Thanks to decades of awareness campaigns, parents are no longer surprised at a well-child check that their babies will be getting vaccines. But often, they are surprised or confused by how many vaccines are given, what diseases they prevent, how immunizations are monitored for safety, and how to make the shots less painful for their […]
Modern vaccines are very effective. But nothing is 100% effective. As people know, children can – sadly – be harmed in a car accident even if they are in a car seat. But a car seat is a worthwhile protection because it dramatically reduces the chances a child will be harmed or die. The same […]
I was raised in a family where it was traditional to challenge authority and the status quo, to buck trends and conventions, and to always ask questions. I had friends who didn’t vaccinate their children, and family members who questioned the number and spacing of vaccines on the current schedule. So I went into motherhood […]
There has been a lot of talk since 1998 as to whether vaccines cause autism. Though I have been loath to enter this conversation, it has become apparent that perhaps I should speak in order to provide a helpful, even fresh perspective. Here is our family’s story. In 1987, my youngest sister was born, the […]
To be honest, I had never given childhood immunization a second thought. I have always believed in the science of vaccines and immunology. There wasn’t much of an anti-vaccine movement when my first daughter was born. I didn’t know a lot about vaccines, so I relied on my doctor’s expertise. In April of 2005, my second daughter, Piper, […]