I just delayed ny 4 months old shots because I was thinking the below:
My PA allergic child seemed to get sick after a lot of her immunizations.
She had terrible RSV in Jan and Feb and I gave her the peanut butter in Feb. which she had a reaction to. Her immune system was shot to heck at that time.
Quiet a few people in my family have immune system problems.
The alternative medicine Doctors that I have always gone to for myself and now for my kids have suggested that I delay my 2nd childs shots becuase obviously allergies run in the family and the immunizations break down the immune system.
Has anyone else opted to delay immunizations or feel as though any of this information seems similar to your own childs history.

Danielle, we have and continue to avoid the MMR vaccine due to an egg allergy. That said, we did the chicken pox one without incident(I did not know at the time it was a risk for egg allergy). I was always leary of the MMR and was more than happy for a reason to delay to an older age, past the stats relating to autism. I am so glad, as I now have heard that I have at least 2 cousins with children with a form of autism.
We do plan to go ahead with it after she outgrows her egg allergy. becca

Becca and everyone else...
While there is no scientific 'proof' that innoculations or MMR can cause autism, there is a growing belief among people whose children were effected and born in the decade between the early 1990's and ending around 1999 (when the ADA recommending ceasing the use of Thimerosal in childhood vaccinations due to a growing belief that Thimerosal (a form of mercury) can cause varying degrees of autism) that the vaccines are indeed the culprit. Here is one of my favorite links with scientific research:
[url="http://www.safeminds.org"]www.safeminds.org[/url]
My son definitely experienced extreme changes in mood and behavior within days of recieving five innoculations, including MMR and Chicken Pox at the age of 4. Later research (on my part) showed that the other three innoculations combined contained a hefty dose of Thimerosal, enough to be considered toxic to an adult.
One of the University of Calgary's video's on the website link regarding mercury and Alzheimer's shows how mercury, even in tiny doses, can permanently destroy the denudded neurofibers in the brain, leading to Alzheimers, and possibly to different forms of autism.
The ADA recommended the discontinuatation of the use of Thimerosal in vaccines for children. I still ask to see the bottle the vaccine comes in when it comes to my daughter. I have not seen any medical or scientific research regarding the MMR vaccine which can even come close to the connection that has been established between Thimerosal and autistic spectrum disorders.
On an end note, my other reason for believing in possibility that vaccines administered to my son during the mid-90's directly effected the severity of his autistic spectrum disorder (Asperger's) is personal... my brother in-law, after winning a scholarship to study in Ghana, received 11 innoculations simultaneously and has since suffered from grand mal seizures.
I do believe in innoculating my children, however, I won't let them give more than one per doctor visit or anything which I haven't read the ingredients label and accompanying paperwork on. Certain innoculations, such as Chicken Pox, MMR and polio are all live vaccines, which do not contain Thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative not needed in live vaccines.
~Melanie
[This message has been edited by MeCash (edited April 29, 2003).]

For most of the reasons listed above, I have delayed my son's final round of DTaP and IPV (polio) vaccinations. He was scheduled to have them at 15 months of age. We are scheduled to have them on May 9th (he will be 32 months old). I'm a nervous wreck. I've read so many unfortunate stories about reactions to these vaccinations that I have worked myself up into a panic over these shots.
Has anyone with a food allergic child had adverse reactions to DTaP or polio. Or is there anything I need to be aware of in regards to his allergies and these shots.
Thanks!
JoJo
Shane - peanut, milk, soy, sesame, nuts, avoiding all legumes.

JoJo:
I didn't mean to cause undo panic or worry or make you afraid to innoculate your child. Please check out the link I provided.
All three of my children, 2 PA, one not, have been innoculated. With my PA daughter, however, I am a little more cautious in how I let them do it. One innoculation per doctor visit. I think it's a lot to expect of a child's immune system if you pop them with 4-5 innoculations at a time, with or without the undue stress of Thimerosal!
Always ask if the vaccinations contain Thimerosal. The ADA has recommended against the use, but I have read there are still stocks of vaccines out there containing it. Your annual flu shot has Thimerosal. I'd rather get the flu, thank you. So to amalgam filings in your teeth, which the film on [url="http://www.safeminds.org"]www.safeminds.org[/url] from the University of Calgary believes can lead to Alzheimers. My step-son needed three fillings and I had to pay extra due to the fact that our very good pediatric dentist refused to use amalgam fillings in children's teeth, claiming they are dangerous and potentially toxic. I love my son's dentist! Kids first!
The polio vaccine is a live vaccine. DTaP is one of the former Thimerosal containing drugs. Just be sure to ask, and if it contains Thimerosal, make another appointment and insist your child receive a non-Thimerosal containing vaccine. They CAN order them. Our pediatrician's office, after dealing with me and apparently several other mom's, sent back their bad stock and no longer use any vaccines which contain Thimerosal. I think this is in part due to the main doctor's son having DSI (Sensory Integration Dysfunction).
Good luck and don't panic. Really, check out that website. It's full of valuable information!
~Melanie

Here is the direct link to the University of Calgary's film on mercury...
[url="http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/"]http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/[/url]
~Melanie

One more link:
[url="http://www.mercurypolicy.org"]http://www.mercurypolicy.org[/url]
1/8/03 Parents and advocates are meeting today on Capital Hill to ask the Nation's leaders and pharmaceutical companies to stop using the mercury preservative thimerosal in all vaccines, to inform Americans about vaccines with mercury, and to recall existing thimerosal stocks from health care facilities. While most infant vaccines are mercury-free, the preservative is still added to formulations for influenza (flu vaccines), diphtheria-tetanus, tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumococcal and rabies. "Why are vaccine makers still using thimerosal and unnecessarily exposing infants, pregnant women an unsuspecting Americans to mercury?" asked Michael Bender, Director, Mercury Policy Project (see press release). "Vaccines are supposed to help prevent health problems and not create them. Continued use of mercury in medical products for any human use, where avoidable, is simply irresponsible and not worth the risk." US health and governmental officials seem to agree. In the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged manufacturers to remove thimerosal from childhood vaccines. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine recommended that children and pregnant women avoid thimerosal whenever possible. Also see AP coverage on Yahoo.
~Melanie

The CDC has information posted on their website about the contents of vaccines at:
[url="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/VaxCont.pdf"]http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/VaxCont.pdf[/url]
They also have contraindications for the vaccines posted:
[url="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/contraindications.pdf"]http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/contraindications.pdf[/url]
Also, some more information from the FDA on thimerosal:
[url="http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm"]http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm[/url]
Thought it would be interesting reading.
[This message has been edited by dmbb (edited April 29, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by dmbb (edited April 29, 2003).]

This is so scary to read. I was digging in the posts about aspbergers (sp)here yesterday. DS displays alot of similar characteristics. Especially it seems when he is stressed. He also reacted everytime he was immunized (born 7/96) He would run a fever and have cold symptoms. Wonderful dr.s always told me this was normal. Recently, at allergists they were shocked by his history and found it very significant. All three kids seem to have food and other allergies. Baby hasn't been tested yet. Maybe i can do something to protect him. From what I sumised, I should ask if vacine has thimerosol in it? It is so disturbing to discover you may have unwitingly sone something to harm your kids. I put way too much trust in my dr.s. Thanks, Melody

A light just went off in my head! At the sight of the injection my son had major redness and swelling, it was like that for SEVERAL days and it hurt if we even touched it. We had no clue and his doctor said it's just a reaction to the vaccine, now in hindsight I realize since he is allergic to eggs it was probably an allergic reaction to that vaccine. We didn't know he was allergic to eggs at the time of his vaccinations.
Take Care,
Amy