Is it safe to vaccinate our kids?

As parents we are faced with so many decisions when it comes to our children. Whether or not to vaccinate is a huge decision and an extremely important one. With my oldest, I really did not think much about it and she got her vaccinations as scheduled. There was no controversy at the time. At least not one that I was really aware of. When I was pregnant with my youngest there was a lot more publicity surrounding the topic. I came across a lot more people choosing not to vaccinate for various reasons. Naturally I became concerned and wondered if I had done the right thing and whether I should do things differently this time.

I of course did my research and came to the personal decision that vaccinating was the right thing to do. I spoke with my kids doctor about it a lot. I really love the way he approached it with me. He did not immediately jump on a soap box and preach to me about the importance of getting my kids vaccinated. He talked to me like I was a human being with a brain and the ability to make an educated decision on my own. I was a little worried about how he would react but that was very short lived. He made a very valid point in that there are potential adverse reactions to most medications that we use to treat and/or protect us. He treated a patient at one point that became severely disabled from a reaction caused by ibuprofen. These vaccines do make a difference and save lives. To this date, I have not seen anything concrete that proves them to be unsafe or a bad decision for whatever reason. Nothing that changes my mind at least. Our doctor has practiced in a country where he has actually treated some of these diseases like polio. That speaks volumes to me because I absolutely trust him to keep the best interest of my kids as his main objective. Does the risk of my daughter having a reaction to the vaccine really outweigh the risk of her contracting a disease which is potentially deadly? My personal answer is, no. I have made the decision to slow down the schedule of vaccinations. I hate watching my baby get shots, period. Watching her get 4 or 5 at one time just seems to be too much at once.

I definitely respect the decision made by every parent out there and I hope that my opinion will be respected as well. It is hard to be a parent and making these types of decisions is never taken lightly. I write this for many reasons actually. None of them are to preach or to try and change the minds of others. The biggest reason is because I have seen the topic come up a few times and it got me thinking again. I have come across a couple of debates and without a doubt people are very passionate about the subject. It is with good reason too. In the end we all have the same goal of keeping our kids safe. They are precious and wonderful and we desperately want to keep them out of harms way. I would love to hear thoughts and feedback from others on this. I do ask that you please be respectful when posting your comments though.

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