Necessary
"No, its not necessary." These words will haunt her for the rest of her life.
At the time, it hadn't seemed necessary.
He was a vibrant little boy, with bright blue eyes and a nice, gummy smile. His chubby fingers gripped with strength. There was no sign of alarm, no sign that special care needed to be taken.
She took extra care to only feed him healthy foods: organic mashed fruits, organic blended veggies, organic juice, and her own breast milk.
The constant sneezing seemed like a byproduct of a normal dust and pollen allergy.
The runny nose was probably just the seasons changing; nothing that won't be cured by bundling up and a few tissues.
And when the coughing began, it didn't seem like anything a little bit of home remedy honey-lemon tea won't help.
Until it wasn't enough.
The mild cold-like symptoms got worse, then severe, and then too severe.
His chubby fingers lost its grip. His gums were now a deep red with soreness and infection. And then his bright blue eyes dulled and closed for the last time.
It was necessary.
PSA: Vaccinations are necessary. They help your child build immunity towards certain illnesses! Please note: Vaccines do not cause autism.
August is Immunization Awareness Month, so I thought I would go ahead and throw out a little mini story to go along with it. Personally, I hate getting my flu shots, because I'm one of the few people who end up horribly sick right after getting the shot. And sometimes even after getting the shot, I still get sick from the flu. Despite all this, I still get my shots; not only is it required of me in my workplace, but it is beneficial to me. I recognize that after (finally!) fighting off the flu shot, I am in a much better place to fight off the flu. As someone who has gotten pneumonia from the flu before, I can't imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't gotten the flu shot. I would have been so much worse, and dangerous to my health.
Ultimately, whether or not you vaccinate your child (or yourself) is your choice. As of current, there isn't a U.S. law that bans nor requires it, but choose wisely! I've obviously taken my stand on the matter, but I hope this doesn't discourage you from voicing your own opinions if you disagree!
