One mother’s story: I went ahead with the measles vaccine despite my fears

Before she had children, Marcie was terrified by vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. At the time, she worked in early intervention, coordinating services for parents of special-needs preschoolers. “Many of them believed their kids got sick or showed signs of a developmental delay after being vaccinated,” she recalls. “It made perfect sense, and I had no reason to doubt their beliefs.” Her fears solidified after reading anti-vaccine books, and she vowed to avoid vaccinating her own children. After her first son was born, however, Marcie and her husband agreed to compromise on his vaccines. They looked for a pediatrician who understood her fears and would help them devise a modified approach to vaccination, including a staggered MMR vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend children receive the MMR vaccine at age 12-15 months, and again at 4-6 years. The MMR vaccine is typically given as a single shot. But Marcie, her husband and her pediatrician agreed to separate the MMR vaccine into three components and immunize the couple’s two sons against measles first, then mumps, then rubella. (This separated version of the MMR vaccine is no longer commercially available in the United States.) Fast forward to adolescence. Marcie’s older son was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which meant he could no longer get a live ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our patients’ stories Source Type: news