Dags Jabs

Dagny got her two month shots today.  If she were on the CDC schedule that would mean HepB, DTaP, Hib, Prevnar, Polio and Rotavirus.  Because we selectively vaccinate and use an alternative schedule she only got DTaP and Hib.  Following the CDC schedule, Dagny could have been exposed to 1000 mcg of aluminum.  A safe amount of aluminum exposure for infants, according to the FDA, is 4-5 mcg/kg/day.  Dagny weighed 12lb 9oz a week ago, which is a little less than 6kg.  So her maximum safe exposure is a little less than 30mcg.  But the CDC says that it's safe to inject 1000mcg of aluminum in her in one day.

The DTaP shot Dagny received had 330mcg of aluminum.  Unfortunately we couldn't get the Tripedia shot, which only has 170mcg.  Limiting aluminum exposure is one of the main reasons we follow a modified vaccine schedule.  Another big reason is that all the vaccines aren't really necessary.

HepB - Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease.  Most US born babies receive this vaccine the day they are born, when they have no risk of contracting HepB.  The only babies at risk are babies born to mothers with HepB.  So why are we injecting aluminum filled vaccines into babies just a few hours old?  I understand going for herd immunity, but there is no evidence that shows the CDC's HepB schedule is effective.  In fact, teenagers who got the full course of the vaccines are susceptible to HepB because vaccines don't last forever. So because Dagny is not an IV drug user and not sexually active, we are skipping HepB.

Polio - Did you know that the majority of people who get polio never show any symptoms?  But for those that do, it can be devastating.  Since polio has been mostly eradicated in the US and we are not travelling to any foreign countries any time soon, Dagny's risk of exposure is very low.

Rotavirus - Rotavirus is pretty common, but is typically diarrhea and/or vomiting for a week.  It is completely treatable.  In fact, we believe our 2.5 year old had it, even though she was vaccinated against it as a baby.  We made sure to give her plenty of fluids, and it resolved itself within a week.

DTaP - Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis.  Some countries have approved pertussis only vaccines, but the US does not.  Dagny is not likely to contract diphtheria or tetanus, but pertussis is very common.  It can also be very bad so we feel the risk of the disease is greater than the risk of the vaccine.  It can contain anywhere from 170 to 625 mcg of aluminum.

Hib - Hib is pretty nasty, and the vaccine doesn't contain heavy metals, so we felt this one was low risk compared to the disease.

Prevnar - Prevnar protects against a type of pneumonia.  This disease can be dangerous to infants, but is less common than pertussis, so Dagny will be getting this shot at 3 months old.  We spaced DTaP and Prevnar out because they both contain aluminum.

I believe every family needs to decide their own best course.  We determined our vaccine plan based on our situation and discussion with our pediatrician.