My son, H, had his 12 month well visit one Friday where he received the pneumonia, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and Hepatitis A vaccinations. His fever started on Thursday. He woke up with it. He was less energetic than usual, less playful. Even the cone-sorting toy could not lure him to the floor for […]
It might seem like a simple thing to most people. You bring your child to the pediatrician, he or she say it’s time to get your child’s scheduled shots. You get those vaccines and leave. To me, that is what was always done. That is just what we did. I have three children. My daughters […]
Jude looked up at me with an expression of incredulous shock. She was being hurt and I was standing there doing nothing about it! At two months old, she couldn’t know how thrilled I was that she was receiving her first round of vaccines. Of course, I wasn’t happy to see her little face scrunch […]
Sometimes emotions can lead you to make certain decisions, even when your own conscience, and those who love you, are asking you to make the opposite decision. My decision not to vaccinate my children made me feel two things: safe and special. You might wonder how I could have possibly felt safe leaving my children […]
I remember the day I miscarried. I remember reluctantly accepting that the last shred of hope for the pregnancy was gone. I remember being in awe of how I could feel such a loss for a child whom I didn’t even know existed until it was all but certain that I was going to lose […]
I’m sure many mothers can relate when I say that family is my world. My extended family tells me where I came from. My parents helped shape who I am today. My sister was my first friend. My husband is my teammate. My children are my legacy. Family is one thing I will never tire […]
When my oldest child was born in 2005, we faithfully followed the immunization schedule, knowing nothing of the controversy until a several months later, when I discovered internet forums. I have always been into natural health and foods, so when I first learned about all of the scary-sounding ingredients in vaccines, I was alarmed. And […]
It’s no secret that I have always been science-minded. My entire life, I wanted to become a doctor. I took AP science courses in high school, entered college majoring in biology/pre-medicine, and today enjoy reading scientific journal articles “for fun.” It was no surprise, therefore, that as a microbiologist whose work focuses on vaccines, I never questioned […]