I think most people would say yes.  I'm sure a few would seek alternative methods, though.  Vaccines are used to prevent possible diseases that one may or may not contract and if one contracts they most likely will not die from and in majority cases won't have lasting injuries from.  Cancer is a disease one has and will die from if it is not treated so it seems like a completely different concept to me. 

The difference is preventing a disease that you don't necessarily have a high chance of getting/dieing from or treating a disease that you have and will die from.

If my child had cancer, I would definitely consider chemotherapy.  However, like  ta1999 was saying - I'm not sure if this was the best example since the purpose of vaccines is to "prevent" the risk of a potential infectious diseases while chemotheraphy is an option of treatment for those that already have a disease . And so, the purpose of chemotherapy is to "treat &/or cure" cancer; a long term chronic illness due to genes, lifestyle behavior &/or other environmental risks factors that may be involved. Either direction you go with this, there will be risks involved.  Everything we do has a risk. Almost everything we take has some sort of side effect.  I'm still on the fence about the HINI vaccine, so I don't know if me and my family will take it.  But, I am taking in as much information about it to make the best decsion for my family because at the end of the day, you really have to look at the pros and cons to both sides and go with what you feel is the best option with the "least risks involved."  

"Now" is a gift, that's why it's called the "present."

I vaccinate my children and I do it, not because I think they will die from the chicken pox or the measles, but because they spend a large amount of time around people who really COULD die from those things.  I was exposed to whooping cough by an unvaccinated child when I was pregnant and while the child recovered just fine, it caused some serious complications with my pregnancy.  I was angry at the mother, not because she chose to pass on the vaccine, but because she KNEW her child had the disease and still took her to a crowded children's story hour at a library.  Apparently it never occurred to her that there could be kids with immune problems there or pregnant women there. 

My kids spend a lot of time around grandparents and great grandparents, as well as tiny babies and pregnant women.  I don't know how I could forgive myself if my kids were to pass a disease along to one of them and they died from it.

As for chemo, yes I would do it, but I'd also pursue complimentary therapies.  A friend of mine has breast cancer and is using holistic treatments along with traditional chemo.

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 vaccines are to HELP PREVENT...they are not 100% effective,  I have a son who is pursuing a career in the medical field and he had to have his childhood vaccinations AGAIN because he had no immunities in his system at all.  The strangest thing is that he had to have his childhood vaccinations twice as a small child due to lost shot  records, lost computer files, a move to a different state....so you would think that his blood would show a very strong immunity to the MMR etc.  

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First, let me say I do not vaccinate my kids with certain vaccines because of their components and side effects directly related to my childen's conditions.

Secondly, I have a child with mast cell disease.  It is not really cancer as our society defines it but requires chemotherapy for standard treatment.  After talking with her oncologist and other doctors, we sough alternative methods.  Here is why, in her case, the amount of chemo was minisucual and there was absolutely no guarantee because of her age that it would be successful or that she would even survive the treatments.  We spoke with the Cancer Institute in Minnesota, they work with the mayo clinic, they showed reliably that alternative methods had proven successful because with this being an immune disease we use the plant based antihistamine fighters to help her.

I will say it has been 8 months and we have had no flare ups and her symptoms have been under control. 

I don't think you can compare vaccines to chemotherapy.  They are two completely different things and depending on the child, illness and family the reasons are completely different.

Abbismom

I dont think she was relly trying to compare vaccines to chemo in any way other than the fact that "vaccines are poison" has been thrown around a LOT, and chemo, is, for all intents and purposes LITERALLY poison,that can help completely kill the immune system to kill the disease that is attacking it.

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This is not a comparison.  A better comparison would be "If you don't vaccinate, would you use Comet and Pine Sol to clean your house?'

I would be reluctant to use chemotherapy, but I am not the only one making decisions in my house.  I have a partner and it is a decision for two to make.

I believe that chemotherapy can often do more harm than good, yet I dont know how I really would say no to chemo.  It would feel like a deathsentence without chemo, yet my research in alternative therapies makes me think that it wouldn't have to be.

Amy

I agree with you, Amy. It depends on the type of cancer, what stage it's in, etc. My mom did chemo for her ovarian cancer and wishes she hadn't. She now suffers from neuropathy and has breast cancer. She's forgoing the chemotherapy this time and by treating her cancer with different methods, she's killing the cancer without killing her immune system. The cancer is shrinking and she's not doing chemo, radiation, any of the allopathic responses to cancer. I really don't know that I would consent to chemo for my child when I know there are alternative treatments that are effective and that don't harm the body in the process.

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I do vaccinate my DD, but had refused the H1N1 shot, this is the first time i refuse a vaccine, and i mostly did it because it's so new.

I do not know of a mother that has a kid with cancer or a serious illness and will just look away and seek treatment for them. I know for sure, if that was my case (knock on wood) i would try everything that gives me hope to see my daughter well and healthy.

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