Welp! This anti-vaccination mom changed her mind after her whole family got sick
Welp! This anti-vaccination mom changed her mind after her whole family got sick
In the last few years, the anti-vaccination debate has been a force to be reckoned with. According to NY Mag, one mom who was 100% on board with the anti-vax movement ended up changing her mind pretty rapidly the moment her entire family fell ill. Unfortunately, this incident pretty much shows maybe folks should do a little more research before falling prey to popular health trends like this one.
Kristen O’Meara was very much against vaccinations, and, as a result, didn’t have her kids — one 5-year-old and twin 3-year-olds — vaccinated. But then her entire family got rotavirus, which is seriously not fun.
In a New York Post article, the mom explained,
“I entered motherhood with what I thought was a healthy skepticism regarding vaccination. I got absorbed in the anti-vax culture and secretly thought of myself as being superior to others. As far as I was concerned, [parents who vaccinate their kids] didn’t stop to question and were just sheep following the herd.”
Since her family got sick, her tune has shifted drastically.
“It was awful and it didn’t have to happen because I could have had them vaccinated. I felt guilty, I felt really guilty,” she told ABC News. “I wish that I had taken more time to research both sides.”
The anti-vaccination movement continues to impact health practices around the country, with one study saying that 87 percent of pediatricians have dealt with parents who refuse to have their kids vaccinated. A lot of it comes down to fears of autism, which, many people on the spectrum argue paints autism as a horrible tragedy somehow worse than the multitude of diseases we’ve been able to fade out thanks to vaccines.
She wrapped things up, saying,
“I wanted to share my personal story, and if it does help someone change their mind, then that’s great.”
Her kids are now all fully vaccinated.
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