Should We Wait or Vaccinate?
Each Wednesday throughout January, we will be publishing an article by Dr. Ayla Wilson, ND, who will be providing us with a naturopathic perspective on some of our most common questions. Today, she covers postponing your child’s vaccinations.
When should we consider postponing vaccination?
You might consider postponing vaccinations if:
- your child is sick at the time of vaccination
- your child, you, or your child’s father or sibling has had an adverse reaction to a vaccine before
- your child or either parent has a personal history or family history of neurological disorders, immune system diseases/autoimmune disease, or severe allergies
- you’re unaware of the risks that both the disease and the vaccine pose
- you don’t know about the possible side effects of vaccination
You should be aware that postponing vaccination may put your children at risk of contracting illnesses that they are not yet vaccinated against.
What options are available for altered vaccination schedules?
Altered vaccination schedules are available if you wish to postpone vaccination until your child’s immune system is more developed. In an altered schedule, vaccines might not be given until after your child is 1-year-old, and you must consent to understanding that your child is potentially at risk for contracting illnesses that you chose not to vaccinate against.
Some altered vaccination schedules will omit vaccines that parents do not wish to have administered to their children. If you don’t feel that the risk of contracting the illness outweighs the risks associated with exposing your child to the vaccination, you may choose this option.
You may also choose not to give your child a booster vaccination. To see if your child needs a booster to maintain immunity against a virus, a blood titer can be done. This is a blood test checking for antibodies against a particular virus. If the level of antibodies is high enough to fight off the virus, a booster vaccine is not necessary.
Altered vaccination schedules are unique to the needs of each child. You should discuss it in detail with your naturopathic doctor or health care practitioner in order to make an informed decision.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Dr Ayla Wilson attended the University of British Columbia for her pre-med education before attending the Naturopathic Medicine program at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster.
