The Greater Good

I recently gave birth to a son, who is 6 weeks old now. When I took him in for his 2 week checkup at his pediatrician's office, I was asked if I wanted to do the Hep B vaccination. Normally, this shot is given in the hospital at birth. However, my son was born at home so he was spared this. I politely declined and my pediatrician (who I love and have been seeing with my older children for over 2 years), didn't push the issue. This got me thinking about the many times in the future I would be asked about shots for my son. With my first daughter 6 years ago, I was a young mom who really didn't question much. When my second daughter was born two years after that, I had learned more about vaccines and I decided I would allow her to get all the recommended shots but we spaced them out. Most people have heard the controversy in the news recently about vaccinations and injuries caused by them. Whether there is a link between autism and vaccines, we may never know. But the fact is that there is a much higher incidence of autism in males than females. That is just not a risk I want to take with my son. I know this is a sensitive subject for a lot of parents and I would never condemn someone for their beliefs. As parents, we choose what is best for our child. A documentary has come out recently called The Greater Good. (www.greatergoodmovie.org) I thought it was a moving and insightful film about vaccinations and the damage they may cause. I mentioned in a previous post that my husband is very much un-crunchy. He thought I was crazy for even questioning getting all the recommended shots for our son. Forty minutes in to the film he said, "I don't need to watch any more. We aren't getting him vaccinated." I couldn't believe my ears. I wasn't even sure how I felt yet! For those of you Californians, a very important issue is at stake. Please read about California Bill AB2109! This bill has passed the first stage of becoming a law. It isn't about whether or not you vaccinate. It is about the freedom of making that choice for your own child.