When I was first pregnant in 2005, there were no vaccines recommended during pregnancy, so the first vaccine I had to make a decision about was a Hepatitis B vaccine recommended on my baby’s day of birth. Hepatits B is transmitted sexually or via intravenous drugs. Now, knowing that vaccines come with benefits and risks, I weighed those benefits and risks to come to my decision. So, Hepatitis B. I’d been vaccinated for Hepatitis B middle school. I had tested negative for Hepatitis B during routine prenatal screenings. I was in a monogamous relationship and didn’t use intravenous drugs. Nobody who would be interacting with my child for at least the first decade of life would likely pose a threat of giving my child Hepatitis B. So, not vaccinating on the first day of life really didn’t pose any risk. What about vaccinating? Well, since any fever in the first 2-3 months of a newborn’s life is a cause for alarm, even a mild vaccine reaction like a fever could take a from a peaceful, planned homebirth with a midwife, straight to intense monitoring in a hospital for no good reason! No further research needed, my baby would not receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth. I could revisit the decision once a reaction like a fever would be no big deal or if he or she would be going to daycare, school, approaching the teen years, or going into a medical profession.

That’s what I thought way back in 2005. Since then I’ve seen other good resources to help navigate the decision making process of whether or not to get the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns (or anytime, really). Some more humorous, some more scientific, I hope seeing what others say is helpful.

Hepatitis B vaccine inserts:

http://www.fda.gov/media/74274/download

https://www.fda.gov/media/119403/download

I grew up knowing that vaccines come with risks. One of my earliest memories is of waking up in my neighbor’s bed. Why? In the night, my parents and brother left in an ambulance after my baby brother had a seizure. Later, his pediatrician blamed the seizure on the old DTP vaccine. My mom was advised not to get him vaccinated for pertussis again. Aside from that, my brother and I continued to get fully vaccinated according to the CDC schedule (it was a much smaller schedule back then!). My parents were not against vaccines, yet I was keenly aware of the fact that they do come with risks! Now I feel very strongly about weighing the benefits, risks, and alternatives for each vaccine.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton