Anti-Vaccine Rant

Choosing not to vaccinate is not the same thing as choosing whether you are going to feed your child cake and cookies for dinner or McDonald's every day.  It is not a decision that affects only you and your family but ALL of those around you – more specifically those who are not able to defend themselves against these terrible (100% preventable) diseases.  I have chosen to protect my daughter through vaccinations. However, she is not old enough to defend herself yet.  She is too small.  I cannot IMAGINE what I would do if something happened to her because of someone else’s poor choice.  Making a decision that affects the weak and innocent is called being irresponsible – and choosing not to vaccinate is simply just irresponsible.   

“Yes but look at the side effects of these terrible things!”  Have you ever seen a car accident?  Been in one?  Or have you ever read an online article about a car accident that someone you have never met was in?  Does that keep you from getting in a car or riding public transportation?  Of course not.  Because that’s the risk that you take.  But you do everything as safely as possible.  You put on your seat belt and take the chance and 99% of the time you will return home without a scratch or ding.   Sometimes child car seats malfunction or don’t work properly when they need to most.  But does that mean that you just throw your kid in the backseat and make no effort to try to protect them at all?  No way. You still do everything you can to protect them despite that tiny chance that something could go wrong.  Yes, every now and then something bad happens.  Accidents.  Abnormal and non-usual results.  But you don’t let these outliers dictate your whole life.   

Do I think that this country is WAY over medicated and relies entirely TOO much on modern medicine?  Yes.  I do.  I have yet to give my 9 month old even just plain old Tylenol.  I haven’t taken a single pill in almost 2 years myself.  But if there is only one thing I choose to do… it’s vaccinate.  I personally don’t want to be responsible for giving someone else’s child a terrible disease, especially a child (or elderly person or just regular person) who for some reason is unable to defend themselves.  That would be extremely selfish of me and simply not fair. 

I realize that many people who choose not to vaccinate make the decision because they feel that it is what is right for them.  But the fact of the matter is this is not a decision that affects only those people.  Breast milk vs. formula, cloth diapers vs. disposables or being a working mom vs. a stay at home mom… THOSE are decisions that you make based on what is right for you and your family.  What if every time you ate something that you knew was bad for you every single member of your family had their health affected negatively in some way?   You would probably eat much healthier… unless you just didn't care about those around you, right?  Why should vaccinating be any different?  By choosing not to vaccinate YOU are saying you only care about what is right for you and you DON’T care that your decisions could/will affect other people.  The definition of selfish is “lacking consideration for others”.  This is exactly what choosing not to vaccinate is.  Selfish and irresponsible.  

I love my daughter so very much.  More than anything in the whole world.  She is so small and cute and perfect.  I will do everything in my power to ensure that she lives a long, healthy and wonderful life.  If you take that away from me because of your own selfish decision then God help you.  This anti-vaccine movement makes me afraid for her.  Afraid for our family.  Afraid to take her to church play group, on an airplane to go visit her grandma and heck even just the mall.  These diseases ARE still present in our country and our world and unless you choose to protect your child against them YOU could be responsible to giving it to my child.  I am not sure if I know anyone who has selfishly chosen not to vaccinate – but if so I ask that you not bring your unvaccinated family members around my daughter.  If you are afraid... talk to your doctor.  Discuss your options. Don't just read horror stories on the internet and feel like that is enough education for you to make the decision to not vaccinate.  At least take some responsibility and keep your kid in the house so that they won’t expose the innocent, like my precious baby girl.