Something that has become a hot topic in recent years and is very close to my heart is the issue of immunization. I have found myself becoming increasingly outspoken on this contentious topic and I stand firmly resolute in my opinions and beliefs. I find it extremely disturbing and frightening how many families refuse to vaccinate their children because of fear mongering tactics used by lobbyist groups whom I will not name.
My father who I love very dearly, contracted Polio when he was a child. When he came down with the illness my great grandfather carried him into hospital. He endured painful physio therapy and was lucky enough to avoid having to have calipers fitted like so many others at the time. My grandfather would carry him along the beach every day to get him out. My father walks with a slight limp, which is barely noticeable to most, but one leg is slightly smaller than the other. My father is able to look at his two daughters and know that because of the Polio vaccine we will never know his suffering. He is able to look at all of his grandchildren and know they will never know that suffering. He is a walking reminder of why vaccines are so important. To dismiss vaccines like this is to make a mockery of those who have suffered. My parents and grandparents witnessed plagues of diseases that we will hopefully never see again.
My dad is also a man who believes in facts and evidence that science and medicine are able to provide. I am very much my fathers daughter in this respect. I cannot believe that people are so dismissive of the tireless work and study that doctors and scientists do in order to save our lives. All medical procedures carry a risk, we know that. Walking across a road involves risk too, but we still do that. I am personally very grateful to live in this day and age of modern medicine. I am able to benefit from all the amazing scientific and medical feats and so are my children.
Sadly we live in a high risk area where 'informed' parents choose not to vaccinate. Yes parents should be able to make these choices, but they should be making them based on facts and evidence, not hogwash and hearsay. When people start spouting statistics on the links between the MMR and Autism, you can be reassured by the fact that the Doctor involved was struck off the medical register because his study was found to be fraudulent and he stood to make millions from his own diagnostic kits. This study was debunked and removed from the medical journals, and yet it still rears its ugly head because it has permeated the brains and conscience of so many people.
The sad thing is, is that there are people in the community who are not able to be vaccinated because of medical reasons, so they rely heavily on the rest of us to do the right thing so they don't contract a preventable disease, and in some cases this can be fatal.
I find it ridiculously hilarious that most of these anti-vaxxers are from wealthier backgrounds who are the first ones to jump on the climate change bandwagon. So they believe one set of scientists but not the others? These people have also benefited from modern medicine throughout their lives and now choose to deny their children? Are we to head back to the dark ages where people like Da Vinci and Galileo were ostracized by the church for their scientific and mathematical findings? Surely not. Society cannot be that blind, or can it?
The misuse of the Internet has also played a huge role in this saga, and we are all guilty of it. We jump on to Google and look up symptoms and make our own diagnosis from there. This is so dangerous. If I am ever concerned about my child's health or any member of my family, we go to our GP and in extreme cases we head straight to hospital, because I am not a doctor. My motto is always the age old adage 'It's better to be safe than sorry.'
For me, it was never an issue. I never questioned immunizing Molly, because I wanted to give her the best fighting chance at life. If that makes me a bad parent, in these anti-vaxxers eyes then so be it. To me, a bad parent is someone willing to expose their children to diseases that can be potentially fatal and advising others to do the same and that fluids and bed rest will cure these conditions.
When it comes to public health and safety, we as a community should feel obliged to do the right thing by each other. This is my opinion.
