It would take a lot for me to consider boycotting Facebook... but after the last few days I could actually seriously consider it. Well, maybe in a passing thought I did... very briefly as I was thinking about how I should start this blog.
Remember in school when you would always come up with codes for the alphabet so nobody could read your notes (that's a hint by the way)? It seems that every status update, email, tweet, newspaper, radio show, newscast and even the neighbourhood cat has something to say about the 8a14a and I have to tell you it's driving me crazy... especially since I jumped off the fence and got Jeremy vaccinated on Tuesday. Oh, and I was interviewed that afternoon by someone from CBC radio... not sure if they aired it, but I was interviewed!
I was reading a friends status update this morning on Facebook and she referred to the fact that their decision had been made. There was a "like" and lots of comments and then there was one comment that stood out from the rest that said something like this: "I'd suggest NOT inflicting vaccines filled with mercury and [poop] on your son. Especially when they are totally unnecessary." ????????????????????
When I was still on the fence I had lots of discussions with people regarding the 8a14a vaccine - and everyone seemed to be on the fence. There were a few people who were pretty confident in their decision - whether it before or against it but here's the key: out of all the people discussing it - nobody had gotten anything done yet (at that point). So after you hop off your fence and make a choice, no matter what the choice, it is YOUR choice. That's the bottom line. You can ask your Mom, doctors, nurses, friends, your dentist or the neighbourhood cat for their opinions and thoughts, but it is still YOUR choice. After you've hopped off the fence and done what you think is right for your child (and contrary to popular belief, we Mother's do care about our children more than our own lives and don't hop off fences just for fun) - what gives people the right to criticize what you've done and, worse yet, try to make you feel like you made the wrong decision? Seriously - these are our children we're talking about, and I don't know anyone who would do anything at all to endanger their lives... it doesn't matter which way you decided to hop but when you hopped your child was first and foremost on your mind and you did what you felt was in their best interest.
There is no right or wrong here. I could offer my insight on the 8a14a vaccine but I won't. I could tell you why I decided to have Jeremy vaccinated and why I intend to have Sydney and Megan vaccinated but I won't. I hope that when you decide to hop off the fence that you feel good about it - I hope that some over opinionated person doesn't say something to make you regret your decision or make you feel like you didn't have your child's best interests in mind. And finally, when you do decide to hop, no matter which side of the fence you're hopping to, I hope you do it with both feet.
For more information on the 8a14a click here http://www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca/your_health/ps_public_health_ip07_about.htm
1 comment:
Well said Shauna! We need to be supportive of one another not pass judgement. When I went to get the boys done there was a lady waiting in line behind me with children around the same age as mine. She was getting her oldest child vaccinated, but still on the fence with her younger child. She asked me if I was getting Westin vaccinated, and I told her that I was. Now at this point I could have fed her with all my opinions as well but instead I just confirmed with her that when it comes to your children, it can be a hard decision and I gave her the encouragement that she needed that when the time came, she would know what to do, and I to also tried to encourage her to be content with her decision one way or the other. I like how you said it, jump off the fence with both feet! Anyway, long story short, let's support and encourage one another and not pass judgement!
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