The First Rule Of #Vaccination #Club: Don’t Talk About #AntiVaccination

 

vaxxter,com

I was in a shopping mall the first time it happened. We were at the food court, I’d ordered a coffee. My friend had ordered a sandwich, she was waiting for it to be ready. I had a stroller, I was rocking my baby girl as I sat and my friend and I chatted. My friend was expecting. 

“Holy crap, have you spent a lot of time on these mommy blogs? These idiots post stuff about researching

NOT vaccinating our children,” she said. 

I paused. I hesitated. I felt my palms glaze over. I am the first to admit I am not good with conflict. When political conversations arise, I hide behind the disguise of the naive. I fear conflict. It’s not my best trait, but I’m allowed. 

“Well, I looked into it. To be honest, I’ve delayed hers,” I replied, motioning towards my rocking baby girl. It were a true statement. I was unclear on what I was going to do, because I’d read both sides of the argument and felt it was best to just delay the vaccination schedule. 

We had some exchanges which followed which aren’t worth rehashing here in my guest column, but the main point is that was the day I learned that the first rule of Vaccine Club is, don’t talk about Anti-Vaccination. 

The sentiment is troubling, but it is true, no matter what degree your “anti-vaccination” thoughts persist. If you even question vaccines in the mildest of manners, you are labeled an “anti-vaxxer.” The label serves to let others online and in real life know you are “one of them.” It warrants aggressive bullying, dismissal of any thoughts you may have about anything, and allegations that you harm your children. 

The goal, of course, is transparent: Discontinue any potential negotiations over the vaccination matter. You just vaccinate. A new vaccine comes out, inject it into your child without questions asked. Questions, of course, lead to discovery, which of course, leads to finding out that the other side exists. Forget whether the other side is extreme or modest in its contention that vaccines can harm children, only know that the other side existing threatens vaccine makers. And vaccine makers combat the “other side” with an army of online foot soldiers who lay themselves on the tracks of undivided, unwavering loyalty to the vaccine maker. 

It all boils down to a Fascist regime “the Vaccine maker” ruling the general population by using the general population against itself. The brilliance isn’t lost on me, but the sadness and despair are unrelenting pangs. 

Did I vaccinate my children eventually in an unapproved schedule manner? I am not going to tell you. But what I will tell you, is that answer isn’t relevant, because I am an anti-vaxxer. That’s how my label reads.