A couple of weeks ago a friend called as I was leaving work. It only took a few seconds of chatting for me to recognize that she was deeply upset. As she continued I realized she wasn’t just upset, she was terrified. And then fear began bubbling inside me as well.
She informed me that there had been another confirmed case of measles in Iowa. Two in as many weeks.
Maybe it wasn’t just one isolated case; maybe it’s the start of a measles outbreak. And that possible reality strikes terror into the hearts of mothers like she and I. Mothers whose kids are at an increased risk of contracting measles or having complications from the once eradicated disease.
The importance of vaccines
Our stories are not the same. My son had cancer at a young age, and was unable to be vaccinated during the course of his chemotherapy treatments. He’s in remission now and has been able to catch up on all of his vaccines. Still, he lost his spleen to his disease and without it, his immune system will always be weakened.
Her son has an autoimmune disease that is well controlled with medication. Unfortunately, that medication reduces his immune response, and as a result, he will never be able to be vaccinated with a live virus, such as the MMR vaccination.
Two boys who look perfectly happy and healthy on the outside, but whose bodies have already been through so much. Two boys whose immune systems just cannot take another big hit.
Two mothers who have spent countless hours worrying about their sons’ health. Two mothers who can barely believe they now have to add measles to their list of worries. In this day and age.
Two mothers who must rely on herd immunity to protect their sons from contagious disease.
Our stories may not be exactly the same, but our feelings about the importance of vaccinations are identical.
We are believers. I am a believer.
Vaccines save lives
I believe that vaccinations are a medical miracle, backed with extensive and irrefutable scientific evidence. I believe pediatricians and other medical professionals who encourage you to follow the recommended vaccination schedules are doing so with the best interest of you and your child in mind.
And I believe that people who choose not to vaccinate put their own children and others at risk.
Today my son is healthy. I know I owe his good health to the grace of God and cutting-edge medical intervention.
Still, I’m afraid. Relapse, secondary malignancy, and late effects are just a few of the worries that keep me up at night. As much as I want to protect my son from the complications that sometimes occur after pediatric cancer, I cannot. Nobody can.
But vaccine-preventable diseases? I can do my part to keep them at bay. Everybody can act to protect their children as well as the most vulnerable among us.
We can vaccinate. I’m afraid it’s that simple.
What herd immunity? Protection from a vaccine only lasts about 10 years, so most adults run around “unvaccinated”. Safety of vaccines isn’t established, since they haven’t been adequately tested in over 30 years. Try to find one test where they compare vaccinated against kids who have never had a vaccine; there aren’t any. Life cannot be risk free, and we cannot all live in bubbles. Forced vaccinations is Nazi-like and shouldn’t happen in a free country. Vaccines far increase risks of getting autoimmune diseases. Why should the vast majority put themselves at risk for the sake of a few. I had the measles and so has my son. It was not a big thing and we have life-long immunity.
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Hi Randy,
Why is it that every story we hear regarding an outbreak is about a sick child who relies on herd immunity or a child whose parents refused to vaccinate based on some archaic and unscientific reasoning? I’m thankful that you and your child were not severely impacted. However, that is not the case for everyone. Did you read the article? Did you try and have an open mind while reading the two stories? Remember when women could smoke and drink while pregnant and seatbelts were optional? Is it Nazi-like that those things are now illegal? No, because we grow as a society and continually learn what is best.
Thabk you for your response Alex. Something to think about for sure!
Thank you for reading and sharing your opinion.