Dispute with the Doctor...

Yesterday I took Carsten for his 9 month check up. The doctor wanted to give him a flu shot. The standard shot contains a perservative called Thimerosol. There has been some debate in recent years if this mercury based ingredient causes brain disorders in babies, most notably Autism. They offer a Thimerosol free flu shot, so I figured I would go with that just to be safe. They offer it, so why not? This is my child we are talking about here. I am not taking any chances, even if it is a small one. So, the doctor and I got into a debate of sorts over things that have been linked to Autism like Thimerosol and the MMR (given twice - at 12 months and 4 years). The doctor was very adamant that neither has been scientifically proven to be linked to Autism and if I really did some research I would be convinced. Well, I have done enough research to know what the "scientists" and drug companies have concluded, but not enough to cancel out some of the personal stories that you hear and read about on the internet. I found one website with countless stories about babies that were very advanced developmentally with no signs of Autism. Then, they were taken in for their MMR at 12 months and within days became different children. Shortly after, they were diagnosed with Autism. Maybe the parents missed the signs. Maybe they were just looking for something to blame rather than their own genetics. Maybe the risk is small, but I don't know if it is worth taking. Danyel and I have decided that we probably will wait until Carsten is 2 or 3 to get his first MMR vaccine. The doctor will be very against this when we take him in for his 1 year checkup. He may even ask us to leave his practice (this happens pretty often when parents refuse vaccinations). He will warn us of the risks of not vaccinating him. But in my opinion, the risk is small in comparison. There are only 200 reported cases of measles a year in the United States. Usually, Measles, Mumps, & Rubella are minor illnesses that do not lead to hospitalization or death. My husband had mumps as a child... my mother had measles as a child. Not too long ago, these were common childhood illness, just like Chicken Pox were for our generation. They now even vaccinate for Chicken Pox! Maybe we are too paranoid and worried for no reason, but if there is one thing in our lives to be extra cautious about - it is our child.

Here are some links to some websites that I found helpful:
American Academy of Pediatrics
Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute