Monthly Archives
Spreading the word about the benefits of vaccinating children is a personal crusade for my family and me. My mother lost her younger brother to meningitis in 1980, when no life-saving vaccine was available for the disease. I never got to meet my uncle, and my mother’s family suffered unbearably from his death. But, fortunately, […]
More than two years ago, when Ashley Shelby and I were pondering whether or not to take the helm of Voices for Vaccines, we were adamant that the organization must be parent-led. We were also acutely aware that the loudest parent voices heard in any immunization conversation–in the media, online, in community meetings–was the voice […]
My wife is a very strong woman. She is independent, intelligent, fierce-spirited, and dedicated to her ideals: all reasons why I love her, right? When we found out we were having a baby, we were elated. But, we also felt afraid, small, and uncertain – and rightfully so! When we became pregnant, my wife decided […]
By some measures, 2014 has been a great year to be a disease. Measles found its way into too many communities, making more people ill in the United States than it had since 1996. Pertussis has been declared an epidemic in some states. And more and more parents are opting to sign an exemption form rather […]
Speaking up for vaccines is important. I didn’t know that it was until I had kids. Even in the beginning, I was the opposite of vocal on parenting choices, mostly because as soon as I was a mother, I became painfully aware of the constant judgment we face. Beginning before the baby even arrives we get […]
It was November 2008 when I got the astounding news that I had abnormal cervical cells. It was meant to be a routine GP appointment. I’d only ever had two sexual partners. I’d just started my teaching career. I was only twenty-two. Maybe that part is what was actually my undoing. You see, the Gardasil […]