I really wish you would change your mind. I'm somebody that questions modern medicine and believes in natural paths too. In fact, I am sometimes refuse vaccines for my dog, at least until they test her current levels, because science has found dogs are over vaccinated and can be hurt when this happens. But I really do not agree with you when it comes to human vaccines, and I think it's dangerous not to vaccinate your son, and I beg you to reconsider. I know you're trying to do right by your kid, but I promise you, on this you are wrong, and I cannot agree or remain passive.
A- Because there really is NO evidence at all to back up anti-vac ers. And I've searched. There isn't even good anecdotal evidence. The only reason people don't support vaccines is because the idea of vaccines is scary, and seems flawed, so some people got it into their head it was dangerous. And as soon as people felt they had any real reason to condemn what made them uncomfortable anyway, they jumped on the bandwagon. Which caused MORE people to feel validated for feeling that way.
But in the end, this fear of vaccines is completely unfounded. People are just afraid of vaccines because of a feeling. There is literally NO other reason. They've done so many studies.
You feel uncomfortable about vaccines, as we all do, because it sounds so dangerous and creepy. But a lot of medical stuff that feels that way is so important, and helps us so much. We have brains so we can listen to rationality rather than give in to unfounded feelings.
B- I recently came upon a bunch of old letters my ancestors wrote to each other. I couldn't believe how much death there was. Just about every generation suffered a few childhood deaths. My Great Aunt, or Great Great Aunt or something died at 23 in the late 1940's, and I was horrified to hear why from my Grandma. They weren't even sure. They thought probably food poisoning, but maybe a bug or something. She was fine one day, woke up sick, and was dead by the next morning. I doubt they even did an autopsy.
People used to die all the time, so often that no one questioned a dead 23 year old, even 60 or 70 years ago. People die so infrequently now, that even a dead 60 year old warrants investigation, nevermind someone dying in their prime.
I also found when doing my family tree, that a staggering number of children died. That's why children weren't even cherished until the Victorian age. There chances of survival were so low. Kids get sick and die from disease so much more easily than adults. Your child can't decide for himself yet. You owe it to him to do what is so clearly safer.
C- You are risking others, and helping diseases continue. I used to work at a doggy daycare/boarding facility. We had owners get so mad at us, because we were not supposed to ever let a dog in who wasn't updated on their vaccines. Once I felt terrible, because a family about to leave for vacation tried to drop off their dog who often boarded, whom we loved, but I wasn't authorized to let her with the other dogs, bc her distemper vaccine wasn't up to date. The Dad got mad, and left before I could get my manager.
She explained it to me though. Even though he was willing to risk the very slim chance his dog was sick, it would put the others in peril. Distemper is a horrifying way to die; it eats you alive. And even though the other dogs were vaccinated, it is still possible for them to get sick, just far less likely. It would've put other dogs in danger. And also, she explained, if the dog did have distemper, any dog could track it home, and expose other family pets. It would be cultivating the virus.
Don't we owe it to the world to make sure we aren't furthering deadly viruses?
Vaccines are a scary idea. And modern medicine sometimes goes too far. But standard vaccines are not one of those ways. It's great to question everything, but listen to the answer.
If we all refused to vaccinate our children, kids would die like they used to: constantly. We would have to stop naming kids until they were a few years old again, because they probably wouldn't make it long enough anyway.
The real question is can you forgive yourself if your child dies, and maybe infects another kid, for no reason other than that vaccines feel wrong to you, and you didn't bother to do the research to figure out what was right?
