| Most parents want to trust their pediatrician. We no | | | | Both doctors are convincing. Both speak with authority |
| longer live in extended families. Moms and grandmas | | | | and present information you struggle to assimilate. |
| frequently live far away so when Johnny gets sick, | | | | Which guidelines should you follow? Which doctor |
| instead of consulting with those close to us who have | | | | should you trust? |
| taken care of sick kids, we confer with our doctor. | | | | Quite frankly, you shouldn't trust either at face value. |
| Most pediatricians are well meaning and want to do | | | | You should trust your intuition, your gut feeling, your |
| what they feel is in the best interest of children's health. | | | | own internal guidance system. Sit quietly and privately, |
| However, when it comes to vaccination, pediatricians | | | | see how you "feel" when you consider vaccination. |
| often go beyond helpful suggestions; they resort to | | | | What does it feel like when you look at your precious |
| fear tactics. Parents are told frightening, "worse case | | | | baby and know that injections are planned at the next |
| scenario" stories of a child who had serious | | | | doctor visit? What does it feel like to think about not |
| complications from a childhood illness such as measles, | | | | vaccinating? If both feelings are neutral or confusing, |
| mumps or chickenpox. The children who recovered | | | | you need more information. If both feelings are equally |
| uneventfully are never mentioned. The pressure to | | | | strong and negative, examine your fears. Do you |
| vaccinate can escalate and sometimes results in | | | | understand the real risks of the disease you want to |
| threats. Intimidated and believing the "doctor knows | | | | prevent? Do you know the real risk of the vaccine? |
| best," the injections proceed. | | | | When one feeling is definitely stronger than the other, |
| Then you begin to read articles and books by doctors | | | | that is your instinct talking. |
| who have discovered problems with vaccines. | | | | Moms know when something is not right with Johnny, |
| The information about vaccine dangers is not opinion | | | | even when he is not in sight. That's intuition. On the |
| but represents thousands of hours of research, | | | | other hand, mothers have cried while their child was |
| documenting facts even most pediatricians don't know. | | | | being vaccinated, praying that "nothing would go |
| The information tackles mainstream thinking about | | | | wrong." That's going against intuitive sense. |
| vaccines head on. Importantly, the information is | | | | We have abdicated our personal power to |
| presented with detailed references. This new data | | | | professionals, particularly doctors, even though the |
| causes feelings of confusion. It is radically different | | | | medical industry has failed us miserably in many ways. |
| from what has been generally accepted about | | | | Parents, it's time to take back your power. Trust what |
| vaccination for more than two hundred years: | | | | you feel when considering vaccination. Know that you |
| "Vaccines are safe, effective, protective and cause no | | | | are intelligent and capable of reading and then |
| harm." You spend hours researching both sides of the | | | | understanding the risks vs the benefits. The more you |
| argument to determine which doctor is telling the truth, | | | | listen to that "voice within," the louder it becomes. It is |
| which information is correct. You struggle, you argue, | | | | the best test of the vaccine information you hear. |
| and you often feel very conflicted. | | | | |