Photo: Miki Sato
“Yes”
Kat Armstrong, mom of three
My three guys?who are five, nearly three and 10 months?are all up to date on their vaccinations. This was a no-brainer for my husband and me. We believe in proven scientific research and know that herd immunity and community safety depend on us as participants. We don?t underestimate the importance of immunization and the health and well-being of our family. So you might think we wouldn?t allow our dudes to play with unvaccinated friends. However, you?d be wrong: We definitely let them hang out with kids from anti-vax families.
With our first-born, I was very worried about the health risks all around us, as many new parents are. After swearing up and down that I would absolutely never allow my baby to spend any time with an unvaccinated child, I learned a harsh truth: unknowingly, I?d spent most of my maternity leave with someone who didn?t believe in vaccinating her child. I was floored. Her reasoning was anti-vax light (fear of potential risks of poisoning, but no hardline beliefs that vaccines cause autism or other illnesses). I felt I?d put my baby in unnecessary danger, and that made me very angry. I was also surprised that someone I agreed with on so many other levels had a viewpoint that differed so strongly from mine. This encounter taught me that unless you hand out questionnaires everywhere you go, you can?t really know if all the kids your family comes in contact with in daily life are up to date on t...