Doubling Down

 When my oldest was 18 months old, he had a well child visit. He received a Hep A, HIB, a Prevnar and a DTAP vaccine. He was grouchy after his vaccines. He went to bed early that night. He slept hard. So hard, in fact, that he was still covered up and laying in the position I put him the night before. Which was on his belly with a small receiving blanket on him. He slept in later,  uncommon for him. I went in to wake him up and usually, he would already be awake and jumping in his crib. I woke him and he didn't wake to stand up. I was totally freaked out. Refer back to my assumptions that vaccines are dangerous during this time. He refused to stand up on his own and my brain instantly went to "Oh my gosh, it's the vaccines - something happened!". I got him up and while changing his diaper, noticed he had a rather large lump on the side that he received his DTaP vaccine. It was warm, swollen. It's on a toddlers leg, so it looks big. I called his pediatrician and he told me "it's normal, just watch him, if anything changes call us". Obviously, he is fine. He was fine. He was grumpy, had a bit of a fever that day (which is probably why he slept in) and his leg was obviously sore. Now, 14 years later, he just received his 4th tetanus vaccine (TDaP) this week. He has some very *minor* swelling at the injection site. No fever and he feels completely fine. Actually, he received a Polio, TDaP and his first Gardasil vaccine two days ago. He feels completely fine. I allowed him to make the decision on the HPV vaccine and he wanted it, as soon as the doctor said "It prevents certain cancers". Because we waited until he was 15, he will require a third HPV vaccine, which stinks for him. Sorry kid! That story is for another time. 

Anyway,  when this "reaction" happened, I instantly jumped on the mom message board, freaking out. I had a few moms who were anit-vaccine, "confirm" my suspicions and I decided then that he was not going to receive any more vaccines or boosters.  I have used this story time after time. But looking back, he is a bit of a wimp when it comes to being uncomfortable. Always has been,  he just doesn't like pain and feeling unwell. Even a cold is hard for him. So it's understandable that as an 18 month old, having a sore leg from the tetanus vaccine, he would be unwilling to use his leg. It hurt! It feels like you've been punched. Unfortunately, this caused me to vaccinate my oldest again until very recently. I had decided that my second born (whom I was pregnant with at the time) would get his baby shots if my husband didn't agree to not vaccinate, but I figured we would play it by ear.

So let's talk about what is in the TDaP or DTAP vaccines:

"Vaccines used today against diphtheria and tetanus (i.e., DT and Td) sometimes also include protection against whooping cough or pertussis (i.e., DTaP and Tdap). Babies and children younger than 7 years old receive DTaP or DT, while older children and adults receive Tdap and Td." SOURCE

Have you ever witness a baby with whooping cough? Me neither, thank goodness. My youngest had only received one DTaP jab as a baby. I'm so glad we managed to make it through her younger years without experiencing whooping cough. We live in a pretty small area, which probably helps. And thankfully not vaccinating your child is not the norm, so chances of running into another child with whooping cough is lower. Why, again, because of the vaccines. Although they aren't fool proof, they are effective.  Our oldest was in Kindergarten while she was little, too. So we were experiencing lots of viruses and illness. It was a rough year. 

"Pertussis can cause violent and rapid coughing, over and over, until the air is gone from your lungs. When there is no more air in the lungs, you are forced to inhale with a loud “whooping” sound. This extreme coughing can cause you to throw up and be very tired. Although you are often exhausted after a coughing fit, you usually appear fairly well in-between. Coughing fits generally become more common and bad as the illness continues, and can occur more often at night. The coughing fits can go on for up to 10 weeks or more. In China, pertussis is known as the “100 day cough.” Whooping cough can kill a baby or young child. And immunity wanes as you age, so it's important to get a booster.  

Tetanus is a bacterial infection that causes extremely painful muscle spasms, and can lead to death. It can inhibit breathing and spasms in the neck and jaw, seizures, etc. "Tetanus bacteria are more likely to infect certain breaks in the skin. These include: Wounds contaminated with dirt, poop (feces), or spit (saliva) Wounds caused by an object puncturing the skin (puncture wounds), like a nail or needle."

I remember a few years ago, I sent my youngest to a farm camp for a week. Instantly, I was worried about "what if she steps on something at the farm and get tetanus". I started wondering if I should get her a tetanus shot before going. I was told by another anti-vaxx mom "It's unlikely she will come in contact with tetanus, and if she does, she can get a shot after". This was also what I found in my anti-vaccine groups as well. So I just hoped she would be ok. "An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure" is my motto now. She now has a TDaP shot, and is going back in a few months for her last one (for awhile). I definitely feel better about her running around our own lawn and playing with our chickens. There are so many sharp, pointy, poop covered things in the chicken coop. Who knows what she will come in contact with down the road. And she barely even had a sore arm after her vaccine last month- Hooray! 

Diphtheria was a scary beast! It was the leading cause of death prior to the vaccine. It is spread through respiratory droplets. And 1 in 10 people who contracted diphtheria died. That is a 10% mortality rate even with treatment, and up to 50% death rate without treatment.  Thank goodness we don't see this in the US, thanks to vaccines. However, it's still being spread in other countries. And that is a little terrifying. 

It is so easy to have your echo-chamber confirm your fears and anxieties. And seeing stories of supposed vaccine side effects that were life altering is so upsetting. But these viruses, bacteria and diseases are real and deadly. There is a reason people vaccinate against them.  It's important to reach out to your doctor with your concerns. They see all sorts of things every single day. Vaccine related or not. If you ever have any concerns with your child regarding a vaccine or just in general, contact your provider. If you're uneasy about how they responded to your concerns, find another provider. Get a second opinion. But almost every single doctor you encounter will encourage vaccinating for vaccine preventable diseases. 

*I am not a medical professional. Just a mom who has changed views on childhood vaccines, and I want to share our family's story. Please seek the medical advice from your trusted medical doctor.