For the life of me, I do NOT understand the reasoning behind parents now days refusing to get their children their childhood vaccinations. I have heard all the "scare speak" out there, and I still do not understand it. I remember when Polio was a feared thing every summer. And I remember when Dr Jonas Salk came up with the polio vaccine. I was one of the first children in our area to get the shots. A series of shots, scary to an 8 year old, but needed. Then there was the small pox vaccine, the TB test and shots, then the DPT shots, the rubiola shots, etc.
I was a Military child, and every two years we were tranferred across the ocean. And everytime we moved, we all had to spend two weeks getting our shots updated. We were not allowed to travel without our shotcards on hand. (I think I actually still have mine) There was never a time when we were given the choice to get it or not. If we did not have our shots up to date, we did not travel, and we did not get admitted into our new school.
Flu shots were another new thing to us, and I got the Hong Kong flu back in 1958, and was out of school for three months. It was epidemic in Honolulu at that time. After that, I never got the flu again. I do get my flu shots every year. As I get older, I do not want to risk getting really sick and dying over something that can be prevented by a two day sore arm. I have heard "well, I always get the flu after the shot" "I am allergic to eggs" I am afraid of Vaccinations" etc. me? I dont want to die, and I certainly do not want to give something to my grandson, or some other small child.
There is an outbreak of whooping cough here on the island and in several cities and counties in Washington, it is close to epidemic in schools. They are asking EVERYONE to get their whooping cough vaccines updated. I am going to get mine the next time I see the Dr. I just can not imagine how I would feel if I gave something to Patrick, and he died. I could not live.
On the other hand, I just do not understand why any parent when presented with the opportunity to get their child vaccinated to prevent the spread of some disease, will refuse. Do they not realize they are not just putting their own family at risk, but anyone they may come in contact with. Diseases were eradicated in my childhood, and now they are coming back. Mostly from immigration from 3rd world countries, but mostly because parents just do not see the need to expose their children to a sore arm.
I am also stymied why these same parents expose their children to chicken pox and measles so they can get them and get it over with. There is an APP for that folks, it is called VACCINATION! You do not need to go through this anymore. You do not need to expose your family to the side effects of measles...going blind, rheumatic fever etc. or Chicken Pox: horrible scars on your face! or Polio: living your life unable to move or breathe without help. GOOD GOD! Science has created the cure. USE IT! Save your child! PLEASE? or even your parents...or ME!
