Parents Deserve Vaccine Choice, and Sick Doctors Must Stay Home
As a parent, my top priority is keeping my children safe and healthy. Hearing about a measles outbreak tearing through Texas, claiming lives and infecting hundreds, breaks my heart for those families. But when I learned about a doctor—someone we trust with our kids’ health—treating patients while actively infected with measles, I was furious and shocked. As a parent, I believe vaccines should be a personal choice, not a mandate, and that doctors who are sick, especially with something as contagious as measles, have no business treating patients.
Here’s why.
Vaccines Should Be My Choice as a Parent
Every parent wants to make the best decisions for their child. For some, that means vaccinating against measles to protect against a disease that can cause brain damage or death—one to three out of every 1,000 infected kids don’t survive. For others, concerns about vaccine safety, amplified by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., lead to hesitation. I respect both sides. If you believe vaccines are unsafe, you should have the freedom to opt out, just as I should have the freedom to vaccinate my kids without judgment. Forcing vaccines on everyone ignores personal beliefs, medical histories, and trust in institutions. Choice empowers parents to weigh the risks and benefits themselves.
The measles vaccine is 97% effective with two doses, and it’s saved countless lives. But it’s not perfect—rare breakthrough cases happen, as seen in reports of a Texas doctor who got measles despite being vaccinated. I’m not a doctor, but I understand this doesn’t mean vaccines are useless; it shows no medical intervention is 100% foolproof. As a parent, I want clear, unbiased information to decide what’s best for my family. Mandates take away that agency and alienate people who might be open to vaccinating if given the chance to learn without pressure.
Sick Doctors Shouldn’t Be Treating Our Kids
When I take my child to the doctor, I expect them to prioritize my kid’s health, not put them at risk. The idea of a doctor treating patients while infected with measles—a virus that spreads like wildfire through the air—is unthinkable. Measles is so contagious that 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to it will get sick. In a community like West Texas, where many families are unvaccinated, a sick doctor could turn a clinic visit into a superspreader event. It’s reckless, and it erodes the trust we place in healthcare providers.
Doctors are human, and humans get sick. That’s understandable. But when you’re dealing with a deadly, preventable disease like measles, you stay home. Period. As a parent, I’d be livid if I found out my child was exposed because a doctor chose to see patients while contagious. Hospitals and clinics need strict protocols to ensure sick healthcare workers don’t spread diseases, especially during an outbreak that’s already claimed lives.
Kennedy’s Influence Worries Me
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role as Health and Human Services Secretary adds another layer of concern. His history of spreading vaccine misinformation—claiming vaccines cause autism, despite decades of research proving otherwise—has fueled vaccine hesitancy. When he praises doctors who use unproven treatments like budesonide and vitamins for measles patients, it sends mixed messages. As a parent, I don’t want the nation’s top health official muddying the waters. I want clarity and options, not rhetoric that fuels division or excuses risky behavior like treating patients while sick.
Kennedy’s recent endorsement of the MMR vaccine after two children died in Texas feels like too little, too late. If he truly supports vaccines, he should call out doctors who put patients at risk, not praise them. His influence shapes perceptions, and when he elevates vaccine-skeptical voices, it makes it harder for parents like me to trust the system. We need leaders who respect our right to choose while ensuring public health measures protect everyone.
Protecting Our Kids Means Respecting Choice and Responsibility
As a parent, I want a world where my kids are safe from preventable diseases, but I also want the freedom to make decisions about their health. Vaccines are a powerful tool, but they’re not the only one, and they shouldn’t be forced on anyone. At the same time, doctors have a responsibility to do no harm. Treating patients while sick with measles isn’t just irresponsible—it’s dangerous. We need policies that keep sick healthcare workers away from vulnerable patients, especially kids, and we need leaders who prioritize clear communication over ideology.
My heart goes out to the families in Texas who’ve lost children to measles. As a parent, I can’t imagine that pain. But I also know that protecting our kids starts with trust, choice, and accountability. Let’s give parents the freedom to decide on vaccines and hold doctors to the highest standard of care. Our children deserve nothing less.
Disclaimer: This blog reflects my personal opinions as a parent, not medical or legal advice. I am pro-vaccines.
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