But I'm deviating from my comfort zone and talk about one of my pet peeves. This movement of anti-vaccines. No one has really said anything harsh (yet) to my face. I have had a few questions from parents during my pediatric training years when I talked about vaccines during well child appointments. Vaccines and link to autism which by the way is not proven and there are publications.
I have had some comments on my IG feed when I posted Sebastian crying after his shots. I don't like giving my children shots per se, but I know the end result is good for them.
See, I've seen the complications of of infectious diseases. These could have been prevented if vaccines were accessible in the Philippines like how it is in this first world country.
Polio.
Chicken pox.
Mumps.
Tetanus.
Hepatitis.
Measles.
This recent outbreak of measles is what spurred this post. It makes me anxious for my less than 1 year old who is not immunized yet for MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). Though vaccines are not 100% effective in causing immunity, herd immunity is important. if people around you are vaccinated, then risk of transmission is low. hence it's advised for parents with newborns to get vaccinated with the annual flu shot or the pertussis vaccine. That recommendation is mainly to keep the newborn safe -- not the parents.
I'm lucky that I haven't seen any case of haemophilus influenzae b meningitis. My program director mentioned that during his training years he saw the worst cases of Hib meningitis. That was only 20some years ago. Haemophilus influenzae b has the risk of mortality! Thanks to vaccines, I did not see it during my training.
Will these new breed of doctors see infectious diseases on the rise because of these anti-vaccine movements? Will the American children die of preventable diseases as if they live in third world countries.... I hope not.
I'd like to hear your thoughts and concerns. Whether you're pro or against vaccines, feel free to comment. But please be respectful... No name calling or anything.
No worries. After this post, I'll be back to my outfits of the day and other uninteresting menu planning. You know... The boring things.
Keep in touch
I rarely get 'fired up' (as Stephen calls it) but vaccines are one of the issues that do get me fired up! I watched children in Haiti die of vaccine-preventable illnesses and I will never, ever forget that. It honestly breaks my heart that parents decide not to vaccine their children. I think that much of it is rooted in a lack of education and misguidance (it really surprises me that some parents are more apt to believe celebs and bloggers than doctors and scientists when it comes to vaccines). It also bothers me that unvaccinated families rely on herd immunity built up by vaccinated families (which is too rapidly decreasing as evidenced by the recent measles outbreak) while other children who are immunocompromised and unable to receive vaccines are then placed at higher risk of contracting an illness that could kill them.
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm off my soapbox :) I know that parents who decide not to vaccine truly believe that they are doing the right thing for their children but it is an issue that I still feel so strongly about.
a huge soap box for me. My kids are fully immunized, flu vaccine every year, my prepubertal girl will be getting her gardisil soon. I am a very LOUD supporter of vaccines and have personally witnessed babies die of vaccine preventable illnesses. Maybe not their vaccines, they may be too young. But if their older sibs, daycare buddies weren't vaccinated for worries of autism and a baby dies! really??? is death worse than autism. AND theres never been a proven link to autism! So you choose not to vaccinate your baby for unproven reasons, your baby is exposed to a vaccine preventable illness and your baby or another baby dies?! How do you feel now?????
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