Vaccinations

Today Charlie and I brought Isabella to the community health clinic for her six month vaccination boosters. It was like bringing her to her own funeral.

Walking into the clinic is always reassuring. Babies coming in cooing and smiling and goo goo-ing. And coming out of the rooms in hysterics, screaming and carrying on!

When we took Isabella to have her second month vaccinations, I ended up crying more than she did! I really thought I'd be a lot stronger than that. The nurse was telling me to reassure her, but I was too busy blubbering to say anything.

Anyway, she ended up doing just fine. She took all three needles like a champ and we decided to get her a flu vaccination and she took that fourth one just as well. As you're probably wondering, I took her vaccinations much better this time around.

A while ago a friend of the family (of whom is a bit of a conspiracy theorist) was lecturing me on vaccinating Isabella, and ended up freaking me out. Inwardly of course. I held very firm with him. He was telling me about the mercury content in vaccinations and that it was more than one human being would ingest in a lifetime and could be a leading cause of autism! So I had to do a little research. The internet may not be the best place to research material as this. I found that you lean one way or another when childhood vaccinations are concerned. It was tough to find a non-biased site for pros and cons.

The CCDR (Canada Communicable Disease Report) concludes:

"Public confidence in vaccines and high rates of vaccine uptake are critical to the continued effectiveness of immunization programs. Even when risks are purely theoretical, experience has shown that unaddressed public concerns can drastically decrease immunization coverage, to the detriment of public health. Thus the call to remove thimerosal (mercury based preservative) from vaccines, seeks to maintain public confidence by avoiding even theoretical risk.

NACI (The National Advisory Committee on Immunization) makes recommendations based on the best available scientific evidence. Vaccine safety is an essential consideration in any recommendation made by NACI. Concerns regarding thimerosal, as reviewed in the 2003 statement, were purely theoretical. Nevertheless, NACI identified them as important issues for further consideration and study. The weight of evidence now available, however, refutes any link between thimerosal and autism. As such, NACI concludes that there is no reason for vaccine providers or other health care professionals who may counsel individuals regarding immunization to raise any concerns regarding exposure to thimerosal. "

Basically the CCDR is telling us that thimerosal is a safe stabilizer in vaccinations. It still freaks me out a little. The health nurse we saw, told us of a case in Western Europe a while ago when, parents were hysterical about vaccinating their children for the fear of the mercury based preservative, thimerosal, and refused to have their babies vaccinated. Children suddenly started coming down with the measles! Some were hospitalized and some even died.

I believe that immunizations are for the health and safety of society. The benefits of vaccinations far out weigh the risks associated with thimerosal. What a strange time it would be if people started breaking out into polio and meningitis! And if your child isn't immunized, they are susceptible to these highly contagious viruses and diseases, unnecessarily!

But that is just my own, personal opinion. I absolutely do not want to insult anyone or push my ideas on anyone. I just believe being Isabella's mother, that vaccinating her is the best for her.
Both Charlie and I got flu shots while we were at the clinic today and it freaking stung! More than I remember a few years ago. Imagine those chubby little legs getting four needles! She must get that strength from her mother. Hee hee hee....