So over the past year or so the topic of vaccinations has become wildly popular on social media. Celebrities like Jenny McCarthy stand by their claim of anti-vaccinations, also believing they cause autism. The famous Kat Von D also recently announced that she will not vaccinate her child, which resulted in major backlash. There is a reason vaccinations are a thing. There is a reason why certain schools and jobs require vaccinations in order to work there. Vaccinations are the reason things like chickenpox and measles aren't major problems anymore. I don't care what the celebrities say, I have 11 reasons why I WILL vaccinate my future children.
1. I don't want my children to suffer through a disease that can been prevented with a shot.
I won't put my child at risk when I have the option to prevent it.
2. They don't cause autism.
But even if it did, there's nothing wrong with having an autistic child. I will love my future children no matter what.
3. I won't put other children at risk.
If you don't vaccinate your child, you are more likely to get one of the diseases that vaccinations prevent. Therefore, you have put other people at risk when they come into contact with you. Your anti-vaccination decision can effect others.
4. Doctors wouldn't recommend something without testing the side effects/outcome for safety.
The vaccinations I received when I was older, I remember the doctor telling me what kind of side effects to expect. Scientists have tested everything they are telling us to put into our bodies. They're not just "trying to steal our money."
5. Vaccines assist in keeping us healthy.
The CDC says that without vaccinations, you are more susceptible to these preventable diseases, including HPV and Hepititus, which are two of the leading causes of cancer.
6. Your child will not catch the disease because they were given the vaccine for it.
Your baby will not catch a disease because of the vaccine. A very weak strand is being injected into us with a vaccination to help our bodies learn to fight it off. Your child will not get the chickenpox from the chickenpox vaccine.
7. Vaccines are required by certain places.
There are so many shots and vaccines that are required before a child can enroll in school. Once the child is older, they are also required to get other shots and vaccines before entering high school and even college. Don't make it harder for your child to attend school by not vaccinating them.
8. A non-vaccinated child has to be careful who/what they come into contact with.
Some other countries don't utilize vaccines as much as the U.S. does. As a girl who attends a college known for its international student/teacher population, I wouldn't want my child to have to be weary of who they come into contact with just because of vaccinations.
9. Babies immune system's are still developing, which can put them at an even higher risk.
Babies are still growing and developing. It is already so much easier for them to get sick because their immune system hasn't fully developed. I would rather nurse my baby for a cold than be given the news that they already have a life-altering disease.
10. It's easier to deal with vaccine side effects rather than lose a child.
Obviously, some vaccines will have side effects, which is totally normal. So why would you rather watch your child suffer in the hospital rather than just nursing them back to health after the side effects have kicked in.
11. If you vaccinate your child, you can decrease the possibility of a grandchild with a disease.
The CDC says that "Before the rubella vaccine was licensed in 1969, a global rubella (German measles) outbreak caused the deaths of 11,000 babies, and birth defects in 20,000 babies between 1963 and 1965 in the United States. Women who were vaccinated as children against rubella have greatly decreased the chance of passing the virus to their unborn or newborn children, eliminating the birth defects, such as heart problems, hearing and vision loss, congenital cataracts, liver and spleen damage, and mental disabilities, associated with the disease"
I have received all of my vaccinations and here I am today, writing for you. Yeah, there might be some risks with vaccinations, but I'd rather take action and face the consequences, rather than live with the fact that I could have helped my child and chose not to. Sorry, not sorry, anti-vaxxers, but I will vaccinate my future children, just like my mother did for me.
