I had heard that some parents delay vaccination, selectively vaccinate, or even skip shots all together. Since there isn't much information online that is unbiased or balanced, I decided to read The Vaccine Book by Robert Sears.
What a great book! Sears explained why each vaccine is recommended, discussed the risk factor of each disease, broke down the ingredients of each vaccine, and then talked about why the shots might be controversial. To my surprise, mercury is really no longer a concern in vaccines. It has been virtually eliminated from all of them. The problem now is aluminum.
Each shot has a tiny amount of aluminum which helps the shot to be more effective. However, when you give multiple shots at an appointment, the level of aluminum adds up and can reach dangerous levels, threatening neurological and immunological development. What is a dangerous level of aluminum? Well, it's never been adequately researched, so the safe bet is to keep the levels as low as possible (Dr. Sears discusses actually numbers in the book).
Based on what I read, we've decided to follow Sear's alternative shot schedule, which means Taylor will get 1-2 shots every month, instead of 3 or 4 every other month. Since the vaccines are spread out, Taylor's immune system can handle the effects better AND the needle pricks themselves. I can already tell a difference from her previous appointments.
Last month she just got one shot and was much less fussy than she had been after previous shot visits. Today she received the Rotavirus oral vaccine and one shot and only cried for about 2 seconds! I highly recommend this approach to other parents.
I think my baby is happier and healthier, and she'll still be protected from nasty viruses for years to come.
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