In 2007 I received a DTaP vaccination. It is a combination vaccine that protects against Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis. I had never received the 3 in 1 shot before. I am old enough that they were separated out. I went home with my arm a little sore. Eventually in the days and weeks to come I began to struggle with what I knew was a reaction to the vaccine. It felt like my body was on fire and I would take showers every night after work to calm myself. I now understand that my body was fighting the vaccine and the nerves were inflamed in the process.
But time healed me and I did not end up with anything more serious or long-lasting. Unfortunately, many people each year end up with far more dire consequences such as neurological impairment after receiving a vaccination. There is actually a "vaccine court" that has paid out millions of dollars to those who have had an adverse reaction.
When I became a parent, I knew first-hand what a vaccination can do to an adult body. I also realize that not everyone reacts in the same manner. I decided to delay the hepatitis B shot until a later date. I did not think her first day on the planet needed to include an injection. I am also a stay-at-home mom and my fears were small that she would come into contact with hep B.
Eventually her first appointment rolled around and I had to make a decision. As someone who has reacted to a vaccination, it was excruciating for me to do decide whether I should proceed with the normal schedule. My reaction lasted longer than some of the illnesses that I was vaccinated for. My fears were founded in my own experience and not tidbits I had read off of the internet. The first pediatrician we had was, to put it bluntly, a total bitch about the issue. She did not know my prior history and made us, as new parents, feel terrible. I am very happy that neither her nor her children have ever reacted but that does not mean it is the same for everyone else.
I let us be bullied into those first shots. We never returned to that doctor. I must have checked on my daughter a zillion times that day, wondering if she would react like I did. I was in a constant state of panic. But she was fine and we did proceed with the rest of that vaccination series. We found a different pediatrician and while she may not agree with us, she is letting us parent in our own way. We have spaced out some vaccinations and no one troubles us the way they did at that first appointment.
I am not opposed to vaccinations but I also know that what is good for the goose is not always good for the gander. It is very easy for other parents who have never experienced a reaction to go out and get everything on the recommended vaccine schedule. But if you have reacted it is a totally different experience as a parent. Each shot, even if spaced out, is fraught with worry and constant supervision for the following days. Not everyone can be vaccinated fully or on a strict timetable. We all have different immune systems. We are not all robots manufactured in a factory to respond appropriately to each injection of foreign matter.
So please do not preach to those who have reacted about vaccinating your children. We know the risks on both sides and have to weigh them more carefully than someone who has never received an adverse reaction to a vaccination.
