Vaccinations Should be Celebrated!
TechSkeptic over at Effort Sisyphus blog has a very funny blog post up in which he suggests that vaccinations are an uncelebrated rite of passage that should be celebrated. He lists several of the milestones, and appropriate ways to celebrate each. Go read it right now, I’ll wait!
OK, are you back? I would like to add to his post that most children (should) get a round of shots at the age of 11-12, which include the Tdap (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) and the MCV4 (Meningococcal) vaccines. I suggest this could be a chance for parents to celebrate their child’s impending teen years. A child’s “Tweenitiation” is a time for parents to sit down with their child and explain that they will soon change from the sweet, happy child of their past into a moody, gangly, pimply mound of hormones. But it is important for the child to understand that, while this happens after the vaccination is administered, it is not caused by the vaccination. This is a great opportunity to teach children about the difference between correlation and causation! Perfect gifts for a child at his/her Tweenitiation include “The Demon-Haunted World”, “Why People Believe Weird Things”, and “Flim-Flam!”.
jessiemarion Said,
August 12, 2009 @ 9:21 pm
I love this idea! You could have a sweet immunization party!
Melody Said,
August 13, 2009 @ 11:32 am
Carl Sagan’s “The Demon Haunted World” is fantastic and I just can’t recommend it enough. What a thoughtfully written treatise on science, religion and society. I mourned him all the way through the book, so sad that there would be no more books to come from this wonderfully rational and education minded individual. His compassion and his desire to educate the masses is something I will admire and look forward to teaching my babies as they grow in the world and society. Perfect recommendation!
Techskeptic Said,
August 17, 2009 @ 11:38 am
I also have been handing out DHW like communion crackers. Everyone should have read it. If I ever come to money I’m going to feed that book to all the schools if I have to start my own courses for it.
Lesley B. Said,
August 20, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
I did/do a small reward for us after my son’s vaccinations. We adopted him from Ethiopia 8 months ago and he’s pretty much caught up, but had some pretty needle intensive days. One more shot in January and then not again until he’s 4 or 5 (getting ready for school). We go to the drive through of a local coffee place, Tim Horton’s for you other Canucks, and I get an iced coffee and we get muffins to share for snack time. I give myself a treat because I have to hold him while he gets the shots! Last time though, he never even blinked, the nurse was so fast.
When the next round happens though, I think we’ll have a little party. I really like that idea.
I love Demon Haunted World as well. One of the first and best skeptical books I read.