The Inoculation Proclamation

We recently had a health scare with Elizabeth, our youngest daughter. I’d received a phone call from her nursery to be told she was presenting some very worrying symptoms.

The staff thought it could be very serious indeed but a fraught dash to our GP for an emergency appointment proved it was, thankfully, a false alarm. Despite this, the experience was a massive wake-up call because we were ever so slightly behind with her inoculations. Under the circumstances, we grabbed the very first appointment available.

Hearing of my recent experience, a female friend of mine asked what I think about inoculations. It was a slightly odd conversation because she asked if I “believed” in the vaccination programme. I was forthright in explaining that I was an avid supporter and thought anyone opposed to it was a “flat-Earther”.

It transpired my friend’s sister didn’t believe in it and her children were not receiving any shots whatsoever. Apparently this is because “she’s a bit of a hippy” (one wonders what the child’s father thinks but that’s possibly another story altogether).

Shortly after we had this conversation, I spotted an interactive map doing the rounds on Facebook. It had been produced by the Council on Foreign Relations and showed where the biggest outbreaks of measles, mumps, rubella, polio and whooping cough have occourred over recent years.

The results for the United Kingdom were shocking. It was buried under numerous multi-coloured blobs showing a massive surge of these illnesses.

Of course, if you’ll permit me to digress for a moment, there is another story to be told here. About 18 months ago I took our eldest child for some shots. The nurse was absolutely fine until we were about to leave the room. At this point she pointedly, and bizarrely, asked where my wife was before physically looking round the room for her. You know, ‘cos like, dads can’t handle something as simple as an appointment with a nurse.

I came face to face with the very same nurse when baby had her jabs the other day. This time I took charge of the situation and explained that I do the childcare while my wife works. I’m pleased to say she was considerably more sensitive on this second occasion. Digression over, back to the matter in hand…

I’ve heard the arguments about the vaccination programme being a big conspiracy cooked up by the pharmaceutical giants. I’ve also heard concerns expressed about the ingredients of some vaccinations. Yes, they can sometimes be a touch on the unsavoury side but where do you draw the line? Would you stop a paramedic from administering treatment to your child in an emergency because you felt a bit squeamish about the origins of the medication? If the answer’s no, you can’t logically object to vaccinations.

Vaccinations, inoculations, call them what you will. I’m all for them and unrepentant. What do you think? Are you in favour, or do you think it’s all a money making conspiracy created by the pharmaceutical giants?

About John Adams

John Adams is a married with two young daughters. He has been a stay at home dad for almost four years. John started blogging back in 2012 after being invited to one-too-many "mother and toddler groups." This inspired him to write about the issues he faced as a stay at home dad and the gender barriers men face as parents. John continues to write about lie as a stay at home dad. He also writes about every aspect of parenting; schooling, education, pregnancy and birth, childcare and so on. Over time he has broadened the focus of his blog so he now writes about family finances, photography and occasionally covers men's style and fashion. John was originally a journalist. He concedes, however, that was a long time ago.

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