Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
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Jan 2004
Does anyone know of a doctor that has a mercury free mmr
vaccine? it is one of the few that is still preserved in small
amounts of thimerisol. any suggestions?
thanx
jess
According to this site at the US Food & Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t3
the MMR is mercury-free. Don't know your source claiming it's
not.
R.K.
Sept 2003
We chose to NOT give our daughter the MMR vaccination.
Rather, we gave her the Measles single antigen shot when
she was two years old. Now it's time for a booster and
Kaiser does not provide the single antigen anymore, nor
does the City of Berkeley's Immunization Clinic. Does
anyone know where might we find the Measles single
antigen vaccination?
[no replies received]
Mar 2003
Does anyone know where I can find Attenuvax (live measles vaccine)
solo? I would like to avoid having my son immunized with the MMR,
and while Attenuvax is available in theory, Merck (the only US
manufacturer) hasn't made it for over a year and won't produce any
in 2003.
Steven
[no replies received]
Jan 2003
My 18-month-old son has mumps. Yes, he was vaccinated three
months ago, but apparently did not become immune. We haven't
been out of the area. I'm posting just to let other know this
virus is around.
(By the way, my son has a mild case, and is rapidly improving.
It presented as swelling just below one ear.)
Mumps Parent
It was interesting to hear that there is a case of mumps around.
I have postponed the MMR vaccine in my daughter because she is
allergic to eggs and I understand that this vaccine is based in
duck's egg. However, we have an appointment to go on and get it
started. Doc says give benadryl one hour before and not to
worry. Just wondering if anyone had an adverse reaction in a
child that was egg allergic.
Thanks
I obtained this information from the Food Allergy & Anaphlaxis
Network regarding the administration of MMR and egg
allergy. ''Can an MMR Vaccine be given to an individual with an
egg allergy.''
''The recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
acknowledge that the MMR vaccine can be safely administered to
all patients with egg allergy. The AAP recommendations have been
based, in part, on overwhelming scientific evidence supporting
the routine use of one-dose administration of the MMR vaccine to
egg-allergic patients. This includes those patients with a
history of severe, generalized anaphylactic reactions to egg''
I would not want to give my child benadryl. If there was a
problem the benadryl would only mask the initial symptons of a
reaction but not prevent an allergic reaction. My son, who was
allergic to eggs had no reaction to the vaccine. We waited in
the office for about a half hour just to make sure everything
was fine. He received the vaccine in one dose. I have a full
article on this subject dating back to 1997. If you would like
to receive it please email me at emfeder@attglobal.net
Elisa
Feb 2002
I'm looking for information on local communicable disease outbreaks. In
particular, I'm looking for statistics on any measles outbreaks. My
daughter is 17 months and has not gotten her MMR yet (and won't until
she's 2). Her pediatrician thinks I'm an idiot and says that a child who
gets measels has a 10% of going into the ICU. When's the last time
anyone got measels around here? How would I find this out? Is there a
website I can access? Thanks!
I understand your concern about wanting to delay the MMR vaccine. I'm
responding not because I necessarily have information about measles
outbreaks, although the state dept. of public health would likely have that
information, but because I witnessed a measles outbreak happen when I lived
in Oregon several years ago. Unfortunately, someone who did not vaccinate
their child let her play with children who had the measles and then brought
her to a gathering of about two to three hundred people, including many
children two weeks later. This started a measles epidemic over the entire
state and many children came down with it, including young babies. I'm not
saying you would be that irresponsible or nor am I making any judgement
calls on your decision, just that it's hard to predict when these types of
outbreaks might occur. Unfortunately, sometimes others are incredibly
irresponsible about these things. I think if I were investigating this, I'd
not only want to know when the last measles epidemic was but the percentage
of current infection that exists in the population at any one time to assess
the risk. Good luck making your decision.
There have not been very many outbreaks in recent years in the U.S. due to
widespread immunizations since 1963. Before that, there were 3,000 deaths a
year. But there are still outbreaks (and deaths) in recent years, in Utah
and Nevada, in Ireland and the UK. Measles is still around. It is a major
killer of children in third world countries, as great a threat as malaria in
children under 5 according to Unicef
(http://www.childinfo.org/eddb/measles/).
Is it safe for you to assume that you don't need to buy in to the
immunization ''insurance policy'' because so many other parents will protect
you by immunizing their own children, thus reducing the risk that your child
will ever be exposed to measles? What happens if a lot of other parents join
you in your choice? Will you still feel your child is safe from measles 5
years from now if the no-immunize crowd continues to gain in popularity and
finally exceeds the pro-immunize crowd? Personally, I'm not going to gamble
my child's health on the bet that enough people will immunize to keep the
chance of outbreak in Berkeley low. I am immunizing my child, because I
can't accept the risk that your non-immunized child will contract measles
and infect my child.
Unfortunately, unvaccinated children put the entire community at risk.
Unvaccinated people are 35 times more likely to contract measles, according
to a Science News article I found at
http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/sci-news/1999/snr0707.htm.
But since a small percentage of the vaccinated can still contract measles, a
growing population of 35-times-more-likely unvaccinated children puts all of
us at greater risk. So you are not just making a choice for your own child
in choosing not to immunize. You are making a choice for all of us, whether
we choose to immunize or not. I urge you to do a little research on the web
and see for yourself what the risks are for your child, and for those of us
in your community.
-- a mom who immunizes
I waited until my son was 2 also and I struggled to find this type of
information as well and I don't think I ever did. I searched on the internet
for Measles outbreaks and never found any. My doctor felt that it reasonable
for me to wait through the summer and fall because Measles outbreaks tend to
happen in winter months. I felt fine about waiting and I'm really glad I
did. I wish I held off on other immunizations until later as well. In any
case, my Doctor at Kaiser was ok with me wanting to space them because he
saw that I had done my research and had good arguments to support my
decisions. It help to know what you are talking about I agree. Good luck to
you.
Hadley
I don't know how you can find out, but I have not heard of a case ever. I
live in Fremont, grew up in Fremont and traveled extensively around the U.S.
with my family when I was growing up. Never heard or saw anyone with
measles. Probably because the innoculations work so well.
I would try a search for a communicable disease control center and see if
you can find out the statistics your're looking for there.
I don't think you're an idiot, just concerned, but I think your child is
pretty safe. Let the rest of us know what you find out.
marianne
Please listen to your doctor! The question is not ''When was the last time
anyone got measles around here?'' It should be ''How soon before an outbreak
of this serious disease occurs because increasing numbers of well meaning
(but misguided) parents defer or avoid MMR vaccinations for their
children?''
Your Doctor is giving you the best advice available to protect your child -
AND every child your child comes into contact with. Vaccination protects
children from horrible diseases like Polio, Measles and Diptheria that
killed or disabled significant numbers of children as recently as our
parents generation (and still do in third world countries).
The proposed link between MMR vaccination and increased levels (or is it
increased diagnosis?) of Autism has not been statistically established by
any subsequent research.
Considering that the Bay Area is a center for so much world class medical
and Biotech research, the general population sometimes seem to have an
almost medieval suspicion of modern medical science, while at the same time
being very open to any ''natural'' or ''alternative'' therapy, no matter how
dubious it is. We can't all be experts on science or statistical research,
but given that fact, we need to follow the current advice of a pediatrician
rather than be guided by our own uninformed feelings or suspicions.
Remember, this is not a personal choice issue - your decision affects the
whole population.
For the record, my son has received the MMR vaccination, and no, I'm not a
doctor.
The reason that measles and other potentially life-altering/threatening
diseases are ''dying out'' in the U.S. is that IMMUNIZATION has greatly
enhanced our public health (my aunt died at 2 years old from diptheria in
the 1920's rural South and today millions of children die needlessly
throughout the world from lack of immunization). Quite frankly, I'm having
a hard time with your logic. You don't see why your child should get
immunized (and be put at VERY LOW risk of getting a bad reaction) because
everyone else's child has? That's exactly the kind of thinking that leads to
new outbreaks and quite frankly I feel its amazingly self-centered. If your
child has some underlying medical condition that makes them a high risk for
having a bad reaction to immunization THEN I can understand your point of
view. But otherwise, you're risking your child's life much more by not
getting immunized... not to mention raising the danger for others by your
child's becoming a vector for disease. Measles/rubella is NOT relatively
harmless like chicken pox.
Karen H.
I don't mean to be judgemental, but why risk the health of your child?
Vaccines are helpful to insure your child's safety...and most schools
require that your child have them.
You asked about local outbreaks. What your question doesn't take into
account is the possibility that someone who is infected may visit the area
and spread the illness.
Just my 2 cents.
an anonymous mom of a child your child's age
I'm the original poster of the measels question.
1) The question asked was not, ''Is it OK to not vaccinate my child?'' The
question was, ''When was the latest local measels outbreak and where would
I
find out that information?'' I appreciate all responses that pertained to my
question.
2) I do vaccinate my children. My son got his MMR at age 2 and I didn't
encounter hysteria from the pediatrician. My daughter is now 17 months
and I
wondered if I should reconsider delaying her vaccination.
3) My family, for health reasons, has *delayed* certain vaccines and this is
acceptable practice by the AAP.
4) CA allows medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions for
vaccinations.
5) Please be aware that there are families who should not vaccinate for
family health reasons. Frankly, I am more than irritated that assumptions
were made about our family's choices (i.e. ''Why would you want to risk the
health of your child, etc.''). You don't know anything about us. Thanks for
your concern,
Very Annoyed Parent
Does MMR cause Autism?
April 2001
(from the discussion "Worried about Vaccinations")
While I completely respect your decision to monitor your child's
vaccinations, I want to clear up something. You should have all the
facts when you make your decision. It is not true that there has been
a rise in autism related to vaccinations. In fact, a recent study
showed that the number of cases of autism is not rising at the rate of
the population of vaccinated kids. The single erroneous study linking
vaccinations to autism was in Great Britain, where a doctor took a
very small group of autistic kids (under 25) and tried to map their
15-month MMR vaccinations to the first signs of autism. There was no
control group. Of course there was a relationship: Unfortunately, the
first signs of autism seem to be around 15 months, which is the same
time babies get their first MMR shots. There was no study of all
infants who had received the MMR vaccines. Since then, several groups
have done studies and found they could not correlate the two at
all. (See the "New York Times," Feb. 20, 2001, "Vaccine Discounted as
a Link to Autism.".) Also, it seems every time a major media outlet
rehashes what I just wrote, folks ignore the part where they say
scientists have dismissed the British doctor's claims. This happened
with the recent "60 Minutes" episode and the recent "20/20"
episode. Unfortunately, it's very hard to prove a negative. And,
because doctors and scientists are not certain what causes
autism--although, according to the "Time" magazine issue on it last
year, the medical community believes it is related to genetics--it is
hard to rule out anything. I truly feel for parents of autistic
children. But remember that without vaccinations, we'd still have
smallpox and whooping cough. There are very valid concerns about
overvaccination. But measles, mumps and rubella can be very serious to
infants. And, worse, exposure to rubella can be very serious to
pregnant women and their babies.
Gwynne
I wanted to add a comment regarding vaccinations, prefacing it with a
statement of my own bias: I have chosen to vaccinate my children, but I do
believe there are important risks involved. As to the issue of
vaccinations and autism: Whether or not there is a link between autism and
vaccinations is unknown, and if there is one, it is likely complex. I have not yet read
the original research articles that were discussed regarding the MMR and autism,
though I plan to, but I have read about them many times, and I do know that there are
some researchers who do not dismiss the findings by Wakefied in Great Britain. There
are clearly some sort of environmental contributors to the increase in autism seen in
recent years. There appear to be genetic risk factors involved as well; as with most
diseases autism probably has multiple causes, and genetic risks are not necessarily or
even usually the sole cause of disease and disorder. This recent increase in autism in
the U.S. is real and alarmingly large, and we should all be concerned about figuring
out why and what must be done to prevent it. Regarding vaccinations in general:
There are alarming recent increases in a number of other childhood and immune
system disorders that may be caused in part by the way we vaccinate our children. I,
and many others, believe there absolutely must be rigourous LONG-TERM research
on the consequences of vaccinations, and that the question is not whether to vaccinate
(though this should be a choice that parents can make), but how to vaccinate: starting
at what age, using what additives, against which diseases and how many diseases
overall, what is the most approporiate timing and spacing, etc. Perhaps we vaccinate
our children at too early an age, perhaps we use too many vaccinations and too many
at a time. The reality is we don't know what the long-term consequences are of our
current recommended vaccination schedule, and we should all be concerned about
increasing the level of unbiased research into these issues. Parents who question the
safety of vaccinations are doing a service to the greater society, as their concerns have
already led to increased commitment to such research and to some needed changes (for
example, note the recent decision to stop using thimerosol, mercury, in children's
vaccinations). And it's
important to remember that there have been many times in history when a
seemingly strange idea was later supported by scientific research and then
accepted as an obvious truth. While some of the problems parents have
attributed to vaccinations may have nothing to do with vaccinations, others clearly do
and research is accumulating that suggests there are many unintended consequences
of vaccinations, some of them potentially serious, which must be investigated. What's a
parent to do? Find a doctor you feel will honestly and openly discuss your concerns and
consider the following:
you can opt out of some vaccinations, and/or start them later, do only one
at a time, etc. Stay as informed as you can as there is new research
accumulating all the time, and be an advocate for research into these issues!
Lisa
May 2000
We are agonizing over whether or when to get our children (now 16
months old) vaccinated for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. There have
been several articles in recent editions of our local paper (the West
Contra Costa County Times) that talk about the skyrocketing increases
in autism rates and a link between autism and this vaccine. Studies
are only gathering funding now. We also have friends with an autistic
child who was glowing with health and normal in every way, just as
ours are, until about this age, so it's close to home. However, young
children can die from measles (CDC says 1 in 1,000 do), so we don't
want to leave them unprotected. Our pediatrician is not addressing
our concerns ("There's no link," is all she will say). Has anyone had
time to research this link between MMR and autism? Our questions are
these:
- Is there more than one MMR vaccine? Has the link been made between
autism and the vaccine of one particular manufacturer? Is there a
"safer" MMR vaccine?
- Is there only one window of opportunity for the onset of autism?
That is, if we put off getting the vaccine until our children are
older, will the risk of autism be past?
- Why are the three vaccines bundled? Is it possible to vaccinate
just against measles, or just against mumps, and leave rubella, for
example, out of it (we have heard that rubella will only be a problem
for them later in life)?
Thanks. Pamela
I have a strong opinion on this: vaccinate your child! These diseases
can all be serious & they are highly contagious. Rubella causes
serious birth defects if a pregnant mother catches it--you don't want
your baby to be Typhoid Mary. Whooping cough is now back and nearly
killed a friend of mine--all because some people have been scared off
the vaccine by rare reactions that are not dangerous if the child is
properly monitored.
I am extremely skeptical of "studies" that show vaccines as "causing"
autism--don't trust what is in a popular magazine. People are always
seeking ways to blame this & other disorders on something simplistic &
there is always anecdotal evidence to scare people out of doing
something they are ambivalent about doing anyway. (Witness the
discussion on sunscreen "causing" cancer--my kids were required to
have sunscreen in day care because NOT having sunscreen really can
ultimately cause cancer.) If these articles cite back to scientific
sources, you could always examine them or have someone with a
scientific background do so for you, if science is not your thing. I
would be very surprised if there were any substance to it. If your
doctor says as much, he/she is probably right.
Mary Ann
Autism only manifests itself at an age of about 18 months ... there is
no way yet to test for it before then, and the babies that do become
autistic will seem normal, healthy etc. This is just a part of autism
and has nothing to do with vaccinations or other 'external' factors.
A very recent study found that newborn blood samples of babies that
later develloped autism show an abnormal amount of particular brain
development proteins. A news story on this is at:
A study published in 1998 looked specifically for a link with the MMR
vaccine and it reported no increase in autism in the UK after the
introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1988: Brent Taylor, Elizabeth
Miller, C Paddy Farrington, Maria-Christina Petropoulos, Isabelle
Favot-Mayaud, Jun Li, Pauline A Waight: Autism and measles, mumps, and
rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association.
Lancet 1998:353 # 9169
Of course all good scientists will say that 'more study is needed' to
be 100% sure, but seeing this evidence, allong with the fact that MMR
really does save lives, meant that I vaccinated my daughters without
hesitation.
Michael
I'm sure others will comment on the degree of risk associated with the
MMR and other vaccines, and on whether they can be given separately.
I thought you would be interested in a recently published book on the
possible link between vaccination and certain forms of 'late-onset'
autism: "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental
Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery," by Karyn
Seroussi and Bernard Rimland, Ph.D.
I heard Karyn Seroussi interviewed on NPR recently and was impressed.
(I might add that I am by no means a medical alarmist, either.)
Here's a brief description from the publisher:
"When their nineteen-month-old son, Miles, was diagnosed with autism,
Karyn Seroussi, a writer, and her husband, a scientist, fought back
with the only weapons at their disposal: love and research.
Consulting medical papers, surfing the Web, and networking with other
parents, they traced the onset of their child's problems to an immune
system breakdown that coincided with his vaccinations. As a result,
his digestive system was unable to break down certain proteins, which
in turn led to abnormal brain development. So Karyn and her husband
got to work -- Karyn implementing their program at home while her
husband tested his theories at the scientific lab where he worked."
Timothy
I saw the vaccine question. I am a nurse and I would (and did) get my
kid(s) vaccinated. The risk of getting the diseases, with possible
terrible consequences (we don't see them much now so we have
forgotten) is greater than the risk of side effects, in my book. It is
also a huge known risk, versus an unknown and/ or unproven or smaller
one. You always have to weigh the two sides. My mother and I both had
polio and lucked out of being disabled like a few people. I'm for
vaccines.
Christine
I teach preschoolers who have autism so I have heard quite a bit about
this from my students' parents. A few thoughts: autism is typically
diagnosed at about the same age as the MMR vaccine is given, thus
there is a strong correlation but not necessarily causation; when the
MMR vaccine was initially introduced, there was not a sudden spike in
the number of children being diagnosed with autism as you might expect
if the vaccine was really the cause; there are different
strengths/brands of the vaccine and a weaker version may be given to
children who have had allergic reactions to other medications (or in
this case to younger siblings of children whose parents think there
was a link between their older child's autism and the vaccine);
parents have told me that you CAN get these vaccines done separately
rather than grouped together thus reducing the overall toxicity of
what's going through your child at any one time- of course you have to
ask for this and probably be very persistent about it and it requires
taking your child to the doctor three times rather than just once;
finally, children with autism either show marked delays in developing
language at all, or like your friend they develop "normally" and then
lose the language and social skills that they have between about 18
mos and 36 mos. So, if your child is beyond this "window" it is
extremely unlikely that he would lose all his language and be
diagnosed with autism.
Amy
Several books on vaccines (Cournoyer and Miller, to mention two) plus a
recent book AUTISM and Pervasive Developmental Disorder by Karyn Seroussi
(2000) will be good resources in your decision-making. Seroussi and her
husband did extensive research and found a link between autism and
genetics, food allergies, and vaccinations. Science News, 2/26/2000, saw fit to carry a review of her book. She focuses on the MMR and the combination DPT vaccine. Some links between IBD/Crohn's Disease have also been seen in recent studies (see Lipski's book Digestive Wellness) Good luck with your choice.
Nori
The MMR/Autism link debate has raged in the journal Lancet since the first
paper from Andrew Wakefield and colleagues came out in 1998. It has come
up again, since there was a congressional hearing on the matter in which
Dan Burton (R-Indiana) was convinced that his grandson got autism this way. The latest editorial (Lancet, 355:1379, April 22, 2000 issue) debunks some of the logic and uninterpretable research by Wakefield, et al., and also notes that we still have deadly measles outbreaks in the US. Global vaccine coverage for measles is actually decreasing and nearly a million children die of it yearly.
Joe
I want to add my family's perspective to the MMR vaccine discussion. My
son, now 20 months old, received a liver transplant at 5 months old.
Thankfully, he is now a healthy, happy, growing little boy. The
anti-rejection medication he takes allows his body to accept his liver, BUT it also makes him more susceptible to diseases. He has gotten most vaccines, but he cannot get those for chickenpox or MMR. If he ever does contract chickenpox, measles, etcetera, it would land him in the hospital and possibly take his life. So I ask parents who are debating whether or not to vaccinate to PLEASE consider the impact their choice may have on others. For our son's health, our family must rely on the rest of the community to get their children vaccinated.
Julie
Dear Parent,
First of all I'd like to say that your child's health is the best vacine
against disease. Second I would like to introduce a possibly new out look
on health and "disease". First of all there are no "bad" guys out there as far as those nasty deadly germs and viruses. If a person's immune system is healthy and strong then their body will be able to handle coming in contact with all elements in it's environment. Please don't fall into the fear trap. I can recommend a homeopathist, who can enlighten you to homeopathic alternatives to allopathic vaccines. And I would also like to share my experience with my daughter who is a glowing 12 year old who I believe is so partly because I let her have the "normal "childhood diseases and she is all the stronger and healthier from. It was my understanding from my study and practice of macrobiotics during pregnancy and throughout my daughter's first years, that the measles and chicken pox are normal reactions of the body at that age, which is usually around 2 or so, of cleansing itself before the next stage of development. My daughter had both sicknesses the same winter when she was two (she got them from a house mate who had picked them up at preschool) I took special care to make sure she got all the rest and quiet etc. she needed and when she was all done she was a slightly different little person. I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful experiences in my life with her. Illness can be a time of needed change and ultimate transformation. Honor the body's natural processes and please don't let any negative medical establishment/pharmasutical industry propaganda scare you away from your instincts and intuition. And call Daniel Donner,L.Ac.,Dipl.Ac.,CCH 510-655-0555 or Ellen Gunther MD 510 8411677 There are also naturopathic doctors around, for example The natural Healing center of SF Victoria Hamman, ND Alumnus, Bastyr Univ. SF 415-821-3656
Also your child does not HAVE to have immunizations to attend public
school. There are waivers you can sign. You just have to ask. I did that for my daughter because I felt the immunizations were unnecessary after reading all the info. Good Luck
Lianne
Contact Christine Ciavarella at the Hahnemann Medical Clinic in Albany,
524-3117. I think I remember seeing the three listed separately on their
insurance form so it is possible they carry separate M, M, and R. One
warning though, it will probably be a lot more expensive to do it this way. We did the Tetanus-only vaccine and it cost three times what the dT would have been at our peditrician's office. This is because of supply and demand- they can't buy these in bulk and that jacks up the price.
Christine is also a good person to discuss your decision with. Very
balanced view IMHO. When we discussed Pertussis she talked about treating
both children who got the disease as well as children who had reactions to
the vaccine. The homeopathic approach is to start later, give only one
vaccine at a time, and make sure the child is not sick at all when you do it. It also includes strengthening the child's immune system through diet and avoiding, where possible, the use of antibiotics. We chose not to do the MMR but to reconsider when our kids hit puberty. We made that decision irrespective of the allegation that the MMR is linked to autism- I think a lot more has been written about it in the meantime. One thing to keep in mind when you read "death rates" for a disease is that these don't distinguish between children who are immuno-compromised and those that aren't, who was treated immediately and who wasn't, and a number of other factors. I have heard that the Measles that's around today is more virulent than in the past because of the vaccine and I don't know if this is true.
Sophie
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
Nov 1999
I have a question about splitting the MMR vaccine. I spoke with my
son's pediatrician, and we are planning to administer the measles, mumps,
and rubella vaccines separately and monthly, instead of one bulk shot.
However, the pediatrician told me that my medical group (HMO, Hill Physicians)
will not pay for the shots if I do them this way (I suspect that they have
some sort of contract with the manufacturers of the 3-in-1 vaccine, and
therefore charge more to supply clients with the separate dose vaccines).
Anyway, does anyone have experience with this situation? I know there's got
to be a way to persuade the medical group to pay, but I don't know how. Please
advise.
This is most likely a Generic vs Name Brand drug issue. All HMO's
will pay for the generic version of a drug (prescriptions, vaccinations,
other injections ...) and will not pay for the name brand version
unless there is no generic equivalent. So I'm guessing the individual
vaccines are available as a more expensive name brand form, but the combined
MMR vaccine is generic and cheaper (not to mention only one office visit
for the HMO to pay for).
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
Feb 2001
Does anyone have update on MMR vaccine? Any doctor giving three separate
shots instead of one combined vaccine? Since I saw the story about the
story on '60 minutes' about possible link between MMR shots and autism, I
have been researching and hearing different accounts on this suspected but
unproven link. My feeling now is to try to find a clinic or doctor who can give them separately.
My son is due for this shot in a couple of months and I would really appreciate any comments
and updates on this.
sd
As I understand it part of the problem with the shots is that most of them
contain (or used to) some form of mercury as a preservative, I believe the full
name of the mercury is thimersol (sp?). You should request that the shots be
mercury free. I was recently at my child's 1 year appointment and requested
the shots be mercury free and that they be given in single doses. The Dr. said
their shots were mercury free and that it would be no problem to get the shots in
single doses. One other thing to keep in mind is to not vacinate your child if she
is sick. My daughter had just recovered from a cold so I chose to not vacinate
her at this appt.
cecily
Please see the American Academy of Pediatrics website for well-considered info
re this topic at: http://www.aap.org/new/autism2.htm
Sharon
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
May 2002
Our child is turning two. We chose not to give him the MMR vaccine
but, instead to give him the three vaccines separately. Our problem
is that our doctor does not have the mumps vaccine and cannot get it
(manufacturing had been suspended) and now cannot get MMR either.
Does anyone know of an available mumps vaccine either through a
medical doctor or pharmacy? Are other parents having similar
difficulties?
Alicia
[no replies received]
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
Oct 2002
We've decided to split up the MMR vaccine into three separate
shots, and our doctor is having difficulties getting the vaccine
for the measles and mumps (we've already done the Rubella
shot.) Has anybody recently had their child immunized for
measles and/or mumps by splitting up the MMR shot? If so, do
you know where your doctor/health clinic obtained the individual
shots? Any leads on how to obtain the individual shots are
appreciated. Even sending me the name of your doctor or clinic
where you had the shots done is helpful and I will follow up
with them myself. Thanks in advance!
Betsy
[no replies received]
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
March 2003
Does anyone know where I can find Attenuvax (live measles vaccine)
solo? I would like to avoid having my son immunized with the MMR,
and while Attenuvax is available in theory, Merck (the only US
manufacturer) hasn't made it for over a year and won't produce any
in 2003.
Steven
[no replies received]
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
Sept. 2003
We chose to NOT give our daughter the MMR vaccination.
Rather, we gave her the Measles single antigen shot when
she was two years old. Now it's time for a booster and
Kaiser does not provide the single antigen anymore, nor
does the City of Berkeley's Immunization Clinic. Does
anyone know where might we find the Measles single
antigen vaccination?
Na'ama
[no replies received]
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
Nov. 2003
My daughter is approaching the time for her MMR vaccine. After
reading older posts on this subject I have decided to give her
this vaccination in three separate doses. However my
pediatrician said that they get this vaccination only as an MMR.
I am wondering if anyone can point me out to where I can
purchase this vaccination in separate doses. I am also
interested in any other advice one has on this approach.
Annon
We also tried to separate the MMR vaccine, but were unable to
get the measles shot. It is no longer made in the U.S. (The
only tip I got was it was made somewhere in Czechoslovakia!!)
Our main concern was the connection between mercury and autism,
but mercury is no longer used in the MMR vaccine. To ease our
mind, we waited until our son was older before he had the MMR
shot, and had it done when he was 27 months old. By then it was
obvious he was a healthy, active and talking two year old, so it
helped ease our minds to know that I wouldn't have to wait a
year-plus to see if the MMR shot had any adverse effects.
Hope this helps!
I tried to get separate vaccines earlier this year. At the time,
the ONLY manufacturer of MMR (Merck) had quit making the
monvalent vaccines and I couldn't find any leftovers at any
office. I don't know if Merck resumed production. If so,
someone please let me know!
EM
Hi-
My pediatrician said that she can order the MMR separately, but
that it comes in doses of 10, so she needs 10 patients who want
it before they'll order it.
Take Care,
Suzanne
Splitting the MMR Vaccine
April 2004
I have two inquiries: I was wondering if anyone can reccomend a
pediatrician who is respectful of a parent's desire to defer some
vaccinations, break up some of ''vaccine coctails'' into seperate
doses and wait a couple years for other vaccinations. My
pediatrician is not very understanding, and on the subject of
getting individual shots instead of the ''vaccine coctails (like
MMR or DTaP),'' she said she would do it but I have to find the
pharmacutical companies that provide those individual vaccines.
Does anyone know what companies provide individual doses of DTaP
or MMR? Any help is so appreciated!
jennifer
We go to Berkeley Pediatrics and I was able to split my son's
MMR vaccine. My son is 5 now so their policy may have changed
but it might be worth a call. I think it mostly depends on the
companies that produce the vaccines rather than an open minded
doctor.
Good Luck!
hello, my infant's new pediatrician told us that it is no longer
possible to split the mmr. (i would be disappointed to find out
otherwise!) i have a 3 1/2 year old son who i did split the mmr
for. and there is a new ''combination'' immunizaion (IHBDTP) i
wasn't formerly aware of, which combines even more immunizations
into one shot. apparently the pertussus is acellular in this
shot.
anyway, i fully intend to immunize my child but i have opted to
spread out my immunizations a bit so that my daughter is not
receiving so many shots per visit. some doctors are open to
this while others are not. it's just a matter of finding one
who is willing to be sensitive to your comfort level with
regards to immunization schedules. our doctor worked out a
schedule based on what illnesses he thought our daughter was
most susceptible to in her early months.
i hope you find a pediatrician who you feel comfortable working
with. it is important to do so because your relationship with
him or her is optimally an 18 year one.
happy with our pediatrician
HI,
We go to Berkeley Pediatrics and we delayed the MMR until my son
was 2 1/2 years old. I had to be firm about our decision but
once they understood that I wasn't backing down, they were fine
with it. At the time(one year ago), I couldn't find a place that
would break up the vaccine so our compromise was to delay it
over a year.
Good luck.
Janet Perlman at Bayside Pediatrics is very open to alternative
vaccine schedules (she refers to them as 'boutique vaccination
schedules' I believe). I think the majority of the kids in her
care are on some kind of boutique schedule. We delayed starting
our daughter (and have skipped a few completely so far) and
feel she's given me good advice about how to proceed (e.g.,
what she has to have when starting group child care and what
can wait). She knows about current vaccine research findings so
can answer questions you might have about efficacy and safety.
And she offers seperate MMR vaccines if she can get 10 families
to sign up.
She is great with kids - my daughter (15 mos.) loves her. She
has administered the vaccinations herself and encouraged me to
breastfeed during the injection. She is always responsive,
gives good, practical advice, and in general, is a wonderful
pediatrician! She practices out of the Berkeley and Oakland
offices (both on Telegraph). Her number in Berkeley is 843-4544
Shari
I have been working with our pediatricians office to break up
vaccines with no problems. I have completely declined a few and
broken all of the combined ones up into individual shots. When
it came time for the MMR, I said I would allow it, if it could
be broken down. They did the R that day and said to come back
in a month for one of the M's. At that point, they told me that
a single measles vaccination wasn't available anymore, so I
declined the entire vaccincation. At our last appointment,
earlier this month, they had the single measles shot and we
received it. I asked why it was suddenly available and they
gave me an explaination related to the manufacturer. So I know
that it is possible to get single vaccincations, with
acceptance by pediatricians and without having to recruit 9
other families to do the same thing. We use Bancroft
Pediactrics in San Leandro. Good Luck
Kim
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