Seatbelts and air bags cause some injuries but the risk of not having/using them is far worse. The risk of having breast implants is worse than not having them. Common sense approach.

I don’t have kids, but if I did I’d probably use the same sane approach to the issue that you used.

I think parents have a right to make the best decisions for themselves, I wouldn’t advocate prosecuting or forcing vaccination, though. I think it is pretty irresponsible not to vaccinate because the health risk is increased not only to the child, but to the community when everyone isn’t vaccinated. We have an ethical responsibility maintain public health for the greater good.

Annie is a blessing. A true blessing.

(PS. I can’t see the videos you sent me! Help!)

I think that vaccinations are very important. Unfortunately, those who don’t vaccinate their children put us all at risk for those diseases. It would be nice everyone was a thoughtful as you have been in the process. I never questioned it and had both my children vaccinated as their pediatrician recommended.

http://vimeo.com/michelechaves/videos

Fortunately, her symptoms went away and she is fine. Her reaction was documented in her records and she will never again be given the MMR vaccine. She now has two younger sisters that will not either since they are at increased risk.

I am not telling this story to cause more panic than parents already have. I just think doing your research as well as paying attention to any adverse reactions is the safest way to go.

My feeling is, If you feel so strongly anti-vax, then come out and say so and be upfront about it. And get some research behind your arguments. Secondhand opinions from Jenny McCarthy doesn’t cut it.

I also have a lot of people in my life involved in the field of public health (including yours truly – I start my Master’s in Public Health in a few weeks) and while I know things are different when it is your child and there are obviously circumstances where immunization is an issue (adverse reactions, religion), I still – from a public health perspective – feel it is something that is very important. I agree awareness is key, and more education should be available to parents, because a lot of concerned parents are going to seek information from poor sources if they can’t get it immediately. Unfortunately, the bad PR of MMR in the UK has lead to less and less children being immunized and the worries are that this could lead to quite a serious outbreak in the coming years.

I have rambled. This isn’t exactly my area, though I have been involved in some immunization work. My father-in-law is high up in Public Health in the UK, and this immunization stuff is something that he works quite a bit on, considering how much of a problem it is becoming. He is also of the belief that education is key, but it has been an uphill struggle!

A year or so later, I got health insurance and had bloodwork taken. Measles vaccine showed up fine.

A year after that, I had MORE bloodwork done with my OBGYN (anticipating Emory) and she said it had expired. VERY strange.

Not sure why I am sharing this (again) but I do wonder if it has something to do with less and less people being vaccinated and more and more people going to and from other countries and back.

I have no idea what it’s from. But it’s strange nonetheless. And I will probably need to get another booster when Em goes for his (in 27 years). kidding.