Should You Vaccinate Your Kid Against Covid?

(A very personal view)

To mask or not to mask. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate.

While this topic seems to be very controversial, it should not be. After all, it is simply a matter of safety. I cannot understand why so many people are against it. However, as someone once told me, “Would you let your child ride in a car without a seat belt?” I would never let my child ride in a car without a seat belt, because I always think of safety first. He is required to receive all standard vaccinations, which are required before he starts school.

Now Aaron is only 8, so he is too young for the covid  vaccine (which makes me worry even more, because he could be exposed to the virus at school). But I know other parents with children over 12 have had the vaccination. In Episode 2, our guest was Dan Miller, who is an older parent like myself. In our interview, I asked: “You have children over the age of 12, haven’t you had your children vaccinated?” He replied that he would, and when his youngest child was old enough to be vaccinated, he would have her vaccinated as well.

Check out my interview with Dan Miller below:

I understand some parents’ apprehension about the vaccine; if my son were old enough, I would worry about it, too. But I would still have him vaccinated. Let me explain.

So, at this point, I did a little digging and discovered that there’s still a large portion of the population that do not know how vaccines work. They have a vague idea about Dr. Louis Pasteur, who discovered and perfected the smallpox vaccine procedure, but the modern technology used for the Covid-19 vaccines may not have been explained in a way that is easy to grasp. I get it. Something that re-programs your cells? Sounds like the plot of a sci-fi horror franchise.

I grew up in the 1950s, during the height of the polio epidemic. It was the worst outbreak in the nation’s history at that time. Thousands of children and adults were left with life-long crippling paralysis. We were all frightened of the disease, so when our local pool was finally closed due to a case of polio, we were all relieved; many people couldn’t leave the house or even go to the movies due to the fear. Sound familiar?

The first polio vaccine was available in the United States in 1955. Thanks to widespread use of the polio vaccine, the United States has been polio-free since 1979. But the threat of poliovirus is still a concern for many countries. Without the vaccine and constant monitoring this virus could come back again, as it has in some countries already.

The Iron Lung was invented in 1927 to help breathe those who were unable to do so by themselves. It became ubiquitous during the 1950’s polio epidemic. People usually stayed in the Lung between two and three weeks, or until they could breathe again on their own.

I remember every parent lining up their children to receive the vaccine. To me, the vaccine looked just like a sugar cube. There was no hesitation among the parents. However, today, there is a significant amount of hesitation among parents. In fact, according to some studies, the rate of vaccination has dropped significantly in the United States in the last decade. Why are parents so different today? What has shifted their understanding of science and belief in its role to keep us safe?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not blind to the controversies and the reality of the so-called  revolving door management between government health agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Yet I find myself really perplexed that any parent would run the risk of having their kid infected with delta, gamma, epsilon, whatever at full strength when a vaccine can help with the symptoms and give them a better chance to pull-through.

One of the top possible reasons so many do not trust the covid vaccines may be due to all the for-profit drug pushes we’ve had from Big Pharma over the years. (Opioid epidemic comes to mind… I’m looking at you, J&J).

Yes, of course I’m scared of any vaccine’s side-effects. I’m more scared of covid potential life-long effects though, and how my child’s future could be impacted permanently because I hesitated.

Every parent has the right to make their own choice and express their own opinion regarding this vaccine and other covid-related topics. I guess my point is:  science has given us the chance to overcome diseases that had been considered incurable and, ultimately, the covid vaccine is no different in this respect than the polio vaccine. If we have the opportunity to avoid succumbing to this virus, why not take it? Do you agree/ disagree? Share your thoughts below.

Graduation Day

I can remember my excitement on the day each of my older children graduated high school and then college. It’s gotta be one of the most proud days of being a parent. It’s been 30-years-plus since they graduated from elementary school.

And here I am, fast-forward to Present Day, enjoying the moment again.  It’s May, and Aaron just graduated from second grade, and he is so proud that he is now going to be a third grader in the fall! And… I am proud too, 2020 was a rough year for him as it was for his schoolmates and so many other children around the world, and he’s managed to pull through.

It was particularly jarring the sudden separation from his classmates, then finding himself in front of a computer every day for hours on end. As so many like him, Aaron floundered with online education, it really didn’t work for him.

He was alone at home, without classmates, without an in-person teacher, while his school was still in session - it was my decision to take him out and keep him home. During the length of most of the year the only time he was able to talk to friends was on his computer and he really missed playing sports with his pals.

And, as if this wasn’t life-changing enough, I came down with Covid-19 right before the Hanukkah/Christmas holidays. It almost cost me my life. Aaron had to watch me being rushed to hospital by paramedics, then deal with me in the hospital. Since I was not allowed any hospital visitors I would facetime him at night... he would just cry on our calls.

“Daddy, when you are coming home?” 

“Soon, sweetheart. Soon.” But the truth was I didn’t know if I would ever come home.

To his mounting fright, his Mom also came down with the virus and soon after so did he. His was mild, but his Mom was burning up with a relentless fever and cough and yet she just kept going, mindful of my wellbeing and Aaron’s. December 2020 and January 2021 became a horror show for Aaron.

I was finally released from hospital in February, and he had to watch me on an oxygen machine for the next three months. He helped me when I was finally able to use a walker and then when I started to use a walking cane. Aaron, his mother and my family were my life support and they are the reason I pushed myself out of that bed.

I was keenly aware of how affected he was by my condition. Any sound I made, any noise I made, Aaron would run into the run to check on me.

“Daddy, are you ok?”

I’ve been told that he would often sneak into the bedroom while I was sleeping to make sure I was breathing...

So, Aaron had it tough going.  

Once I was better in April, I put him back in school and, having been issued a portable oxygen tank I was able to drive him to and pick him up from school. In so many ways that first day I drove him back felt like the first day of any school year. He was excitedly talking about school, about his backpack, about his new pencils, about seeing his friends and talking with his teachers, whom he loves; and in so many ways it was indeed a new beginning.  

He had suddenly stopped talking and I could see through the rearview mirror that he had become pensive while looking at me. “Uh-oh,” I thought. “He’s worried about something happening to me.”

“Son, you’re going to have a great time at school, and I’m going to be just fine, ok?” I was hoping that I could diffuse any stress before it might become a call from school every couple of hours to check on me - or worse, he might just decide to stay on online schooling for the rest of the year, fearful that something might happen to me.

 “I know, Dad. I just don’t see the point of wearing a uniform. Do I really need to wear this? I didn’t wear it at home? Why do I need to wear it? It’s so uncomfortable…”

And he ranted-on for a bit. I nodded in understanding, trying desperately not to laugh out loud. I was relieved.

That’s when I knew the kid was going to be fine.

May is here, Graduation Day is here, and he’s wearing his uniform, and I am grateful for the moment of clarity and hope it unwittingly gifted me with.