Not Vaccinating – Homeschooling A Perk?

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ellow ClubMom blogger, Jen, has an interesting topic on her blog, Stay-at-Home Motherdom, regarding homeschooling and  the HPV vaccine – (Human Papillomavirus).   Her topic began because of visiting another homeschooling mom’s blog who stated that another plus for homeschooling is that she is not required to get her daughers the HPV vaccine.  Jen writes of her,

"She is confident that her homeschooling will keep her daughter pure and virtuous.  I have read her opinion and others like hers where the prevailing thought is this vaccine will actually encourage sexual activity.  While I respect the woman’s Christian perspective of showing her daughter how to live a virtuous life, I disagree with her argument."

I am going to come from a different viewpoint why we do not vaccinate, and why I too believe that  one of our perks with homeschooling is I do not have to fight with school officials why my religious convictions do not allow me to vaccinate.  I agree homeschooling will not keep our children pure and virtuous. As my regular readers know, we lost a son to him learning of the "choking game".  We thought he was somewhat sheltered, but satan is still at the doors of our homes, sneeking in whenever possible. It comes to a point when our children will have to make their own decisions.  It’s not just "our rules" and "our faith".  It has to become, first, their personal relationship with God, and then, their personal convictions.  We are learning to let go, especially with our oldest being almost 21.  He is having to make decsions with money, schooling, and friendships on his own – yes, with dad and mom still guiding him, but it’s ultimately his decision between him and God.  We are learning more what battles to pick with our children. MUSIC is a big one here! For the most part, my husband and I don’t like country music – though there are some good Christian country songs, it’s all the others that go with it.  But, he likes country music along with contempory Christian.  He is going to a country music concert soon.  We weren’t thrilled, but layed out our concerns and let him make the decision, and that this had to be something between him and God.  (I also pushed encouraged him to read the book I just reviewed here, Emotional Purity, before he goes, which he agreed to.)  He understands our concerns of what he puts into his mind and heart. 

As some of my readers picked up on my post regarding our family having whooping cough, we do not vaccinate.  Some of my older children have had their first vaccinations – and they still got the whooping cough.  But in doing a lot research, reading and praying, we have decided not to vaccinate for the health of our children, because of the vaccine’s ingredients and side affects.  Several vaccines (including the MMR, Chicken pox and Hepatis A vaccine)  contain "human diploid cells"  which originates from human aborted fetal tissue.  Since knowing this, and being pro-life, we cannot justify putting this into our children. 

What I have read about the HPV vaccination, I have concerns about.  One is that it may cause infertility.  So, if I have my daughters protected from HPV, but in 5-10 years they find out they cannot have children, then what?  This vaccine also contains a sodium borate which is a common roach killer and has the side affects of convulsions, collapsing, and seizures.  Yes, they could still get HPV.  They could go astray and contract it.  One could marry a man that does not have a good past and passes it on to her.  But the "what ifs" of their decisions cannot overrule what is best for their bodies and our convictions God gives us in caring for them.

We have kind of been thrown into this scene right now with information that has been in the news for the last 48 hours regarding a dermatologist doctor in our area that "reused sutures, syringes and needles on multiple patients". I was one of his 10,000 patients.  WIth having had several babies since this, I have had to be tested for HIV and hepatitis, so I am not too concerned about being a part of the 1% who may have gotten it.  Yes, I could have gotten it, but if it meant other risks with an immunization for either disease, that go against my convictions, would that be right before God?

I am thankful that with our homeschooling we do not have to worry about answering to school authorities why we choose not to immunize.  It is a perk, but this is NOT the reasons we are homeschooling either!  But that is a whole other story, and if you made it to the bottom of this post, THANK YOU! 

(BTW, Jen’s blog has been one of my favorite ClubMom blogs to read.  She has an amazing journey of recovery and faith and I have been blessed to see how she has grown so much just in the time I have known her.  Check out her blog, Stay-at-Home Motherdom.  You will be blessed).