To vaccinate or not? This is the great vaccination debate. It really is a personal choice, but the push to vaccinate is stronger than ever.
My heart breaks for the children who have been afflicted through no fault of their own, as well as the parents who chose not to vaccinate their children and spread the disease. As a parent, every day we have to make choices. Bottle or breast? Daycare or nanny? Cloth or regular diaper? To immunize or not has now become one of the most difficult choices parents have to make.
I never thought that this would be an issue in our culture. Annabelle is vaccinated. Our decision to immunize Annabelle was based on family tradition. It was never really a discussion in our household because our parents did it, so we did it too. The controversy has brought up fears about the future of our children. What if we have another child who has not yet been inoculated and then is exposed to a child who has a contagious disease (which could have been prevented)?
For example, whooping cough, Pertussis, was nearly wiped out in the 1970s. Now it is back with a vengeance. When Annabelle was born, I was almost too scared to leave my house after hearing that cases of Pertussis were being treated at the hospital in our town. It wasn’t until I knew she was safely immunized that I ventured into the public.
Our Experience with the Vaccination Debate in the Schools
Yesterday I received an email from Annabelle’s baby school. They wanted to reassure parents that all the students at our school were required to receive the Measles vaccination (unless granted an exemption for valid medical reasons). The Management Team wants parents to know they will continue to provide our children with a healthy and safe environment.
After the recent outbreak of Norovirus, I know how fast illness can spread throughout a school. So while I am pleased with their email, I am also a little fearful having experienced contracting a contagious illness firsthand.
Shelby says
YES! I 110% agree with you! I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when I have kids someday and when they are old enough to go to school. It’s scary to think that our kids could possibly be in class with a lot of kids who haven’t been vaccinated. I honestly don’t understand why so many people are against it. My parents were vaccinated, almost everyone I know has been vaccinated, and I have been vaccinated and nothing negative has come from it. Great post!
Carrie says
It’s not a question and it’s not a debate. Vaccinate.
My husband’s aunt had polio as a child. It took away her ability to walk normally.
Lyn says
I completely agree! How it is even a questions? There are people out there with legitimate medical reasons that cant get the vaccinations (like children that are too young or child cancer patients) so not only is it our job to protect our own children but also those that are medically incapable. As someone who will be bringing a child into the world in just a few months, I totally agree that it’s terrifying that for a while i wont be able to protect them.
eHa says
I agree with you! I can’t belive this is even an issue. I am someone one who has to get the flu shot every year because I have asthma. So I am vaccinated and all my children will be unless our pediatrician says it’s not safe for them to be vaccinated. It seems short sighted to not vaccinate especially because doing so helps protect those among us who are most vulnerable, infants who are too small to be vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems. I also think the people who are afraid of vaccinations because some famous person, who is t a doctor, says it causes autism should go talk to someone on the autism spectrum. I recently read an article on Medium by someone with autism and they said they found it offensive that the people refusing to vaccinate their children seem to find the though of having a child with autism to be way worse than exposing your child to the risk of death by measles. I am going to ask my doctor if she can check if my MMR vaccine took before I start trying to become pregnant because the pregnancy complications that can result of you have measles while pregnant are pretty scary and it’s so incredibly contagious.
Abby says
I agree with Carrie. There is no debate. You vaccinate. The only, only, people who are allowed to be exempt are those who are not able to be vaccinated (immune compromised). This shouldn’t even be a discussion.
Abby says
I agree with Carrie. There is no debate. You vaccinate. The only, only, people who are allowed to be exempt are those who are not able to be vaccinated (immune compromised). This shouldn’t even be a discussion.
Kate says
I’m totally with you, especially as I am on medications that suppress my immune system, so it is extremely easy for me to get these diseases. The herd immunity protects people like me from disease that could very easily kill those of us who can’t fight illnesses. Plus, there’s no real reason NOT to get them if you can.
Georgia Hunt says
As someone with a compromised immune system due to a transplant I am constantly concerned about contracting something serious, walking past the emergency room at the hospital to visit my specialist for regular check ups fills me with fear. We recently had a few cases of measles at my workplace and I was terrified that I would contract it, yet whenever I discuss this topic with people so many are completely miss informed or too willing to move with the crowd and wont vaccinate because they don’t want to be judged negatively as a parent if they do vaccinate their children. It is refreshing to hear someone discuss the vaccinate debate as pro vaccinate, I wish more people had common sense!
Tayler Morrell says
I had Rhys immunized because I felt it honestly the “natural” thing to do. I was vaccinated, my siblings were vaccinated, that was that. You vaccinated your children. It just seems right to do it.
Jessica says
I totally agree. My daughter got all her shots. She has autism and I hate when people say it’s from the MMR shot. I do not believe that at all. It’s something they are born with. But like someone else wrote, if they are more scared of having a child with autism than all a deadly illness making a come back is really sad.
Lisa @ Two Martinis says
Right now I’m pretty scared of measles so I’m hesitant to take Clara out to any places where there might be a lot of people, or on an airplane, for that matter! So, we won’t be taking any trips until she gets vaccinated at 1 year, and I hate that I need to be concerned about this sort of thing!