Vaccines: Even Smart People Wonder

The reason I ask questions. <3

I know that vaccines are a very hot topic right now. There are loud voices screaming at us from both sides of the fence, and now we are screaming at each other. But the the thing that is most upsetting to me is this ugly trend to vilify parents who question the safety of vaccines, choose to delay vaccines or opt out of them all together.

As a parent who is taking a little extra time to think about this, I don't really appreciate being cast as ignorant, gullible, or a danger to society.

The Parents Who Question are NOT Stupid

I don't really care about your science stacking up against mine, or the bright colors on your very persuasive graphic. I am no scientist and your fancy words make me go cross-eyed. But what I do care about is how those vaccines are working out for you.

Personally, they've worked out fine for me and my big family. I was vaccinated, and there weren't any adverse reactions. This is true for most of the people that I know - probably 99% of them. But more and more I'm hearing about other kinds of experiences - those that are experiencing some of the more severe  vaccine side effects the CDC warns us about.

Recently, someone posted a popular pro-vaccine graphic and asked why some people choose not to vaccinate.

These were some of the responses from people who didn't make their decision based on science - good or bad - but because of personal, scary experiences with vaccines (I removed names):

• My cousin and nephew had allergic reactions to vaccines. ... My son got his first MMR at 2 years old and a dTAP at 3 years old. At his 5 year old check up we gave him a few routine vaccines. He stopped breathing, throat swelled up, had a fever for 5 days, his legs hurt and shook. He started having neurological problems and was diagnosed with autism within 3 months.

• After 2 of my kids had adverse reactions that were less than minor, I started researching hours on end and now know at least 6 other families with severe vaccine injury including death...

• One of my twins almost died at 15 months due to the MMR. 

• I first had all up until 2, second child, started researching and felt prompted to not do it. Went ahead and did it, because who am i to challenge my dr!! Well, my dear little 2 mo. old seized in my arms within 30 min. of the shots. Called right away and nurses said there was no correlation. Never went back. Last year, my son had a seizure and as they were going through the medical history, i mentioned the one after the shots and for the first time, a dr. validated that that seizure was definitely brought on by a vaccine reaction! ...

• When #2 had a sudden personality change at 18 months after receiving scheduled vaccines, we said no more. 

• My son received ELEVEN vaccinations in one visit when he was 2 yrs old and another 9 when he was 5. Passed out over and over and was lethargic the rest of the day then showed every sign on Asperges within 2 weeks. My daughter was unresponsive on the hospital floor for almost 10 minutes after HPV shot. 

• We did vaccinate until my son had a terrible reaction to one and we were told he was not a good candidate and that we should at the very least delay if not discontinue altogether. We were also told that if our other children have similar body types they should not be vaccinated.

• My husband knows a family who watched their two otherwise perfectly normal, healthy kids turn autistic WITHIN THE HOUR of their shots. 

• We have three immediate relatives on my husband's side who have had severe vaccine injuries (blood sepsis, and my mother in law swelled up for several years in a horrible rash shortly after she received her adolescent vaccines; all documented by medical records as injuries from vaccines) as well as egg allergies. 

Now, I'm not trying to make a case for not getting vaccinated here. But I am trying to bring a little balance to the discussion. These anecdotes are enough to give me pause - as they should be! Because unless you can 100% guarantee that vaccines are going to be safe and effective, then it doesn't matter if someone can prove they are 90% of the time. That still leaves a 10% chance that my kid could be the exception.

I Know it's Easy to Scream

Now, I totally understand why this is an impassioned public dialogue, and I even understand why you might think the other person is stupid for either choosing or NOT choosing to vaccinate. As someone who's looked at both sides, I really do. Some of you feel that getting vaccines puts your child at risk, and your decision to do it isn't anyone else's business. Others feel it's everyone's business because if you don't vaccinate, then you're a risk to the rest of us.*

Collectively, we're afraid to get vaccines, and we're afraid not to.

There's fear on both sides. This is why I think we really need to stop with the bullying. Being a parent is hard enough without the added fear of being spit on for having a different opinion. Let's step back and give people room to ask questions and do their own research without the name calling. And if someone doesn't want to "take one for the team," then remember that we are not statistics; we are people. The right answer for you - or even the majority - may very literally be the wrong answer for someone else.



* If you choose not to vaccinate your children, please take the initiative to educate yourself on how to avoid illness. You can't spread it if you don't get it. You may also want to consider homeopathic alternatives.