We vaccinated our daughter on the schedule recommended by our pediatrician. (We did a lot of research in finding a pediatrician we could trust, and I’m SO THANKFUL we have the relationship we do with him.) I remember having a huge sense of relief when she was fully-protected. Not only is she safe, but those around us who can’t get immunized are safer, too. I am so glad we have access to affordable vaccines!

In particular I was disappointed about the chicken pox vaccine. It’s an interesting story: my son contracted the disease from the vaccine and as clear-cut as it was, his pediatrician refused to diagnose it as chicken pox. She recorded it in his chart as a “skin rash” because she did not want to report a problem with the vaccine (which was still very new 8 years ago). Of course we switched doctors and the new one corrected the chart. As luck would have it, I contracted the disease from my son (even though I thought I had immunity) and at age 27 I spent 4 miserable weeks house-bound.

I’m not a big proponent of vaccination. Although I recognize it has many benefits, in the cases of most recent products, I don’t find evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks. I am especially wary of the pharmaceutical companies and the chemicals and preservatives they would have us believe are safe.

I respect the parents that choose vaccination but I caution everyone to do their research well (especially for flu, H1N1, HPV and other ‘optional’ vaccines) and make a fully informed decision about each of the vaccinations you are offered .

I definitely immunize my kids but made sure to educate myself first before undergoing everything. I wanted to ensure is was the best decision for my children. And in the end, the benefits of getting them immunized far outweighed any negatives/fears I had.