person, especially children. Furthermore, if someone has the virus they are urged to limit contact with other people. I'm going to stick to teaching my tots about good hygiene and handwashing, but what do you think? Are H1N1 parties a good idea?

Would You Have Your Son Get the HPV Vaccine?

LilSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:00:00 PDT

Lots of mothers have given permission for their daughters to get the Gardasil vaccine, but it may soon be available for their sons. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has become so widespread that many pediatricians are administering the preventative shots (given in three doses within six months) to their patients. According to one report:

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted Wednesday to recommend that the vaccine be made available to boys and young men aged 9 to 26 for protection against genital warts caused by HPV.

The vaccine protects against four types of HPV, and two of those are believed to be responsible for 70 percent of cervical and anal cancers, and HPV-associated penile and throat-and-neck cancers. The other two cause 90 percent of genital warts cases, researchers say.

Would get your son vaccinated?

babysugar Diaries: Vaccines

babysugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:00:25 PDT

Every parent does what they think is best for their child. With my firstborn that meant giving her vaccinations as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Perhaps two years of media got to me, or maybe it was Jenny McCarthy and all of the other parents of children with autism that made me a tad wary of vaccinations. So I will go a different route with my second babe.

To see what it is,

read more. When I met my son in the hospital, I knew I would have to make a decision pretty quickly on how to deal with his health care. As autism is more prevalent in boys, his gender certainly played a part in my thought process. I obviously want to protect my lil guy from every harmful disease while not putting him at risk for developing any other disorder. To put my mind at ease, I decided to ask my pediatrician to give my son his vaccines on an alternative schedule. While my doc agreed to my request, my pediatrician does not advise the alternative schedule because she said the child ends up getting twice the preservatives that accompany vaccines because the doses are further divided. Despite her warning, I chose to move forward with an alternative schedule. Instead of receiving six shots at his four-month check-up, my son got four and then we returned a week later to get the rest. I feel good that he is up to date on his shots even if it means extra visits to the doctor. If you want to see an alternative schedule, check out the one Dr. Sears suggests:

two-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
3-months: Pc, HIB
4-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
5-months: Pc, HIB
6-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
7-months: Pc, HIB
9-months: Polio (IPV)
12-months: Mumps, Polio (IPV)
15-months: Pc, HIB
18-months: DTaP, Chickenpox
two-years: Rubella, Polio (IPV)
two-and-a-half-years: Hep B, Hep A (start Hep B at birth if any close relatives or caregivers have Hep B)
three-years: Hep B, Measles
three-and-a-half-years: Hep B, Hep A
four-years: DTaP, Polio (IPV)
five-years: MMR
six-years: Chickenpox
12-years: Tdap, HPV
12-years, 2 months: HPV
13-years: HPV, Meningococcal

The same information is provided in the Ask Dr. Sears Vaccine Book. Source

Five Facts About Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus

LilSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:00:14 PST

It is rare for a child to die of tetanus in the United States, but around the world one child dies every three minutes from the completely preventable illness. The painful death can be prevented with a vaccine that costs between just five and seven cents. Caryl M. Stern, the president and CEO of US Fund for UNICEF and mother of three has made it her mission to make the number of fatalities zero. As a mom, I also believe in zero. Do you? Check out this slideshow to learn five reasons why you should.

Source

babysugar Diaries: Pertussis For Mommies and Daddies, Too

babysugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 PDT

On top of regular exams and doctor's appointments I have scheduled, I made it a point to get my flu shot last week to help prevent my unborn child and I from getting knocked out with the nasty illness. Before she gave it to me, my OB/GYN also told me that I will need a Dtap (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine soon after my delivery.

Although children are often vaccinated with the Dtap vaccine at two, four and six months of age, the shots may not take effect until the child has received one or two of them. Parents who contract pertussis, better known as the whooping cough, may not suffer too badly from it but can easily pass it onto their newborn who cannot fight it with the same adult strength. For that reason, doctors recommend both parents get the vaccine. So guess who's off to their doctor next week? You guessed it - good old hubby.
Source