THANK YOU!, THANK YOU!, THANK YOU!  Kathleen for your message concerning
innoculations.

As a nurse, we are taught to respect the individuality, culture and decisions
of our patients.  However, I have absolutely no patience for parents who
choose NOT to innoculate their children.  My father was in his early 40's
when I was born in 1962.  To him, vaccines were a MIRACLE.  He was adamant
about my getting all my "shots".  I even had a pediatrician who believed that
girls should not be scarred by the smallpox vaccine, (vanity I guess) so I
received mine on the inner aspect of one of my ankles.  Don't remember it.

My husband has a sister, (in her early 40's) who was diagnosed with polio at
the age of 3.  She had a complete recovery, however now she is starting to
experience some problems with post polio syndrome.  To complicate matters,
she was in a horrible car accident 5 or so years ago and suffered a terrible
head injury.  Although she did not lose any function, the head injury seemed
to exacerbate her post polio syndrome symptoms.  Having lots of problems now.

Both my boys, 7yrs and 14 mos. are immunized.  I feel that the fever or
soreness that comes with the shots are a SMALL price to pay for the safety
net they give them.  The choice of other people to NOT immunize puts my
children at risk.  It falls in the same category as the argument for not
putting kids in car restraints (another pet peeve). Yes it's true that a
percentage (SMALL) may be trapped and injured or die but in the greater
majority of incidents, childrens lives are SAVED.  I don't think it's worth
the gamble.

It is an important message.  Decreasing compliance with immunizations will
result in many devastating health crises in the future.

Jackie Terrebonne, RN
Mother of 2 healthy boys, who wear their seatbelts and carseats
(respectively) stepping off of her soapbox now.  Thanks for listening.  : )