When I brought my older daughter for her two-month vaccinations and the nurse handed me a pamphlet about the shots, I remember feeling closer to doubt than I ever thought I would be.
Those first vaccines cover a range of conditions like diphtheria and polio: nothing to take lightly, but the side effects listed also include things that sound scary to a new parent who has not slept much and is already worried about the small child being jabbed three times by a stranger.
The chances of the worst side effects were miniscule, but the “what if’s” made me question everything, and that was in the days before the safety of vaccinations was something we all discussed daily.
I understand feeling uncertain when faced with new information, but it’s important when feeling those doubts to remember hundreds of thousands of cases where everything turns out alright.