Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Thirteen years ago, when my first son was born, I never questioned whether or not to vaccinate him. I was told by doctors, family members, the media, and our government that a responsible parent vaccinates their child. In my mind those who didn't vaccinate were crazy hippy-like-tree-huggers, who were so radical that they didn't vaccinate their children in order to go against mainstream.

I carefully read the literature provided to me by my son's pediatrician and I signed for him to receive... To receive? God knows what?! I had no idea what he was going to receive. I never once questioned what he would receive. I also didn't question if a swollen arm and a slight fever were the only reactions to vaccinations, as those were the only side-effects listed on the literature I was given. To be honest the information was out of sight, thus out of mind. Once I walked out of the pediatricians office, my only concern was the injection sight and nothing else. I was very naive to trust that the doctor would tell me everything I needed to know regarding these shots and naive to think that the doctor actually knew all the risks involved.

Well, I have evolved as a person. I will not take a colorful paper with a few "facts" written on it as a guide to injecting my children ,myself, or my spouse, before fully understanding exactly what we are receiving and FULLY understanding all the risks involved. Out of sight, out of mind will no longer be an excuse for my ignorance.