We homeschool... we immunize... here's why!

Imagine this: You are in public, let's say, at the mall, or the salon. Or maybe you are enrolled in college courses. You go about your day, completely blind to those microscopic germs and bacteria that were on the:

• Door knob
• Shopping cart handle
• Products you picked up
• Products you picked up... and put back
• Clothing you tried on
• And much more

  
Let that sink in for just a minute. 
  
Grossed out yet? Maybe. 
  
Maybe not. Perhaps you are a germaphobe who washes your hands religiously. Perhaps you take it further and don't even venture outside your home. Or just maybe, you don't worry about the "big ones", like measles, mumps, chicken pox, Hepetitis, rubella, scarlet fever... Because your parents felt strongly about having you vaccinated.  
  
Yes, there are reasons to vaccinate, and reasons NOT to vaccinate. Rather than start a debate over the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, I'll limit this post to the title: Why we vaccinate. 
  
We vaccinate because there are increasingly more who do not. The rates of outbreaks, specifically mumps and whooping cough are on the rise. Meningococcal meningitis among public educational institutions are also increasing. 
  
We vaccinate to protect ourselves. Do we get ALL of them? No! 
  
The HPV vaccine is the one we elect not to recieve, and for good reason. The mere thought of cancer is somewhat debilitating. Knowing that certain strains of HPV have been linked to some cancers is... well, as scary as hell. But the thought of having a vaccine that was nothing if not forced into society through less than (my) satisfactory testing and studies. The alarm of increased risk with this vaccine has my red flags waving. 
  
Now is not the time for my family to be at risk for those who rightfully choose against vaccinating their children. We homeschool, we vaccinate. We made the choice that is right for us. 


Ciao! 
LaVonda 

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