I vaccinated my one year old today. Yep, I held him at the doctors office and let a stranger with a license to give shots stick my son with 5 injections. Injections with live viruses like Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella. Inoculated viruses like HIB, pneumonia, and Hepatitis A. Did I feel bad while he cried and made sad faces that he was getting shots? Yes. Did I feel bad for him last night as he cried from the sore legs…Yes. Do I feel like I’m not only protecting him, but other children….HELL Yes!
While this may not be the normal post for my blog, I felt the need to make it known that yes, I believe in feeding my family organic, wholesome food and I also strongly believe in vaccines. So I vaccinated my son.
Is this the new “I voted sticker” that needs to be given after you’ve vaccinated your kids? Possibly…because I’m an educated mother. I’m secondly an educated Registered Nurse. I’ve been well versed in the risks and benefits of vaccinations. I know there are two sides to every argument, but in this argument, only one side makes sense to my family.
I vaccinate to not only protect my own children from deadly diseases, but to also protect those children that cannot have vaccinations. Some children HAVE to rely on herd immunity, not by choice but because their immune systems are compromised and they cannot be vaccinated. I am a responsible person, mother, and member of society. A society that has made huge strides in immunology and biologic research. Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner paved the way to a better, healthier time for us. (If you don’t know who they are, Google them! They lived in much scarier times disease wise.) A time that some of us (anti-vac) have taken for granted. Imagine if EVERYONE jumped on your bandwagon of not vaccinating our kids. Talk to your great grandparents. They’ll tell you stories of losing siblings and family members to polio, diphtheria, measles…all diseases that we didn’t have to worry about. Until recently that is.
I vaccinate my children for you and your kids. I vaccinated my children to protect them from crippling illnesses, from suffering though an illness that can be prevented! I vaccinate my children because we are fortunate enough to live in an era that has the science and capability to have vaccinations.
So yes, I vaccinated my son yesterday, and today he’s over the shots. Does he remember no. Was he mad yesterday, yes. Did he have any adverse reactions? NO. But if he did, I’m willing to put him though those vaccinations for the protection he needs to have a fighting chance at being a healthy child and adult. With the Ebola scare this past year people were asking…”why isn’t there a vaccination?” Well, if there was one….would you give it to your child? Why not treat all of these other scary illnesses just the same.
So please do you part parents….please protect other kids as well as your own. Vaccinate your children and keep eradicated illnesses eradicated.
