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On the Fence: How do we make a decision about vaccinations?Read the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only".
» meganmarie - I had no idea! Your article is very informative. I had no idea there could be such complications with vaccines. I'm glad I am passed the stage of having to make that decision.-- posted by meganmarie » Laraliz - I had no idea either -- until I started looking for information! No mainstream pediatrician will offer this kind of information -- you have to seek out this information yourself. Many mothers and fathers do not even think to question the medical establishment and the tradition of vaccinating -- because they have never had cause to question it. That is why it is SO important to keep talking about these kinds of things!!Thanks for reading the article, Megan! -- posted by Laraliz » HeikeB - The debate goes on... You resources are very informative. As a new mom, I rushed my daughter to get her vaccines. I was in the grip of scare tactics myself, and being led by those and by ONE case I personally knew, I was out to protect my daughter. Only when it came to her 2 year exam, with a new doctor, was I asked to make a choice. Chickenpox vaccine, yes or no? I have to say, I was much better informed by then. And...I survived them well, and will now let nature take it course.I believe if more people research and stand by their decision, less will vaccinate routinely. We just started pre-school. At orientation the teacher said " I see some of your children are not vaccinated for chickenpox." At that, one lady jumped out and said "You all HAVE to get that vaccination, my daughter almost died from prolonged infections caused by chickenpox. If you don't, you are putting your child at risk!". I thought that was rather uncalled for, though I can understand her emotions. Fact is, vaccinations are not guarantees. And yes, some children get sick and die resulting from vaccinations. I just hope and pray that my decisions are the -- posted by HeikeB » SJW6 - Thank you for giving me courage. Dear Lara,I just want to thank you for your article. I have a 5-week-old adorable baby boy - my first - and like you, have grappled with the issue of "to vaccinate or not to vaccinate". I have a thick file of information, articles, etc. etc. covering both sides of the argument. Already I have encountered (almost militant!) baby health nurses who are incredulous that you might want to question the vaccination schedule, refusing to discuss your concerns and challenging your intelligence (how dare they??!!) Even my GP - very pro-alternative medicine - sympathized that "you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't" (although at least her main advice was to consider deferring vaccination). As for the paediatrician, don't think I'll bother asking - being a university professor, I feel I already know what his response will be... I read your article some time ago and the more I read on the subject, the more I keep coming back to it - it is giving me the courage to trust my instinct (isn't that what everyone says about mothering?!) and wait a while. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack, and despite all I've read, I'm so confused I don't know how I'll fight back - but I'll do my best to stand firm and put my baby's interests first. That's what really counts, right?! Thank you again for helping me keep things in perspective - I particularly appreciate your non-combative approach, and will follow-up the recommended text by Peggy O'Mara. Sarah & baby Zachary -- posted by SJW6 » Laraliz - Re: Thank you for giving me courage. Dear Sarah and Baby Zachary,I'm so glad you found my article encouraging. It is a very difficult thing to be faced with so many heavy decisions. Of course, physicians and the media don't make it any easier - bombarding us with scare tactics and propaganda aimed to tug at our heartstrings. It's important to remain rational and try to make logical decisions based on information, not emotional ploys by one side or the other. We're coming up on our daughter's 2nd birthday when we promised to re-think our vaccination decisions -- and I find not much has changed. There is still no research proving either the safety or the efficacy of vaccines. I want proof on both accounts -- I think we, as parents, deserve at least that. Best wishes and thanks for reading my articles. -- posted by Laraliz
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