Someone Makes Fun Of Anti-Vaxx Mom Whose 7 Kids Got Sick, Gets Reminded She Abandoned The Movement
As much as we’re used to hearing about anti-vaxxers who hold on to their beliefs despite everything that’s thrown at them, there are some who actually change their minds. And that’s why we have to keep fighting the good fight. A mother of seven from Ontario, Canada, abandoned the anti-vaccination movement but her children still got sick.
Image credits: rawstory.com
Tara Hills told CBC News that all of her children, aged 10 and under, started showing symptoms of whooping cough, and they have been advised to take antibiotics and stay inside their home for five days. Her first three children were partially vaccinated, but she decided to stop giving them shots after the fourth one was born because she was suspicious of the medical community. “I just got scared,” she said. “I got spooked. I thought, ‘There’s a lot of smoke, there must be fire.’ We stopped vaccinating.”
But Hills started rethinking her position on vaccinations even before her youngest was diagnosed with whooping cough. She met with her family doctor to put together a “catch-up vaccination schedule” for the kids. “It’s very sobering and it’s very raw because we had just made a more fully informed decision about vaccinations. We had just defected from the anti-vaccination camp,” Hills said. But it was too late. “It’s so ironic and I’m not beating myself up for it. I just hope we can use this very painful experience to encourage other people like us to maybe re-examine the issue.”
During the time her children were sick, Ottawa Public Health confirmed that there were seven reported cases of whooping cough (also called pertussis) in Ottawa, including an infant. Usually, there are about 20 cases in Ottawa every year. “The best way to protect children against pertussis is immunization,” Ottawa Public Health told CBC News. “The pertussis vaccine is part of the routine childhood vaccine schedule, which is given at two months, four months, six months, and 18 months old, at four to six years and again at 14 to 16 years of age.”
Later, Hills started using her family’s experience in attempts to inform other households as well. But as she shared her story, some internet trolls started making memes, targeting Tara. Luckily, others rallied to her support.
Image credits: thescientificparent.org
People were really impressed with Tara and her willingness to admit she was wrong
You never hear about Diptheria these days - as vaccines have almost eradicated it due to herd immunity. The vaccine is is given combined with Pertussis and Tetanus DTaP. The United States recorded 206,000 cases of diphtheria in 1921, resulting in 15,520 deaths - mainly young children and infants..Between 2004 and 2017, state health departments reported 2 cases of diphtheria in the USA. The mortality rate is still up to 20% in children under 5 and adults over 40. - in the past it was 50%..Imagine if that re-emerged - as it is still virulent in 3rd world counties.
Load More Replies...Fortunately, she didn't learn the hard way. The hard way is losing a child. She got off easy.
Load More Replies...You always think of anti-vaxxers as being from 'somewhere else', but this lady is IN MY HOMETOWN. Makes me wonder how many other anti-vaxxers live near me... I'm glad she came to her senses.
The anti-vaxxers ARE in another world. A world in which they have no need to vaccinate their kids because these diseases are not around any more. They ARE around - just kept at bay by vaccines and herd immunity.
Load More Replies...You never hear about Diptheria these days - as vaccines have almost eradicated it due to herd immunity. The vaccine is is given combined with Pertussis and Tetanus DTaP. The United States recorded 206,000 cases of diphtheria in 1921, resulting in 15,520 deaths - mainly young children and infants..Between 2004 and 2017, state health departments reported 2 cases of diphtheria in the USA. The mortality rate is still up to 20% in children under 5 and adults over 40. - in the past it was 50%..Imagine if that re-emerged - as it is still virulent in 3rd world counties.
Load More Replies...Fortunately, she didn't learn the hard way. The hard way is losing a child. She got off easy.
Load More Replies...You always think of anti-vaxxers as being from 'somewhere else', but this lady is IN MY HOMETOWN. Makes me wonder how many other anti-vaxxers live near me... I'm glad she came to her senses.
The anti-vaxxers ARE in another world. A world in which they have no need to vaccinate their kids because these diseases are not around any more. They ARE around - just kept at bay by vaccines and herd immunity.
Load More Replies...
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