Monday, June 25, 2012

There and Back: A Vaccine Story

Dumb title, I know. Ironically, my youngest child and I are sick as I write this. Please excuse any poor writing or dives into overly poetic wording on my part. Blame it on the fever.
The vaccine "debate" is full of light and dark moments.

I first became a mom in 2001. Having been raised by an LPN mother, I never really thought twice about vaccinating my kids. It was just something everyone did. At the time, my infant son and I saw my family doctor. Each time he was seen, she would warn me of the risks of choosing to vaccinate him. Possible dangers ranged from pain and fever all the way down to autism or poisoning him. Slowly, I started to question the idea of vaccination as a way for society to protect our most vulnerable from the horrid deadly diseases of the past. The more our doctor explained about how vaccines are not necessary anymore, thanks largely to good hygeine and better nutrition, the more I became convinced that vaccination was not right for our family. I stopped it all by the time he was 5 months old, firm in my belief that no other children I might have would be subjected to Big pHARMa's money making scheme of poisoning our children via vaccination.