I was very shocked to hear a couple of disturbing advertisements on the radio recently regarding flu shots and vaccinations. They were most definitely the equivalent of fear mongering and I was rather ruffled to acknowledge the tatics that the government was using. The next thing you know we'd have a case of Maryland's forced vaccinations on our hands. However, once I unruffled, I undertood why the government was doing it. I've seen pictures and read about horror stories of those lost to those types of illnesses. Yet, I'm a parent and I also understand why parents are choosing not to vaccinate or perhaps selectively vaccinate, like the route that I took with C. For examples, live polio vaccines, whole cell pertussis vaccines and vaccines and flu shots with thimerosol all of which turned out to be unsafe and severly damaging (as of 2011, 2 flu shots used in Canada still contain thimerosol). The population of people that receive vaccines are in fact the ones to discover if there are flaws in the vaccines and it is usually at our own expense.
In the end, all I want to see is thoughtfulness on the subject. Both people that vaccinate or don't vaccinate without a second thought scare me equally. As C is a member of the Waldorf community, we are part of school where there is a higher number of children that are unvaccinated. It was last year during a Pertussis outbreak that I came to realize why the government is so one sided as people were carelessly not vaccinating and not understanding what is involved in their decision. Sure, I believe that our immune systems need to be given a chance to fight off viruses and build immunity of their own but we need to back those decisions with healing whole foods and an immune building diet. We need to understand the people that are actually at risk of death from those diseases, most likely not us or our children but babies, seniors and pregnant women. And finally, we have to acknowledge the amount of care, money and not being at work is involved with caring for a child that does contract one of these diseases. Are we ready to stay at home for 2 months caring for our child round the clock?
While I am not advocating not getting flu shots and vaccines, I am also not discounting their efficacy and necessity in some cases. We have chosen to vaccinate on our own schedule. I have fought to have individual vaccines available as opposed to cocktails and have yet to succeed. I have not allowed health care practicitioners to bully me into making a decision.
My advice to all parents is to make a thoughtful decision. I highly recommend the book, Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits and Alternatives by Aviva Jill Romm. MD, Midwife, Herbalist and mother of 4, sifts though the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination. She presents the full spectrum of options available to parents, negotiating daycare and school requirements, dealing with other parents and traveling with an unvaccinated child. Emphasizing that no single approach is appropriate for every child, Aviva guides parents as they make the choices that are right for their child.
I believe it is a must read for every parent. And of course, before you are in tears and shock from hearing the fear mongering ads on the radio that you may be responsible for the death of your child if you don't get yourself to a clinic immediately, just stop and think and maybe get yourself to the library first.
For additional updated info from Aviva, check out her website. XO. S
