More on the "V" Word....

I really love fall but the one thing I don't love about it is that it is also "flu shot season". It's no secret that I'm in the "no vaccinating" camp and I try not to shove it down other people's throats so I wish they would give me the same consideration.

Neither of my boys or myself have ever had a single flu shot and none of us have ever had the flu.

Last year I was in shock when our school decided to have a flu shot clinic right in the middle of a school day. Of course, I didn't sign my boys waivers and I soon received a "Dangers of Not Vaccinating" sheet sent home to me. Puh-leeze. I just don't find it's the school position to give me crap about my medical choices. Brian not only has his pediatrician, but an OT, a speech therapist, a nutritionist, a chiropractor, etc., etc. that all don't give me crap, and actually agree with me, so why should I be hearing it from the school?

During the summer I was at the school with Brian just visiting his classroom as a preparatory measure. We were in the office and the school nurse came out to introduce herself. She repeated Brian's name and asked, "Why does that sound familiar?" I looked at her and said, "I'm sure we're red-flagged or something because we don't vaccinate". She stood silent for a minute and then finally said, "Oh yes, that's right, I remember now." And that was that.

The funny (ironic?) thing is Brian really is almost fully vaccinated. I didn't stop vaccinating him until after his third birthday- if I went ahead and had his titers checked I'm willing to bet he's probably immune to most of them anyways. But I don't ever mention it, I kind of like to see them squirm a little bit.