by Susan McCreadie, MD
Since finishing my pediatric training, I have come to realize that you can find evidence to support your decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate.
When I started my pediatric practice fresh out of residency, I was a primary care physician and offered vaccinations to those families who chose to vaccinate their children. I actually gave the children the vaccines myself (I’m so glad I no longer do that – I truly disliked that part of my job!).
I was also one of the parents who chose to vaccinate my child. I did educate myself about the pros and cons of vaccines, and felt I still needed to vaccinate Kaitlin (my oldest), but selectively vaccinate and on an alternative schedule (one vaccine per month).
After the 5th vaccine, her eczema continued to worsen. I started to have the uncomfortable feeling of having to step outside the lines of what the standard medical community recommended, on behalf of the health of my child. I have always been a rule follower, so naturally stepping outside ‘the standard of care’ was very uncomfortable for me…
