Alternative Vaccine Schedule vs. Regular Vaccine Schedule: How do I switch? Thursday, November 29, 2007 How do I switch to the Alternative Vaccine Schedule if I’ve already started my baby on the regular vaccine schedule? All of you have expressed so much interest in switching to the alternative vaccine schedule, but you aren’t quite sure how to do it since you’ve started getting some shots already. I suppose I should have foreseen this situation when I wrote the book. The most common situation I hear about is a parent who has already given their baby the 2 and/or 4 month shots, and now wants to switch to an alternative schedule. Here’s how to do that. Make a copy of my alternative schedule and cross off everything that your baby has already had, no matter when it is due on my schedule. Then at your baby’s next checkup continue with whatever is due according to my schedule. This most likely will be DTaP and Rota, then Pc and HIB a month later. What about the shots that your baby already had at 2 and/or 4 months that are NOT on my schedule until later during infancy or childhood? The two shots this mainly applies to are Hep B and polio. If your baby already had polio at 2 and 4 months, you would not get any more until 2 years. If your baby only had one polio shot, you’d pick up the next one at 12 months. As for Hep B, you will notice I don’t usually give this until age 2 or 3 years. If your baby has already had 2, then you would just wait to get the third between age 3 and 4. If your baby has only had 1 Hep B, get the second at 2 ½ and the third at 3 years. Here are a few other things to know. It’s fine to switch brands of vaccines anytime you want. You can also switch from any combination vaccine to using individual ones. The hard part will be convincing your doctor to order a different brand just for you. If you have a few other friends with similar age kids going to the same doctor, that might make it easier if you all gang up on your doctor together. (Kidding, of course). Alternatively, the doctor can give you a prescription for a single dose through a pharmacy. Hopefully as more patients make these requests doctors will become more compliant. Second, don’t worry if you mess up the actual spacing of each series of shots. The spacing is flexible. For example, even though the first three DTaP shots are supposed to be 2 months apart each, don’t worry if this gets spaced out further. And if you get only one or two polios or Hep Bs early on, but then delay the rest for some years, you don’t have to start the whole series over. You just pick up where you left off. Third, if you are starting the schedule late, such as at 4 or 6 months, don’t hurry to catch up. Just start the schedule as if your baby was 2 months old, and you’ll go through the whole thing but always be 2 to 4 months behind. Here’s an example of someone who already had the 2 and 4 month shots but who now wants to switch. At six months you would just get DTaP and Rota, then at 7 months HIB and Pc. By nine months, you would skip polio because you’ve already gotten it at 2 and 4 months. You may get the flu shot though. At 12 months get mumps, but NOT polio again since you already got the 2nd dose at 4 months. At 15 months it’s Pc and HIB, and at 18 months it’s DTaP and Chickenpox. You continue on from there according to the schedule. I hope this makes sense. Your doctor will be able to help you figure out the details. Labels: Alternative Vaccine Schedule posted by Dr. Bob Sears @ 11:39 AM   85 Comments: At November 30, 2007 11:39 AM ,  Anonymous said... I am a big fan of your book. Unfortunately I am having a very hard time finding a pediatrician who is willing to go along with the alternative vaccine schedule. Some outright refuse any schedule except the AAP's; others feel that not giving the polio early on is irresponsible. And lastly, the rare peds that are willing to even consider are unwilling to consider using other brands. ARGH!! I am lost, frustrated & without a pediatrician or vaccines. As a nurse I am appalled and as a mother I am angry and worried.   At November 30, 2007 1:59 PM ,  Dr. Bob Sears said... I know! I wish there was more I could do to help. I'm just trying to get the word out more and more. Change will come slowly.   At December 1, 2007 11:33 AM ,  Melissa said... umm, what happened to the previous blogs? I was writing with you and now it is gone and I missed the response...if there was one. I had asked about bringing my children to you for their vaccinations and bringing them to my local pedi for well visits since you are about an hour away. Is that ok? I would gladly switch to you completely but my concern is what to do in the case of an emergency since you are not close..what do you think?   At December 2, 2007 1:37 PM ,  dr. bob sears said... That type of arrangement is fine.   At December 2, 2007 6:20 PM ,  LizR said... I just bought the vaccine book today. My 12 month old is scheduled for her shots tomorrow, and although she has tolerated all of the usual combo shots up until this point, I am leaning towards asking that the MMR, chicken pox, and Hep A all be delayed. I have no problem with her getting the MMR at age two. I don't think she really needs the Hep A at all given our situation and where we live, and I would have her tested for chicken pox exposure when she is older. Our MD has been relatively receptive to my concerns about vaccines in the past, but I am concerned that I won't be able to make a good case in her office tomorrow. I plan on taking your book with me, just to show her some of the info I have been researching, but I don't want to offend her, either. Is it possible to request the delay of the MMR, and to decline the chicken pox, flu and Hep A? I realize that you can't suggest a course of action for me. My concern is that we have been following the recommended schedule and that delaying the MMR will somehow throw things off. Is there usually a problem with changing course after the recommended sequence of shots has begun, or are they independent enough that it doesn't matter? Thanks, Liz   At December 3, 2007 12:18 PM ,  Anonymous said... This book has been very informative. My question is regarding the "Vaccines and Diseases at a Glance" on page 248. It says that Pc does not contain aluminum, but the section I read on Pc states that it does. Can you confirm either way on this one. Thanks!   At December 4, 2007 5:41 PM ,  Dr. Bob Sears said... anon - the chart on 248 is an error Lizr - sorry I missed this yesterday. No, there's no problem with your plan. it doesn't throw anything off.   At December 6, 2007 10:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... I am a first time mom and my baby received all of his 2mo. vaccines.I asked my doctor what brand they used she said they have been using glaxosmithkline for 25 yrs. I tried to look info up about them but they don't tell you a lot. Do you know if this brand is safe? Also if my doctor gives me a hard time about the alternate schedule do you know of any good doctors in Ft.Worth Texas that would be good to work with....   At December 7, 2007 3:00 PM ,  Dr. Bob Searsr said... I won't comment on whether or not I think all Glaxo products are the best choice. What you can do is compare the various brands in the book and their ingredients and see if you have any preference. I WILL say, however, that I don't like to use the GSK brand of DTaP vaccine, Infanrix, OR their combo vaccine Pediarix, because of the high aluminum content.   At December 7, 2007 9:39 PM ,  Anonymous said... I ordered your book and I should get it in a week... but, when my baby received his 2mo shots he did fine.He didn't have any fever or side effects... so should I continue with the normal schedule or do the alternate??? Help !   At December 12, 2007 8:20 AM ,  karal said... Dr. Sears, My 14 month old son was given the chicken pox vaccine at 12 months. I opted to not have him receive MMR and chicken pox at the same time we decided on the chicken pox over the MMR because my Dr. felt like the Chicken Pox were more of a risk at the time. I brought my son to the Dr today for a follow up on RSV and an ear infection. He received his first flu shot today. Our next time back to the Dr if all is well will be for his 15 month checkup on Jan 14. My plan was for him to only receive the MMR shot then. My concern now is we are going to Mexico on vacation at the end of January. I brought this up to my Dr today. He told me that he feels that we should give MMR and Hep A at his 15 month because we are traveling outside of the country. Would you make the same recommendation based on our circumstance? My Dr. thinks he should reeceive the immunization regardless but has been working with me to stagger his immunizations... I also know he has to get a follow up on the flu vaccine and I was going to wait until we got back from our vacation to do that with his...He had the flu vaccine today and we will get back on Feb 2...will that be a problem with the timing of the 2 shots? Thanks in advance for any advice. Kara   At December 12, 2007 5:08 PM ,  Mommy2ALittlePrince said... Dr. Sears My son had his regular 2month shots and he was due for his 4month shots on December 6. I want to take him but I dont know what shots to give him next according to the alternative schedule. I just ordered your book through Barnes and Noble. Could you tell me which ones he should have next. Thank you so much :)   At December 12, 2007 11:40 PM ,  Dr. Bob Sears said... anonymous - I can't answer that. that's what the book is all about. You'll learn a lot when you read. Karal - getting the MMR in Jan, a week or two before travel sounds fine. Of course, in my book i suggest splitting the MMR. Travel to Mexico doesn't really increase the risk of these diseases. As for Hep A, yes, travel to Mexico is a risk, but as you've probably read it's a harmless disease anyway, so I usually don't recommend getting the Hep A that young. That's fine waiting on the flu shot.   At December 12, 2007 11:42 PM ,  Dr. Bob Sears said... mommy 2 a little prince - I would just delay your appt until you've read. If you can't, the two to get would be DTaP and Rotavirus.   At December 13, 2007 4:57 AM ,  karal said... Thanks Dr. Sears. I got your book after I made the decision to split the chicken pox and the MMR vaccine. My previous ped ( \wiyj my 1st son) did it automatically and I really didn't feel comfortable with my 2nd son gettng 2 live active virus shots on instinct...but then I read your book and it really gave me the informaiton I needed to back up my decision. My Dr. made the Hep A vaccine seem absolutely necessary for travel and it made me second guess myself... Thank you.   At December 13, 2007 8:05 AM ,  Melissa said... Dr Sears, The news is saying there is a recall by Merck on the HiB vaccine. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/consumer/recalls&id=5831191 Do you have any info on this? Should those of us who gave our children this be worried?? Thanks, Melissa   At December 13, 2007 11:03 AM ,  one lucky's girl said... This post has been removed by the author.   At December 13, 2007 11:04 AM ,  luckysdaisy said... This post has been removed by the author.   At December 13, 2007 11:08 AM ,  luckysdaisy said... i have just been able to start looking at your alternative vaccine idea since my 3rd child was born late October. i am interested in this, but his 2 month appointment is just days away. 1. should i wait until i read more about your AVS and see if it is something i want to do? or is there certin shots you would reccomend getting now? (i am assuming your schedule is in your book and not online.) 2. how/what do i tell my doctor since i don't have much information on it, since i haven't been able to read up on it much at the moment? 3. and if your baby/child has a cold or is sick, is it still okay to go ahead with your chosen vaccine schedule? thank you for your time and answers. you have been a wonderful help to me and my husband with all 3 of our children. God Bless.   At December 15, 2007 9:27 PM ,  dr. bob sears said... luckysdaisy - it's better not to have a cold when an infant gets shots. I would just wait until you get the book and read. there's no harm in delaying the shots or your appointment a week or two.   At December 19, 2007 8:53 AM ,  Lora said... Hello I enjoyed your book very much. Just looking for some "canadian" help. First, my Doc says that that they don't have DTAP alone in Canada and that they only offer Pentacel. Do you know if this is correct? Second, in the states they don't give the Meningococcol vaccine until 12 yrs, here in NB, Canada they give it at 12 months. Is this the same vaccine? Thanks Lora   At December 19, 2007 2:28 PM ,  Nick said... Hello, Our son is 9 months old. At 6 1/2 months he was diagnosed with hemiplegia. We had TB/ BCG done at 6 weeks - I live in England, but thought it was compulsory. He slept so soundly for 10 days afterwards, which was strange because normally I found it so difficult to get him to sleep. He would drop off to sleep, during that time, just sitting in his chair. Because this worried me, I began to look into vaccinations and their side effects. This put me off having the rest of them done, and I am still in that dilemma now. Do you think the BCG could have caused the hemiplegia (don't worry, i won't quote you and we wouldn't sue, we know it can't be proved)? And do you think considering the weakness in his brain, already, that it is more risky doing the rest of the vaccinations now? My pregnancy and the birth were perfect with no hitches at all. Thank you, Nick.   At December 19, 2007 6:57 PM ,  Dr. Bob Sears said... lora - if pentacel is the ONLY DTaP that is available, you might just have to go with that. I discovered that Pentacel only has 330 mcg of aluminum (instead of the 1500 that I'd thought - the ingredient label had been misleading). So it's probably safe to get. As for the meningococcal, I don't know if the Canada one is the same. I DO know that the american one will be approved for use down to age 2 years soon. Nick - I don't know if the vaccine could have done this. I'm not familiar with it since we don't use it. YOu could look at the product insert side effects. as for what to do now, other shots can have neuro side effects as well. You'll have to consider that - I can't tell you.   At December 20, 2007 10:51 AM ,  jenna said... Hi Dr Sears, Thank you so much for writing The Vaccine Book. My husband and I now feel informed enough to make some decisions regarding our daughter's future vaccinations. She is 8 mos old and has already gotten the regular recommended vax up to this point, except we started Hep B at 2 mos instead of at birth. I know you said it is fine to stop a series in the middle. My question is specifically on the Heb B though. She has gotten the first 2 doses, and I do not want her to get the 3rd. However, when she is a teenager I may wish for her to go ahead and get the 3rd dose. Is this ok, or would she have to start the series over again since that is such a long ways away? We go in for her 9 month appointment next month, and I am planning a talk with her doctor about a delayed schedule and possibly skipping some vaccinations altogether. I started researching vaccinations because of the stuff I'd heard about MMR which would be coming up at her 1 year appt. So once again, thank you so much for writing your level-headed, moderate book. My only wish is that I'd known this information before our daughter's 2 month check up!   At December 22, 2007 10:11 AM ,  dr. bob sears said... Some doctors will tell you that you may have to stay the Hep B series over if you wait that long for the third dose. But the truth is, no one knows. It hasn't been studied. We don't know if getting two as a baby and a third as a teen is enough. There is some evidence that the 3 shots as a baby may wear off by age 15 anyway, and that's not good. I would say that it's fine to wait for now. We may know more when your baby is a teen, and at the worst you could just do 2 shots as a teen for good protection.   At December 27, 2007 6:40 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr Sears: Our daughter just received the whole 2 month series- I had considered splitting up the shots but our dr convinced us to just get it over with. She has been very tired all day since the shots, really only waking up to eat. Is this normal? What shot could have caused this, or is it the combo of all 5? I just ordered your book for the next series.   At January 4, 2008 12:03 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears, our daughter will be 8 weeks next week. Our pediatrician has been pretty receptive to letting us follow an alternative schedule. However, he is wanting us to give her DTaP and Polio next week--their office does not offer Rotavirus. Also, he is wanting us to do the Pc and HIB vaccines at 10 weeks vs. 12 weeks b/c it is the dead of winter. His rational is that we would have her fully vaccinated against DTaP, Polio, Pc, and HIB by 16 weeks. What are your thoughts on these two issues...is it safe to only spread the shots out by 2 weeks or should be wait 4? I am also considering waiting on the Polio all together. Your book has been so helpful and reassuring in making these difficult decisions. Thank you!   At January 7, 2008 8:53 PM ,  Anonymous said... Is it really all that different to just give your child all of the shots and just get it over with instead of going to the doctor every month for 2 shots?? It seems like its almost harder on the baby....   At January 8, 2008 9:59 AM ,  Anonymous said... Is the alternative vaccine schedule available via download?   At January 9, 2008 7:31 PM ,  Andrea said... Dr. Sears, I live in San Diego and would love for you to be my 4 month old's pediatrician. I read the comment posted by Melissa about going to you for vaccinations and her local pediatrician for well visits and would like to do the same at the very least. What do you think is the most feasible plan. I have the utmost respect for you and have gained such valuable insight and knowledge from your website and from reading your books. Thank you for taking the time to educate us all! One more quick question that doesn't pertain to vaccinations: if I have to give the baby one supplemental feeding of formula every other day- do you still consider that exclusively breast feeding? Thanks so much, Andrea   At January 10, 2008 8:35 AM ,  mommyof3nFL said... Dr. Sears, I've been following the vaccine debate for several years now -- my goddaughter was diagnosed with high functioning autism 4 years ago and since then, I have wrestled with the vaccine issue for my own children. The resources available to me before this have ultimately only served to confuse and frighten me more! I feel both sides of the debate have resorted to scare tactics and I have been bullied by more than one physician. Because of this, my husband and I had basically let our fear decide the matter for us and we had chosen to leave our third child unvaccinated indefinitely (he is currently 12 months old, at home with me and still breastfed with no end in sight :o) Having devoured your book, I just want to thank you for helping us to clear our heads and put things into perspective! Because of your work, we have decided to adopt your modified schedule for babies 12 - 18 months at his check up in March. Thank you for helping us make a *thoughtful* and *responsible* decision instead of the fearful INdecision other books had left us in.   At January 11, 2008 10:09 AM ,  dr. Bob Sears said... Anon Dec 27 - this is a pretty normal reaction from getting so many shots. should be easier with less shots next time. Anon Jan 4 - I would say it is OK to give the shots 2 weeks apart. It's better to go 3 or 4 weeks, but 2 is OK. Anon Jan 7 - there's no short answer to your question. The info in the book really spells it out in detail. Anon Jan 8 - No it's not. Andrea - would love to have you come up. Now we don't offer just vaccines to patients who are getting checkups elsewhere. You have to be our patient, getting checkups, for us to give vaccines. Mommy of 3 - glad to help.   At January 12, 2008 1:44 PM ,  O'sMom said... Question about vitamin supplements - in the book you state that infants should get 1500 iu vit A and toddlers 2500. I assume you mean infants = under 12 mos and toddlers = 12 mos+older ? Should the 2500 IU's be on top of what he may be consuming in follow up formula / milk, (per their labels) etc ? Just asking as you state extra is toxic. Could it hurt to give all the time not just around vaccine times ? THANK YOU for the book - not many doctors right now are willing to go out on a limb and say re-examine the current vacc schedule but I think it is time. My ped was going to give mmr combo chxpox among others next week at 12 mos well check and I am going to discuss postponing to adjust to your alternate schedule. I feel like it was a godsend that I decided to most fully investigate this right before these shots, mainly due to this book and my reliance on Sears books in the past. All of the info seperately on the web is too overwhelming and frightening. I refused a flu shot while pregnant and for my son when he was 8 mos as I felt it in my heart it was not right as he was totally breastfed and at home. I am glad I did now. THANK YOU AGAIN !   At January 17, 2008 5:44 PM ,  Anonymous said... We were very excited to find your book and very interested in following the selective vaccination schedule on page 223. We also wanted to use the specific vaccines Daptacel and ActHib, as recommended, to minimize aluminum exposure. However, it has been very difficult to put into practice, and frankly,extremely frustrating. Although our pediatrician is willing to work with us, obtaining the vaccines of our choice has been difficult. We have been told the State of RI (our home) is a universal purchase state, and therefore only one brand of vaccine is supplied by the state health dept.for all doctor offices. We only have access to the Infanrix brand of Dtap and PedVaxHIB. We chose to give our son the Infanrix at his 2 month visit , but we were uncomfortable. After speaking with the ped more, she agreed to write a pescription for the specific vaccine we requested, although she offered no guarantees as to whether a pharmacy would fill it or whether the manufacturer would supply one dose. We pursued this line for Hib vaccination (scheduled tomorrow) , but were told by our pharmacy that Merck will not ship them a single dose due to the shortage/recall, and will only ship to a doctor's office. Our doctor is not able to do this due to the universal purchase agreement. We are going to try and get Daptacel for our next visit, although at this point I am not optimistic. Has anyone else run into this? Dr. Sears, are you familiar with this? We are completely frustrated with the lack of choice in selecting a vaccine for our child. We plan to switch to Daptacel for subsequent doses, if possible. We are also dropping the rotavirus- although our son received one dose at 2 mos, I am uncomfortable with the live vaccine. Can you provide any feedback on risk of live vaccine and possible autism links? Thanks!   At January 18, 2008 9:34 PM ,  LilsMom said... What are your thoughts on Prevnar? As a 7 valent vaccine does this make it more risky? I thought the rotavirus vaccine was voluntarily recalled due to intussusception? Why not delay hep-B even further into grade school? Is the combo DTaP vaccine the only available vaccine for pertussis for babies? Can you get just pertussis vaccine for a baby? Thanks!   At January 20, 2008 1:02 PM ,  cara said... Do you know of any Peds in Atlanta that are more willing to work with me on doing the alternative schedual?   At January 24, 2008 3:54 PM ,  mamajama said... My son is 4 months old and has had no vaccines yet. We will start him on your alternate schedule at is well check. My concern is about a family history of Thyroid disease. I have Graves Disease....does this make vaccinating my son dangerous? Are there any vaccines I should stay away from? Thank you!   At January 29, 2008 6:51 PM ,  Aileen said... Hi, I have a question. At my daugter's two month appointment my husband and I said that we wanted to delay her vaccines. She said that it could potentially be very dangerous, etc, etc, we were putting our daughter at risk, etc, and finally, that insurance companies will only pay for shots if they are given on time. I spoke with my mom who works for a major insurance company and called our own insurance, and both of those sources said that's ridiculous, they've never seen payment for a vaccine denied. Do you have any idea whether what my doctor said is accurate?   At February 28, 2008 7:23 PM ,  Anonymous said... cara, january 20th, I am in Atlanta, you could try Dr. Abrams in Norcross or Dr. Kute in Alpharetta. They both accept patients that are not on the traditional schedule. chancita   At March 6, 2008 7:23 PM ,  Aimee said... Dr. Sears, Loved the book! Thank you so much. My son is now 13 months. He had the scheduled 2,4, and 6 month shots. At 12 months he only got Hep A. He had been very sick for 3 weeks prior and we didn't want him getting so many shots, especially the live viruses. I appreciate your book. We are now working on a delayed/alternate schedule. Thanks so much.   At March 9, 2008 8:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... fyi the acthib vaccine says on the package insert that if you start after 7 mos. you only get 2 shots and a booster vs. 3. important for parents to know.   At March 11, 2008 5:41 PM ,  Braeden said... My son was born at 31 weeks and due to his prematurity he has gotten the RSV vaccine March being his last one...do you advise against this one, especially because there isn't a way to space it out? We have been lucky with only getting one cold, but our 12 month visit is coming up in May and thank you for all of your information, because I am definitly doing more research before just letting them stick him with who knows how many shots!!   At March 13, 2008 1:42 PM ,  Anonymous said... My wife and I are scared about the possible dangers to our unborn children with vaccinations. My wife and I want to play it safe and minimize the risks as much as can be reasonable after birth. I am only worried about finding a doc who will agree with our wishes on how to schedule the vaccines. I live in Brooklyn, NY. With all the doctors in the New York area is there one you know of in Brooklyn who can help us out? Great web site. Thanks.   At March 17, 2008 3:15 PM ,  Kelley said... My son has received his 2 month and part of his 4 month shots already and I want to get him on your schedule now. My question is about the DTaP vaccine. He received DTap at 2 months old and we held back on it at 4 months since I only wanted him to get one w/ aluminum (he got Polio, Hib, Pc, and Rotavirus). I was going to give him DTap at 5 months...but then do I give it again at 6 months or can I switch it out with Pc or HIB at 7 months?   At March 26, 2008 5:53 PM ,  Anonymous said... dr.sears, my son is now 12 wks and has not yet received any vaccinations due to my apprehensions... i've been doing a lot of reading and discussing in order to try and make an informed decision. my husband had juvenile diabetes which only adds to my concerns re. the adverse effects that many of these vaccines may have. i only want to give the BARE MINIMUM and as late and spaced out as possible. what do you recommend?   At March 27, 2008 6:52 AM ,  Anonymous said... Thanks so much for writing this book. Before I read the book I tried to pick the two vaccines that I thought would be the most severe for my daughter's two month visit without realizing that by doing so I missed the window for Rotovirus (she is now 14 weeks), I am feeling negligant and nervous now. Should I be so worried?   At March 27, 2008 6:53 AM ,  Anonymous said... Sorry, I meant negligent not negligant!   At April 1, 2008 9:07 PM ,  MisanthropeKitty said... Hi Dr. Sears, I read your book the other day (in one sitting!) and really enjoyed all the information. My question is this: I have been hearing a lot about myelin sheaths and they don't fully develop until 2 years of age and this is why you shouldn't vaccinate (esp. DTaP) Can you give me some insight into this?   At April 1, 2008 10:27 PM ,  Anonymous said... Hi Dr. Bob, I LOVE your book. My question is specific to Hep B. I'm a carrier and my daughter has had the vaccine at birth, 2 and 4 month. My dr. uses pediatrix and said that my baby will receive another dose at 6 months because its part of a "series". Is this true? Can't we just do a blood test at 9 month and go from there? I thought we only need 3 shots of hep b to be protected...   At April 4, 2008 6:57 PM ,  jessica said... I'm in Louisiana and we no longer have shots offered at the ped's office. We have a Shots for Tots program. Our son just turned 12 mo., so shots are coming up again, but I don't want to continue with the AAP schedule. B/c of the S for T program, I don't have a dialogue with the nurse like I do with my own ped.; there's no requesting other brands or anything. Anyone in a similar situation? Any advice?   At April 5, 2008 8:58 PM ,  Anonymous said... Thanks Dr. Sears for presenting the vaccination debate in a non-biased way. My son is due for his 12 months MMR next month. I have had reservations for a quite a while now on the MMR. I had my first MMR back in the 70's when it was given individually, however, I had a developed a rash and fever after the shot. Also, I have had a Rubella shot after each pregnancy. I have been immunized for Rubella three times in 9 years. Each time it doesn't seem to work on me. My son seems to have the same digestive/intestinal system as me; Lactose issues and an umbillical hernia. I have chosen to wait on the MMR for fear that his body might react the way mine did as a baby. I had another MMR at five and 25 and didn't have any reactions. If I choose to vaccinate him at three years or later would that lessen the chances of the potential side effects or his body being overwhelmed by too many chemicals? I did read your book, and I just want to make sure I understood that correctly. Should I ask my own pediatrician about delaying the MMR or will they most likely turn us away? Thanks for listing the alternative vaccination docs in the area. Is there a way to find out if there are more in the area we live? Thanks for you time and writing such an informative book. It has guided me to some great articles regarding vaccinations.   At April 8, 2008 9:22 AM ,  Anonymous said... I'm interested in doing the Alternative Vaccine Schedule for my baby. I just bought your book, and in the Alternative Vaccine Schedule it has the MMR separated into 3 shots to be given at separate times (the combo not until 5 years). My question is, they do not offer the 3 separate shots anywhere in the town I live in. If the combo MMR shot is my only option, when would you recommend getting it?   At April 10, 2008 9:43 AM ,  gpost said... Hi Dr. Sears, My husband and I love your book. Our son is 5 months old and we have been following your alternative shot schedule since his birth. In your article from Nov. 29th you mentioned not to worry about the spacing of the shots. You stated that the spacing is flexible. How flexible? We have followed the 2,3 and 4 month schedule but want to push the 5 month shots a month or two back (I need to decide soon because he is scheduled to have them next week) and the 6 month shots a month or two back. We were thinking about doing this so his body has even more time to process them. Is that possible? I would ask his pediatrician but he has already given us a hard time about the schedule we have chosen and I know he would just reference the AAP's schedule again. Thank you again for writing this book!!!! I hope you know how much it means to us worried/concerned parents out there. :)   At April 29, 2008 5:52 PM ,  Amanda and Damien said... My baby is 11 months old and unfortunately has had most of her shots. Her 1 year appointment is coming up. What should I do? Is it too late? Have I already hurt her? She seems to be developing completely normal, if not above average, but I'm still worried that damage has been done to her tiny developing brain. Amanda   At April 29, 2008 6:11 PM ,  sophial said... my son is 14 months old, what can i do to change his traditional schedule of vaccinations to your recommended schedule. we are also leaving for greece in the summer, what must he have to be safe, what is excessive, and what can wait until we come back. we will be leaving in 6 wks and will be away for a minimum of two months sincere regards sophia   At April 30, 2008 6:55 AM ,  JW said... I have a 4 year old that received his DtAP, polio, mmr, var & hepa on 4/14/08. We followed the traditional vaccine schedule with him. Would we have noticed by now if the vaccines he just received are going to cause any issues?   At April 30, 2008 7:04 AM ,  JW said... i have a 16 week old that received hepb at birth and 2 mths, and dtap/hib/polio/pnu at 2 mths. scheduled to receive next round on 5/12 and round 3 on 7/10. we are moving to italy for 3 years in july. very concerned and confused about vaccinating in a foreign country and what schedule to follow given we are moving. professional medical insight on what we should do would be very helpful and appreciated.   At April 30, 2008 11:11 AM ,  Anonymous said... I want to follow the alternative vaccine schedule. My daughter is 9 months old and had her first series at 3 months and her 2nd series at 6 months. I want to follow the example that you gave for a child who has already had the first two series but I'm confused about where the MMR falls into the schedule. It doesn't appear to be stated. Thank you! Tracy   At April 30, 2008 7:51 PM ,  momtoerica said... My daughter regressed into autism following her 4-year immunizations and has a compromised immune system, heavy metals, brain inflammation, etc... Thank you, thank you, thank you for alerting so many parents of the dangers of the current vaccination schedule - I have no doubt you are saving children from numerous health problems down the road. God bless.   At May 4, 2008 9:37 PM ,  DanielG. said... I am taking my 8.5 month old to our wellness visit. My son has received all his vaccinations this far except Rotavirus. Will my Pediatrician be offering any vaccinations? What do I expect from this visit? Thanks.   At May 28, 2008 9:09 PM ,  Marissa said... hi dr. sears, My Husband and I love your book. It has really given us some insight to a very confusing and much fought about discussion on vaccinations. We have been able o bring the information to our dr and she has agreed to do the delayed schedule. We just finshed the first series of vaccinations (HIB, PC, DTap, and Rotovirus). My question is that, we have spaced out the shots even more, so we have been doing HIB (at month 2) PC (2 weeks later), DTaP and Rotovirus (3 weeks later - at a week and 3 months) and will start the entire series over in a couple of week at her 4 month appointment. Do you think it is fine to spread the indivdiual shots, within 2 weeks of each other or do they need to be spaced out more in between? This might be a stupid question, because the alternate schedule gives them together, but I didn't know if that is enough time for the body to absorb before getting another vaccine. Does that make sense?   At June 2, 2008 9:46 AM ,  mj said... Just bought the book and I was wondering, I have not given my 2 yr old any MMR shots and what is the best way to catch my son up ? My doctor is very supportive so this helps ( in S.I., NY if anyone is interested) thanks   At June 4, 2008 4:35 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears My baby is 6 weeks and i am trying to decide what schedule to follow, so i showed the book to my pediatrician who is alternate vaccine schedule friendly, however he didn't agree with some suggestions you made like: - why didnt you suggest to separate the DTaP if is better not to give so many shots at the same time? - Flu is a vaccine that he doesnt give because he says is very strong - MMR: he says that to give it separated is not possible for him because is very expensive to get all shots separate and is not a good business to him. What do you think about all this?   At June 5, 2008 10:51 AM ,  jamie said... Hello Dr. Sears, I have recently finished reading your book. Wow! This whole vaccine process is extremely overwhelming. After reading your book I feel that I have educated myself enough to talk to my pediatrician about changing my son's schedule. I would like to adapt your alternative schedule, however, my son has followed the AAP's schedule for his 2-, 4-, and 6-month shots. How do I pick up with your schedule? Would I go through your schedule and cross off the shots that he has already had and then fill in the ones that he hasn't had? If my son has had his 2-, 4-, and 6-month shots without severe side effects is it safe to say that the upcoming shots will not cause a reaction and that continuing the AAP's schedule would be okay for him? Thank you for your wealth of knowledge and writing something to ease our confusion and anxiety.   At June 6, 2008 2:58 PM ,  Anonymous said... hi, i am new on your site..i found your site very interesting to me and very helpful..i just want to ask a very important question.my baby was born last february 5,2008 and we was scheduled on her 1st vaccine on her 2nd month but unfortunately until this time she did not get any of her vaccines until now..is there anything bad going to happen to my baby regarding this matter or there is no problem as long as she will be vaccine before she reaches her 6 month?i was very worried but i can't send her to the hospital here in kuwait because they need the papers(such as the visa and civil id for the baby)before they will accept the baby in any of the hospitals here..because me and my hisband are both overseas workers here and they have this kind of rule..i hope you can send me your answer regarding this message..i will really appreciate it..thank you very much and more power to your bok and here on your site..tc...princess   At June 19, 2008 7:50 AM ,  Dee Dee said... Dr. Sears, thank you for writing such an informative and easy-to-comprehend book! I just started my daughter on your alternate vac schedule (although she did get hep b at birth - i wasn't aware of your book at the time). My daughter was born on 4/8 and just rec'd DTaP and rota at her 2 month appt. yesterday, 6/18. I need to schedule a 3 month for Pc and HIB (she will be 3 months on 7/8). She will begin daycare (and I do breastfeed exclusively) that same week. When should I schedule those 3 month vaccines? How much time should I allow between the vaccines given on 6/18 and this next series? How do I best time them to be most effective to her entering daycare (her first time spent there will be 7/7, possibly 7/3)? Also, just wanted to comment that the cashier at local Barnes & Noble in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan commented that your book is extremely popular! My pediatrician mentioned that as well and she supported me in following your guidance, which was a relief to me.   At June 19, 2008 11:53 AM ,  Alethia said... Dr. Sears, My son is about to turn 1 and I am following your alternative vaccination schedule. My Dr's office does not offer the MMR split up, so I would need to order the vaccine myself and have it shipped to the office. After speaking with the pharmacy, they told me that the Mumps vaccine won't be in until 1st quarter 2009. Is it okay to go ahead and get Rubella at 1 and wait for Mumps at 2, or should I get Mumps at 1 1/2 and then Rubella at 2 1/2. Thank you for your help in making this decision.   At July 15, 2008 8:37 AM ,  Amy said... Dr. Sears, I have been following your alternative vaccine schedule and we are coming up on the 12 month shots. My pediatrician is recommending that we get the measles vaccine first, instead of the mumps, because of a few fatal cases in infants in California over the past few years. However, it seems that most of the austism discussions talk about the measles vaccine. I was wondering what your thoughts were on this switch to your alternative schedule.   At July 18, 2008 12:47 PM ,  Anonymous said... I'm glad that you've taken the time and interest in our children to write the Vaccine Book and the article entitled 'Is aluminum the new thimerosal?'. Thank you. I question the use of the Chicken Pox vaccine though. What exactly is the point to vaccinating our children from this? After all it's not a life threatning illness. The only adverse effects of Chicken Pox that I can see are an uncomfortable child and a few missed days of work for the parent.   At November 7, 2008 10:50 AM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears, My daughter was given her polio vaccine at 2 and 4 months but then not again until her 2 year appt. (at 25 months old). Is this a problem?   At November 7, 2008 11:03 AM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears, I'm confused. My daughter was given pediarix at 2, 4 and 6 months. Then, I changed pediatricians because we moved ---my daughter was then given a DTAP vaccine at her 2 year appt. Is this right?   At November 12, 2008 8:48 PM ,  HeatherE said... Hi Dr. Bob, I have a quick question for you. I have been using your alt. schedule with my son who is now 9 months. the issue is, he missed his 7mos shots (Pc and HIB) due to being sick for a couple weeks and then being out of town for another couple weeks. when he went in for his 9 month shots he got those two but i didnt do the polio since i wasnt sure. so- what do you recommend i do about the polio one now? thanks!!!   At November 18, 2008 10:48 PM ,  Anonymous said... What about the parents who haven't started vaccinating yet, and their baby is about to turn 4 months old? How do we follow the alternative vaccine schedule at this point? Should we just go ahead & start the schedule at 4 months, rather then at 3 like this schedule has? We just weren't sure what we wanted to do yet at 3 months, and now that our son is going to be 4 months soon, we're considering the alternative schedule of yours.   At December 21, 2008 2:13 AM ,  DanaV said... Dr. Sears Hello, We live in Israel and purchased your book via Amazon (TX for doing all the research and writing the book) and have been vaccinating our son based on your alternative schedule since he was 4 months old. In Israel, we have socialized medicine and not all of the vaccines currently available in the US are available at the “Child Health Centers” (were children are vaccinated) here in Israel. Currently the PC vaccine which is not part of Israel’s regular schedule has been made available; however I was not aware of its availability until a couple of months ago. My son is in a large day care setting, was unfortunately not breastfed, and has been sick quite often since he has been in day care (tonsillitis, bronchitis, recently the Rotavirus + what seems to be a consistent ear infection. As such he has been healthy enough for vaccines in brief bouts and I have only been able to give him the 1st PC vaccine last week. He was exactly 11 months old. My Son’s doctors ( we see 2 regularly) and the nurses giving the vaccine at the “Nurses stations” of our health care provider are not consistent, or seem not to be sure how many more shots of the vaccine he should get seeing that he has started so late. Could you please recommend how many more shots you would give him under the circumstances and at what age? Also, do you think that the vaccine will have a positive effect on his ear infections? We are quite worried about the fact that it seems that they have never completely healed? (BTW we are now looking into alternative health solutions for this + taking him to s Ear, Nose and Throat specialist). Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer this.   At December 29, 2008 9:27 AM ,  Melissa said... Hi there. I am having difficulty finding an alternative schedule for older kids, not babies. I have a two year old and a seven year old. The two year old (my daughter) has had Prevnar and HiB completely. My son had two sets as an infant of DTaP and Polio, but had bad reactions so we stopped. I am now in a position where I need to catch them up and need to know how many of what they need. Such as DTaP, do they really need 5 shots? I need to be able to put them in daycare and I cannot spend a year trying to catch them up, but I am not willing to stick them five times in one visit either. Is there a place where I can find this info? I am concerned about revaxing my son but hope since his immune system is more developed it will go better. I hate that doctors just ignore the reaction issues...   At January 2, 2009 10:11 PM ,  Anonymous said... Hi Dr Sears, Thank you for your wonderful book and for making time to address our concerns on this blog. My son is 10 months old and has had no vaccines up to this point. After reading your book, i decided to vaccinate him. Do i apply the alt. vaccine schedule as if he was two months old, and continue until he is all caught up? Thank you in advance for your guidance!   At April 15, 2009 12:38 PM ,  Anonymous said... HELLO DR. SEARS, My daughter is 19 months and am pregnant with my second. We live in Mexico and for my daughter I have basically followed the mexican's governmante vaccine schedule. Since I have been reading about your alternative vaccination schedule I would like to apply it for my for my next baby when he is born but would like to know if you still recommed your alternative schedule for people NOT living in the USA. Thank you.   At May 19, 2009 9:28 AM ,  Anonymous said... It's really hard to help people work with an alternative schedule when one can't find that schedule.   At May 19, 2009 2:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... the sched is in dr. bob's book   At May 27, 2009 12:42 PM ,  Kim Kasem said... My daughter is 6 and for school needs her shots she is due to get DTap, Hep B (which she has had 3), 4th IPV Polio, MMR, Chickenpox I know your schedule says IPV okay at 4 years, MMR okay at 5 years, chickenpox okay at 6 years so do I hold off on the DTap then and is it okay for her to get them all at the same time since we are behind? Thank you Kim   At May 29, 2009 11:02 AM ,  Anonymous said... i really need the same question as kim kasem's answered also... what does one do in this situation?   At June 2, 2009 2:34 PM ,  kim kasem said... Please Dr. Bob respond ASAP I need to get my daughter in for her appt. thank you   At June 23, 2009 8:45 PM ,  Kim Kasem said... Are you going to comment Dr. Bob its been months now? Kim Kasem   At June 24, 2009 4:42 AM ,  Anonymous said... you know, i have been waiting for this answer also, as my daughter needs her kindergarten shots !!!!!! i have no idea what to do   At June 24, 2009 4:43 AM ,  Anonymous said... i suppose when the children are at this age (5-6), it doesn't matter ???? !!!!!!!!!   Post a Comment << Home   The 12 Childhood Vaccines Vaccine-preventable Diseases Boost Your Child's Immune System FAQs Parents Who Choose not to Vaccinate Current Outbreaks and Epidemics Vaccine Discussion Forum Read Dr. Bob's Online Interviews Updates & Corrections to The Vaccine Book Find a vaccine-friendly doctor near you Alternative Vaccine Schedule American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 Vaccine Schedule Vaccine News Vaccines and Autism Vaccines and their diseases

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