“The vaccination debate seems to have created some friction. I am - as I am sure is obvious - not at all in favor of the anti-vax view. It is not hypothetical for me.
In early 1979 my wife and I lived in Copenhagen. Nancy was in the early stage of pregnancy - unknown to us there was a German measles outbreak where we lived. Our elder son attended a kindergarten/pre school and Nancy would go there to pick him up. Nancy had German measles as a child so, of course, it never occurred to us that a problem could occur. It turned out that several children in that daycare did get German Measles - they were unvaccinated - and our unborn child was affected.
Our son, Sean, was born deaf-blind and with a small host of other issues. He was in NICU for 6 weeks, severely underweight when born, heart issues etc.
As he and we grew up together we learned a lot about vaccination and about Congenital Rubella Syndrome.
Sean grew up, at one point we were asked to host a meeting in our home for Children's Hospital for incoming residents/fellows so they could actually come into contact with a CRS adult - because the condition, thanks to vaccination programs is almost unknown now.
Sean will be forty this year. He still lives with us - I have attached a picture my wife took of Sean and myself walking one of our dogs on the dirt road where we live.
We have a lot of fun and Sean has done a lot of travelling a lot of adjusting to new places and he swims incredibly well.
I am writing this not because I want to make this debate mawkish. I am writing it it because I want people to understand that the risks involved in not vaccinating are NOT hypothetical. They are real.”
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