Childhood Vaccinations: Introduction

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body" -Elizabeth Stone. Elizabeth Stone certainly did not provide us with empty words when she made this deep statement. If one reads between the lines of Stone's quote, a more sophisticated implication becomes obvious: parenting decisions are far from uncomplicated. Decisions do not simply discontinue upon choosing to rear a child. When entering into the parenting covenant, a mother and father will begin a series of lifelong, often emotionally and physically challenging, parenting judgments. One particular choice is that of childhood vaccinations. For many decades the effectiveness and safeness of childhood vaccinations has been a controversial topic. Choosing whether or not to forgo their child's vaccinations is one of the most difficult decisions parents have to make. Even though many practitioners preach that vaccinations are beneficial and essential, parents should still make informed decisions: too many do not understand the potential consequences, nor do many realize that childhood vaccinations are not a requirement.

Childhood Vaccinations Pt. 2: The concept of immunizing individuals against harmful diseases has been around for centuries; in fact, the ancient Chinese practiced early forms of intentional passive immunity through a process called variolation. In an attempt to rid their communities of the deadly smallpox virus, the Chinese would remove the pus from a victims smallpox wound then transfer it into the body of a patient hoping to receive immunity. In the 18th century... more coming soon!