Yes the debate has been going on and I probably should have started my research earlier, but with all the controversy I thought the main concern for parents is the MMR which isn’t given until they are 1 year old, I thought I had time to research and decide for myself…but it’s not just this vaccine that has many concerned.  It’s the way they are given-so many shots all at once starting at 2 months.

According to my pediatrician’s schedule he will get a combo(Polio, DTap, HepB), HIB, PCV, and Rotovirus.  That’s 5 vaccines in 3 shots with an oral live vaccine.  I’m traditional in the senxe I definitely want my son to get vaccinated, but if there is a way to eliminate some the the risk and still get the necessary shots, why wouldn’t you? Most stand by the recommended vaccine schedule.

He has suggested an alternative schedule that may help reduce the chance of side effects and relieve parents concerns.

Does it help?  No one knows for sure, but I can’t help but feel like a bad mom if I don’t try to eliminate some of the adverse effects.  I plan to split up the shots.  DTP and Rotovirus at month 2 and HIB and PCV and Hep B at Month 3.  The thought process behind this is to not give so many shots at once, reducing the amount of aluminum (DTP, HepB, and PCV all have aluminum and depending on which brand of HIB-it does as well.  I also only giving 1 live virus at a time so his system can handle it.

My pediatrician will honor the alternative schedule, but says the reason they stick with the recommended schedule is there is no evidence that splitting them up is actually safer and that there were more chemicals in the one DTaP shot I had as a child than all the vaccines given together now.  Also it’s a matter of public health that all children are vaccinated.