Courtney is going in today for her 15 month checkup. I’ve kind of been dreading it and unlike her other appointments that require immunizations, I haven’t had this one scheduled a month in advance. This is not an appointment I’m looking forward to. This is the day where she gets her MMR shot – measles, mumps, rubella. It’s the dreaded “autism” vaccine.
Except it’s not.
Early in February, The Lancet retracted a very controversial study linking autism to the MMR shot. They are now saying that that study was wrong. It was done in 1998. But you can bet that many, many, MANY parents heard about that study and it scared the crap out of them.
And then you have Jenny McCarthy who has been unbelievably outspoken about the MMR vaccine giving her son autism. She’s been a crusader about NOT getting the MMR vaccine and about questioning all vaccines. Vaccines that save lives. But now she’s saying that the MMR vaccine didn’t give her boy autism because her boy DOESN’T HAVE AUTISM!! He’s been diagnosed with “Landau-Kleffner syndrome, “a rare childhood neurological disorder that can also result in speech impairment and possible long-term neurological damage.””
For real?? She’s been telling people not to get the MMR, she’s been questioning the CDC, she’s been a HUGE voice for autism but against vaccinating and her son doesn’t even have autism? Let me just digest this for a minute and then slap myself upside the head.
As a mom, I only want to do what’s best for my child. I want to protect her from everything I can. I’ve talked about vaccinating before and how I’m not one of those people that won’t do them. I believe in vaccines, I believe they’re the right thing for us. I believe that vaccinating my girl can help protect and save those children who can’t get vaccinated.
Between the study in The Lancet and people like McCarthy, I’ve thought about not vaccinating my child. I’ve thought about the what-ifs. I’ve thought that by vaccinating my beautiful girl, I could harm her instead of help her. I’ve been scared. I’ve had countless conversations with my mom friends about this. And the thing is, I’m still scared. I’m still afraid of the what-ifs. I still don’t want her to get it, even though there’s no known link between MMR and autism. No. Known. Link. I know that there are more than 300,000 kids in the US who have autism and everyone survives. I have a friend who’s beautiful boy is autistic and it’s hard work and they have some bad days but the boy is amazing and is making incredible progress. It’s not easy but it’s certainly not the end of the world.
But we all want what’s best for our kids. As a mom, I’d do anything to keep my girl safe from harm and evil. We’ll go to the doctor today and Courtney will get her shots. And I’ll be freaking out. And watching her like a fox. And we’ll be FINE. But I really wish that people would stop messing with my head on this. I’m losing sleep people and I’m not getting enough sleep that I can afford to lose any more.
Wow your words really say what I think as well – you say it beautifully. We get all of our shots but every time I have that twinge in the back of my head. Good luck today! (And if no one has told you – its actually appears to be common for them to get a fever like 3 – 4 days after getting the MMR – a delayed fever… happened with good number of my friends’ kids and mine)