Until I was well into my 20's and already out of college, I had no idea that anyone opted out of getting vaccines. I guess I thought literally every single person in the US gets vaccinated for anything and everything they have the option of getting a shot for. Kinda sad looking back that the topic was never even mentioned growing up.
I remember getting my first shot in the series that's supposed to protect against (some strains of) HPV and therefore lower your risk of cervical cancer, but before I got the next shot, I started hearing all the talk about the dangers of this particular shot and all the women who have had terrible terrible side effects. I decided not to get the other shots in the series. For me, the risks outweighed the benefits.
Now, I'm not here to convince anyone one way or the other about whether they should say yes or no to vaccines. This is really a serious topic and I think there is a lot more to the question, so giving a yes or no answer is just not that simple. New parents ask me my opinion all the time, and I honestly tell them that I can't give them my opinion - if the topic is pulling on them then they need to start doing their own research and making informed decisions that work for their own family.
They might decide to do everything that's offered to them, they might pick and choose what they are comfortable with, they might decide to do an alternative schedule with their children, or they might decide to bypass vaccinations altogether. It is none of my business what their personal choices are. They have a right to make the decision for themselves and their families.
Here's the thing though... I do believe in educating people. That's what I'm all about - educating new parents and supporting them in their decision making processes. So when I came across this link this morning, I thought that I should share it.
The article has 8 great questions that you should ask before and after a vaccination. Even if you have made up your mind and know what works for your family, you'll probably still get something out of this list of questions - I know I did!
Here's the link:
http://www.nvic.org/Ask-Eight-Questions.aspx
I remember getting my first shot in the series that's supposed to protect against (some strains of) HPV and therefore lower your risk of cervical cancer, but before I got the next shot, I started hearing all the talk about the dangers of this particular shot and all the women who have had terrible terrible side effects. I decided not to get the other shots in the series. For me, the risks outweighed the benefits.
Now, I'm not here to convince anyone one way or the other about whether they should say yes or no to vaccines. This is really a serious topic and I think there is a lot more to the question, so giving a yes or no answer is just not that simple. New parents ask me my opinion all the time, and I honestly tell them that I can't give them my opinion - if the topic is pulling on them then they need to start doing their own research and making informed decisions that work for their own family.
They might decide to do everything that's offered to them, they might pick and choose what they are comfortable with, they might decide to do an alternative schedule with their children, or they might decide to bypass vaccinations altogether. It is none of my business what their personal choices are. They have a right to make the decision for themselves and their families.
Here's the thing though... I do believe in educating people. That's what I'm all about - educating new parents and supporting them in their decision making processes. So when I came across this link this morning, I thought that I should share it.
The article has 8 great questions that you should ask before and after a vaccination. Even if you have made up your mind and know what works for your family, you'll probably still get something out of this list of questions - I know I did!
Here's the link:
http://www.nvic.org/Ask-Eight-Questions.aspx
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