My dilemma

DS #2 has not had a single vaccine in his very young 8 months. We're still on the fence a bit about whether we're just delaying or opting out all together, but for now, he's completely unvaccinated. 

DS #1 has been fully vaccinated up to this point. He just turned 5 this summer and is entering his second year of preschool in a couple weeks, with his school physical coming up on Wednesday. I believe he is due for a couple vaccines, but because it's just preschool and not kindergarten, we may be able to get by for this year (if I am reading Ohio's requirements correctly and remembering his shot record correctly).

Here's the quandry. And no, it's surprisingly not the issue of shedding vaccines around the 8 month old, although that is a bit of a concern. Reuben has already had all of that crap injected into him (and I regret it, but had some unusual circumstances way back when), and he's also old enough to be able to tell us what side effects, if any, he's experiencing. However, he has a seizure disorder that, as of his most recent EEG a couple months ago, is not anywhere near as controlled as we thought it was. Official diagnosis is intractable seizures (not controlled by medication), and I can't honestly say that it WASN'T caused by one of the many vaccines. According to the CDC's own information, until his "neurological status" is "clarified and stabilized", he should not have the DTaP, which is one I believe he's due for (others are possibly IPV, MMR, and chicken pox). His particular seizures are absence (staring spells), but he has had two grand mal seizures and one of those was said to have been caused by a fever from a sinus infection - one that wasn't really unreasonably high (102).

So...do I say no vaccines at all because of the risk of fever? No to the one that the CDC says he shouldn't have but okay to the rest since he's already had them? No because of the risk of infecting baby brother? Or just pray I can talk the doctor into waiting until next year when he's in kindergarten...knowing he'll be homeschooled at that point?

Input please!

[emmy526]

if you are going to do a waiver, there isn't much point in having him write a medical exemption for preschool, other than to have it in his record.  

Quoting ruthie11617:

Talked it over with DH. We're not going to do any vaxes for him. Thanks for all of the input. I may be able to get the doctor to write a med waiver for the DTaP, but I doubt he will for the others, so I'm just going with the philosophical waiver for his preschool record. He'll be homeschooled for kindergarten next year and it won't really be an issue then.

[ruthie11617]

Update: Appointment went well. Doctor actually asked me if we were doing vaccines today. I said no and told him about his uncontrolled seizure status. He said no problem and if I ever wanted to catch him up, just schedule a nurse visit and that was it. Very easy. Thanks again for all the input.

[BreastyMommy]

 I strongly believe that every vaccine out there is unsafe for anyone! Especially In this case I would stop vaccinations because I think the vaccine could worsen the already existing condition. Here in Ca you can waive the vaccinations for school. 

[OceanFlower27]

I have a cousin who's son had the DTaP vax and it gave him seizures. I think they eventually found it was from the pertussis, but the doctor told her not to give it to the rest of her children just in case they had the same side effect.

[ruthie11617]

Actually the CDC's own website says if you or your child has uncontrolled seizures, DO NOT get the DTaP vaccine. And if you dig further, if there is a family history of seizures, then you also should not get that vaccine. Things they just don't tell you at the doctor's office...

Turns out Reuben is considered "up to date" as long as he is still in preschool, as far as the state is concerned anyway, so no waiver even needed. 

[reutgirl]

You don't need to "talk your dr into" ANYTHING!!  Just say no and mean it.  You don't need his permission to protect your son.  I would def. wait on the vaxes at this point and prob. not do them at all.  

[Julie132]

Just a note:  every new dose of any vaccine has new risks to a child even if you've "already done them".  I fell into that reasoning fallacy when my son had his 15 mos. boosters-- so that was it for him!  Fortunatley for us, after intensive biomed, lots of prayer and therapies he has recovered [story on my journals page].  So glad you've reached a decision to not do any more vaxes.  IMO that is the right choice.