What is the safest to go without vaccinating a newborn/infant?
15 December 2009
4 Responses
A Parent asks, I wanted to wait to vaccinate my newborn until he is between four and six months. Is this safe? Will doctors support my decision?
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It is most likely safe. Your doctor will likely not support it. Many parents are delaying vaccinating or reverting to the old schedule of shots we got in the 80s when autism rates were a fraction of what they are now. Vaccines and autism may not be related (there is no proof), but we don’t know for certain there isn’t some sort of trigger there for some children.
Do your own research and make up your own mind. Good luck.
Some doctors will support it, some won’t. If you’re interested in delaying vaccinations, it’s best to find a doctor that is supportive. We delay vaccinations for our sons, and our doctor is supportive of it.
Whether or not it is safe – there’s a lot of opinions on that. It’s a very personal decision that only you can make. I would suggest doing a lot of research on vaccinating and make an informed decision after you have all the information. Don’t just trust what other people tell you to do – educate yourself and make a decision based on what *you* know.
I recommend Dr. Sears book on vaccinations: It’s a very non-biased, informative look at vaccines.
ETA: While I do agree that a doctor should respect the decisions that his/her patients make, they’re not required to continue to treat you as a patient if they strongly disagree with your choices. Doctors do sometimes refuse to see patients because their choices don’t comply with the doctor’s recommendations. This is why I recommend finding a doctor that is supportive of delaying vaccinations.
Now, that isn’t always the case. There are doctors that recommend vax’ing on schedule, yet they don’t get up in arms when a patient tells them they’re planning on delaying. However, I would prefer to have a doctor that is supportive of my choices as a parent. It’s not unusual for a doctor to refer a patient to another provider because they don’t want to treat someone who doesn’t comply with their recommendations. By law, doctors are not required to provide non-emergency care to any patient if they feel led not to for any reason, be it ethical, religious, etc. For example, some doctors refuse to preform abortions, circumcisions, or write prescriptions for birth control because it’s against their religious or ethical beliefs. Some doctors may feel the same way about vaccinations.
Just a heads up for anyone out there who is planning to delay vaccinations.
Who cares about your doctor?? You pay him (one way or another) and if that is the choice you’ve made he has to respect it. He can’t come vaccinate your baby in the dead of night without your permission.
If you’ve made this decision and you are aware of the risks (and benefits) stick to your guns. He/she may offer a different point of view, usually this isn’t to be contrary but to be sure you are informed but ultimately will respect your decision.
There are getting to be more and more people who don’t get vaccines at all, I think your plan is much better.
Good luck!
Yes, it is generally safe. Unless your baby is immunocompromised, he is not at great risk.
My 3 boys (5, 3, 9 months) are all completely unvaccinated and quite healthy and thriving.
Your Dr may be supportive, may not. If not, then I would try and find a new Dr. You need one that is respectful of your choices as the parent and who will give you the support you need. I have a wonderful pediatrician who not only supports my decision, but agrees with it.
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