Olympic swimmer has chicken pox: Another reason to vaccinate

After your baby is born, you’ll be faced with childhood vaccines, one of which is for the chicken pox. With the anti-vaccine movement still trying to sway parents to join their side, some kids aren’t being vaccinated in the mistaken belief that childhood illnesses are benign (not serious).

Having childhood diseases like the chicken pox can result in serious long-term consequences, and even death. And, of course, there’s always the risk that your child won’t catch the diseases as a child, but will as an adult. The diseases then become much more serious and can leave much more serious effects,

Finally, there’s the inconvenience factor – apparently Canadian swimmer Victoria Poon didn’t get the chicken pox as a child. She has them now though. In Beijing. Where she was to swim for Canada in the Olympics. She missed swimming in the relay and her status for swimming in her individual event on Friday is uncertain. How sad. To work all those years, make it to the Olympics, and be knocked out because you get the chicken pox.

So, if you’re thinking about not vaccinating your baby, think long and hard about the different ramifications of the decision.

Image: MorgueFile

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Tags: pregnancy blog, childhood immunizations, chicken pox, Canadian swimmer Victoria Poon, Victoria poon