Search Results for: blog are vaccines safe other things you should know

Should You Get Your Dog A Flu Shot?

Today in “vaccines I didn’t know existed for dogs” (last time it was for Lyme disease): canine influenza. That’s right, you can get a flu shot for your dog. Pet website ZooToo takes a look at it. Apparently, dog flu is a thing. I have to say I’ve never heard of it, not the way I’ve heard about bird or even pig flus. The difference is that while those strains can pass to humans, canine influenza doesn’t. It’s basically just dogs getting the flu, in a particular strain that won’t infect us. So while we might have to worry about … Continue reading →

Things You Shouldn’t Say

There are certain things that one should never say to the parent of a child who has special needs. This little piece of compassionate wisdom seems lost on some people, however. For reasons that I cannot fathom, some people just feel the need to “share” their misguided opinions at the most inopportune of moments. It has happened to every parent of a child that has special needs. Your child has very loud “meltdown” in a public place, and everyone turns around to stare. As if the stares weren’t bad enough, there are some people who are heartless enough to make … Continue reading →

Should You Vaccinate Your Own Pets?

Are you a do-it-yourself sort of person? Veterinarians are often asked if owners can administer vaccinations at home. But this is usually not a good idea. For one thing, the written instructions that come with over-the-counter vaccines may not be enough to educate an owner on the proper way to administer an injection. At the cats-only boarding facility, I was trained to prepare and give certain vaccines and supervised until the vet techs were confident that I could do it correctly. I don’t think I could have figured it out just from reading instructions! (The same with giving insulin injections … Continue reading →

You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat it Too: Thoughts on Refusing Vaccines

Last month, I wrote about Hannah Polling, a girl whose vaccines caused her autism. Her parents won money from the Vaccine Injury Compensation program. It was a landmark case in part because it was one of the largest compensations for autism ever awarded. Autism advocacy groups were quick to print headlines that the CDC acknowledges that vaccines cause autism and the government was quick to tout studies that showed that vaccines don’t cause autism. Before this the big ‘vaccine’ news was mandatory vaccinations in New Jersey that sent several hundred parents to court to prove that their children had them. … Continue reading →

Hannah Polling, Vaccines, and Autism

Let me say first that this blog is my opinion on the situation. I have researched at length the various issues, the Hannah Polling case, as well as the Vaccine Compensation program. With that said, I’m not a doctor. I would encourage all parents to be fully informed about the vaccinations their children are receiving, and to consider all the evidence. Here are some things to know, as I understand the case. What is the Hannah Polling Case? Hannah Polling is a little girl who began exhibiting autism symptoms right after immunizations she received at her 19 month old well … Continue reading →

No Link Between Autism and Thimerosal

A report published today by the California State Department of Public Health says that they’ve done a longitudinal study that suggests there’s no link between vaccines that contain trace amounts of mercury and autism. Over a period of 12 years (1995 to 2007) autism cases in California continued to rise despite the fact that thimerosal has not been used in childhood vaccines since 2001. If theimerosal was to blame for autism, then the rate of autism cases should’ve dropped after 2001. Doctors are suggesting that this study is yet another piece of evidence against the idea that vaccinations cause autism. … Continue reading →

The Best of the 2007 Baby Blog

It has been an exciting year in the baby blog with a few changes in bloggers, several news stories, a few series started, and of course lots of information and reflection. This is a list of the best of the best. . .the best news, the best advice and the best of my personal favorites. With that I wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to an exciting year in 2008! Ask a Baby Blogger Series–This, in my opinion is one of the best things the baby blog has to offer. Granted, it’s my advice which I … Continue reading →

The Now Mandatory Pneumococcal Vaccine

New York has just followed suit with New Jersey and has now mandated that all infants receive the pneumococcal vaccine if they want to enter nursery school, or preschool or elementary school. Some parents are outraged and others feel like this is a good thing. Frankly, I sit on the fence in this debate. It is important to mention that parents can opt out of the pneumococcal vaccine by asking for a religious waiver. However, if I understand correctly, the new law makes it impossible for their children to enter school–even with the waiver. What the Vaccine Protects Against The … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Q & A on Vaccines

Since I’ve started doing some blogs on vaccines and we’ve been discussing the issue in the forums, I’ve been getting more and more questions about vaccines. Today I’m going to answer them as best as I can. Please understand, that I’m not a medical expert. I’m a plain old mom whose had a lot of babies. Consequently, I’ve done a lot of research. I believe that every parent needs to be responsible for researching the best option for their child. Where exactly do you get your information? I try to pull information from a variety of sites. It really depends … Continue reading →

Vaccine Profiles: DTaP

I promised that I would get around to discussing each vaccination individually. I am not an expert and this is not medical advice. Vaccines are very controversial and I certainly respect, even believe in every parent’s right to choose the best course of action for their children. My purpose is to try to provide good information for parents who are navigating their way through their child’s vaccinations. I have taken my information from several sources, including but not limited to the CDC website as well as Dr. Sears’ Vaccination Book. If you have a question please feel free to ask … Continue reading →