The day after Titus was born, a kind nurse at Evans Army Hospital handed me a paper. On it was the CDC's recommended vaccination schedule for children, beginning at two months of age. I didn't think too much about it at the time, just added it to the stack of papers to bring home. But as Titus grew older and we neared his two month mark, I was forced to pull it back out. I knew that at his two month checkup little Titus would receive his first round of vaccinations per my consent. As I looked briefly through the list, a strange feeling grew inside me and questions filled my mind. For some reason, I didn't feel right about blindly giving my consent for something I knew so little about.
So, I did some research. I realized that this was a big decision, and I wanted to feel confident about my conclusion. I read articles on all sides of the issue, asked opinions from friends and family, and watched seminar videos. I investigated the prevalence, potential outcomes and treatments of the various diseases as well as the ingredients in and potential outcomes of the vaccinations.
And, most importantly, we prayed. Nathan and I prayed that God would give us wisdom and would allow us to make a confident, informed decision on this delicate issue that could very much affect the health of our son.
After all of this, Nathan and I chose to delay vaccinating Titus until we feel confidently that the risks of Titus getting these various diseases outweigh the risks of his getting the vaccines. Right now, we feel the opposite.
I write of this experience NOT to say, "We've seen the light. All vaccinations are wrong." No, no. I write to humbly acknowledge that we are choosing right now to wade against the tide. We realize that the vast majority of physicians and parents alike agree that vaccinating our children is best for their health. We completely understand that conviction. But after investigating this great debate a little further, we've found ourselves having a different conviction. We would happily discuss our decision with any who are critical of it, knowing that one of the best ways to learn from one another is through gracious, informative conversation. May we continue to learn and grow and become better parents day by day.
I AGREE WITH THE BASIS FOR YOUR DECISION. TOO MUCH AND TOO SOON. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE VACCINES THEY WANT TO GIVE BABIES THESE DAYS, WHEN MY KIDS WERE BORN. THEY DIDN'T START AS YOUNG AS THEY WANT TO NOW EITHER, SOMETIMES AT TWO WEEKS OR EVEN THE FIRST SHOTS IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER BIRTH! I EVEN REFUSED THE ANTIBIOTIC DROPS THEY WANTED TO PUT IN THEIR EYES FOR POSSIBLE INFECTION, SINCE NO INFECTION WAS FOUND. MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE AS A MATTER OF COURSE FOR SO MANY YEARS. I FEEL SOME OF THESE THINGS AREN'T NECESSARY. I APPLAUD YOU FOR STOPPING TO THINK, AND QUESTION AND DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THESE IMPORTANT DECISIONS, AND COMING TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS. SO MANY PARENTS JUST BLINDLY FOLLOW WHAT IS ROUTINE OR WHAT THE DR SAYS IS NECESSARY. YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE MANY DECISIONS REGARDING YOUR CHILDREN AS THEY GROW, AND IN THE PROCESS TEACH AND MODEL FOR THEM HOW TO MANEUVER THROUGH THEIR LIVES AND MAKE INFORMED AND EDUCATED DECISIONS THEMSELVES. NONE OF US HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS OR DO IT ALL CORRECTLY. WE CAN ONLY TRY OUR BEST AND PRAY FOR GOD'S GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION AS WE TAKE THE JOURNEY WITH THEM INTO ADULTHOOD. BRAVO!! KAREN WALKER
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words of encouragement, Karen! We know we don't have all the answers, but we're doing our best to make a wise, informed decision. I hope you're doing well! We miss seeing you!!
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