Yesterday Sean had his 18 month check-up and yes, he got 2 shots. He was a real trooper. I had to laugh as about 30 seconds later he was in his diaper, wielding a large tongue depressor in each hand (as any young Jedi master would) saying HI-YA HI-YA.
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I believe 100% in vaccinating my children. There is such controversy about vaccinations these days but you know me... I researched and I feel that I have made the best choice for my family. And before you start throwing daggers... I will assume that you too have done your research and have made the best choice for your family. I am not asking you to join my camp. This is not a debate that I am willing to engage in. This is my opinion and I feel we can all agree to disagree. That being said... I am a vaccinator. I would only encourage you to do your OWN research. Don't listen to hearsay... get the facts!
No, I am not worried about the risk of autism, Infantile Spasms or other so-called "risks" associated with vaccinations. My children, and yours, experience risks everyday and are exposed to countless toxins and yuckies and things we would rather not know existed and I feel that they are safer in the world with vaccinations on board.
I believe that vaccinations do more help than harm.
I believe with my whole being that children are born with a predisposition for various things and will develop as they would with or without vaccines... so why not keep them safe. That being said... I do have a child who was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms (a rare, severe and life threatening form of epilepsy that is often blamed on exposure to vaccinations) and that diagnosis coincidentally slapped us in the face about 2 weeks after his 9 month vaccinations. However after much research I believe in my heart of hearts that whether due to genetics, brain trauma, prematurity or just plain dumb luck, Sam was born predisposed to Infantile Spasms... it brewed in his brain and would have reared its ugly head whether or not he was vaccinated. Sam had Infantile Spasms... that is a fact. He would have developed IS with or with out vaccinations... FACT. I found comfort that along with IS and his compromised immune system that he had the antibodies provided by the vaccinations in his system to help fight off childhood diseases, that for Sam could have been fatal.
*** no I do no believe that Sam's Infantile Spasms were caused by vaccinations... it was just a coincidence that the diagnosis came when it did***
Yes, some children have allergic reactions to vaccinations... I believe that to be true... but do I think these vaccinations CAUSE autism for instance... NO! (Sorry, Jenny McCarthy). And yes I suppose there is the very rare case where a child has been severely affected by vaccinations that they received, however you will be very hard pressed to find substantial and concrete findings on these cases and most don't hold enough water to compel me as an educated parent to deny my child the benefits that vaccinations DO provide. I also believe that although my children are vaccinated that does not provide them a free ticket to good health. Things happen. Life happens. If something arises, I feel that I have educated myself enough on the topic that I will not regret my decision nor will I blame it on the vaccinations that my children received.
As I mentioned before... this is my opinion. I wish that vaccinations were available to all children. We are blessed to live in a country where vaccinations are so readily available and once common childhood diseases such as polio and small pox are foreign words that most of our children have never even heard of. I think it is clear where I stand on the subject of vaccinations and all I ask is that you educate yourself and make the best choice you can for your family.
