Health: Vaccines: SouthFlorida.com

Separate MMR vaccinations taken off the market

The separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines have been taken off the market. This is an unfortunate turn of events for parents who are not comfortable giving their children the vaccinations together. Now however, whether we like it or not, we are facing an "all or nothing" decision.
Merck and Co. is the only producer of the single MMR vaccines in the U.S.
"The [Centers for Disease Control's] Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other public health agencies and professional societies recommend the use of combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for appropriate individuals to help protect against all three diseases -- measles, mumps and rubella -- simultaneously," said Amy Rose, the director of media relations for Merck.
Rose said Merck would now be able to focus on producing more combination vaccines for use worldwide. That said, there is much speculation as to what was really behind this decision.
When asked if Merck planned to put the solo vaccines back on the market, Rose said the single vaccines are not currently being made.
So now that the MMR is no longer available as three separate vaccinations, what are concerned parents to do? Dr. Robert Sears, author of The Vaccination Book and Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccination Schedule, blogged about it on www.asksears.com. Some options he mentions include the following:

Wait until your children are older (the first MMR is usually given at age 1).
Give them only the MMR at the scheduled doctor's visit -- requesting all other shots be done separately of that visit.
Have a test done for immunity before having it administered. This is especially pertinent if they've already had their first dose of MMR.

He also addresses parents who had already started the process of getting the MMR shots separately. Sears said there is "no known harm in getting an extra dose" if parents now choose to do the full MMR vaccination.
Sears said to help reduce the risk of complications associated with the MMR, make sure your children have not been on any antibiotics in the last month prior to receiving the MMR. Also, if they have chronic diarrhea, that needs to be resolved first. For a full list of recommendations and options, visit www.askdrsears.com (type in "vaccinations" under the search feature and click on "vaccination news").
The Centers for Disease Control's Web site, www.cdc.gov, states, "In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no link between autism and MMR vaccine, and that there is no link between autism and vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative."
However, the U.S. government has concluded that childhood vaccines contributed to symptoms of autism in 9-year-old Hannah Poling. According to U.S. Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, the shots "significantly aggravated" an underlying mitochondrial disorder, contributing to symptoms of autism.
Is a one-size-fits-all approach beneficial to your child? Theoretically, if we maintain a "herd mentality" and we all vaccinate, "the herd" will be better off, right? I have a large group of mommy friends who are divided on the subject. We don't all agree on one vaccination schedule, but we do agree that it is important to talk about it, think about it and educate ourselves about it. As my good friend Laura Weiss said on the subject, "Knowledge is power."
I personally prefer to spread my children's vaccinations out. I appreciate having the right -- and the option -- to make that decision
.