Such a general title, I know. But today I was faced with a big decision: to vaccinate or not. When we were in the hospital, I chose not to have E vaccinated against hepatitis B. Why, you may ask? Because I am not a carrier, Husband is not a carrier and the only other way for her to get this disease is through many sexual encounters and IV street drug use. My thoughts? If she gets it down the road, its because somewhere along the line I failed to teach her properly and she has made her own adult choices. Before going to the hospital I didn't do any research about vaccines, but I have been reading up on them ever since.
I understand that the doctor who first thought there was a link between vaccines and autism has since been disgraced and his work is not considered valid anymore. Thats fine, but I'm not willing to stop there. I've been reading all I can to learn more about this controversial topic. What I've discovered is I do not want to expose my child to vaccines, right now. I really want her immune system to do its job. I also do not want to have any risk of a neurological disorder, an autoimmune deficiency or any other disorder that there is a potential to get. I am lucky, I do not have to put my child in daycare and I do not have to worry about exposing her to illnesses that are common there. But the decision is still a difficult one to make.
For us, not vaccinating right now is the choice we've made. For some, it may not be the right choice. But I would urge all parents to first inform yourself before just blinding accepting the 'status quo'. And don't just read what the CDC says. Yes, they are one authority, but check all sources before making what should be an "informed" decision.
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