So, tomorrow, I’m taking my daughter to the pediatrician to get her 3rd set of shots, and even though it makes me a hypocrite, I must admit that I am feeling extreme trepidation. Why does it make me a hypocrite? Because it’s what I try to convince mothers to do all day.
I work for my pediatrician, who also happens to be an internist (which makes my job extremely interesting, and noisy), and the community I work in is extremely reluctant when it comes to immunizing their kids. Most of the parents are hesitant to give so many shots at once, or they only want to give what is mandatory for schools, or they only give shots at the latest age possible. You try giving shots to a 6 year old boy, NOT EASY. So I try to keep them up to date, or catch them up if they aren’t. It’s no small or easy task.
My personal belief as to why they are so anti-immunizations, is because we don’t really see the diseases and illnesses that the immunizations protect against. They work very well, and most people have never seen polio or pertussis. The diseases are not real to them, and so they do not scare them. But I know what they are, and they scare me. Sure, I’m afraid to immunize my daughter, because I know better than most what the side effects can be, but like I tell the patient’s, I do it because I love her, and I want to protect her. So I immunize my daughter, but I’m still entitled to be a mom, and this mom is nervous for tomorrow.
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