Facts and Talk: My Response to Vaccine Fears
In 2009, I turned in my pipettes and decided to pursue a career outside of the laboratory. I was living in Boulder, Colorado, and had clearly been shielded up to…
I Grew Up in an Anti-Vaccine Cult
My parents were brought up listening to the radio broadcasts and reading the literature of the Worldwide Church of God, a cult/fringe religion that was developed from a mishmash of…
How my Son Helped Me Accept Vaccines
I am a parent who did not vaccinate my children when they were young. I delivered my four children at home. I have the strongest, healthiest, most beautiful babies. My…
Why Measles Outbreaks Terrify Me
Measles is running rampant in California. It’s all over the news—and not just local news, national news as well. As a parent of an immunocompromised child, I had, of course,…
Not Just a Harmless Childhood Disease
When I was a child, chickenpox was a very common disease. Most children got it, and it didn't seem like a big deal to me. You got some spots that…
A Teen Speaks Up for Vaccines
Spreading the word about the benefits of vaccinating children is a personal crusade for my family and me. My mother lost her younger brother to meningitis in 1980, when no…
To Those Opposed to Vaccinations
When I was five, I got whooping cough (pertussis). It was horrible. Aside from nearly dying, I couldn’t stop coughing. I have a vivid memory of whooping so hard I…
Stop Using my Children to Scare Parents out of Vaccinating
It was never my intention in life to become a vaccine advocate. I have to do enough just advocating for my kids, as two of three are on varying degrees…
A Nurse Practitioner’s Journey Leaving the Anti-Vaccination Movement
As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I have given thousands of vaccines to children. But most people don't know something very important about me. I have a history with vaccinations that…
I was Duped by the Anti-Vaccine Movement
My journey into the anti-vaccination scene began when I became pregnant with my one and only child. It all started when I watched the documentary The Business of Being Born…