(I am going to preface this with a disclaimer - I am a mother. I do what I think is best for my children until they are old enough to make their own decisions. And even then I will probably meddle. If you are a mother, I assume that you do the same. We may not agree on some of the issues, or any of the issues, but let's just agree that we are all doing the best we can. That said - you may comment but please don't start a fight).
We have had an outbreak of meningitis here in Santiago. Actually, in all of Chile, but it is concentrated right here in the metro region. It's a pretty well known strain of the virus (W-135) and the government is doing everything they can to get it under control before it can ever get out of control. Because, even though this strain of the virus is not the most contagious, it has a high death rate. Out of the 46 cases that have been reported in the past 3 weeks, 10 have died. All children under the age of five. That is almost a 22% death rate. I repeat, all in children under the age of five. Of which I have two.
As a mother, I always have to make decisions on the what is safest for my children. Do I make them get off the swing when they are standing on it, or do I just let them be kids and enjoy? Same with climbing trees, swimming without their floaties for the first time, running on the crooked sidewalk where they could trip and split a knee, or head, open. I am mostly a hands off mom in this department. Kids are only kids for a short while so I let them have a degree of risk in their lives so they can also have a degree of fun. I grew up the same way and have fond memories of being wild and free.
But I draw the line at things that can end in death almost a quarter of the time. I assure you, I understand that the chances of them contracting this strain of meningitis is low. I assure you, I would never forgive myself if they did. Especially since there is such a simple solution - the vaccine. Over 2 million of them will be given in the next couple of months. And it's being given for free.
And it really isn't a decision I had to wrestle with this time. Because not only is it free, it is mandatory for every child up to the age of 4 years, 11 months and 29 days. There will be no questions asked. You will not be able to turn it down. If your children fall within this age range, they will get the vaccine. They are tracking it through RUT numbers (the Identification Number every child is assigned at birth in Chile. We, as expats and residents, got them within two weeks of arriving). The vaccines are being administered primarily at the children's schools. But if the children are too young for school, there is a schedule in place for each community on where to take your children. Forget about just not showing up if you are against this vaccine. It won't do any good. They will find you. They have you computerized down to what you bought at the pharmacy last week. Heck, if they could throw you in jail for not agreeing to take the census this past June, you think they won't be able to track you down to give you a shot?
It sounds harsh but I think that is because I primarily grew up in the United States. This kind of program would never fly in the U.S. anymore. If it ever did. Parents have very strong views on vaccines. And everyone does the research and comes to their own conclusions. And for the most part, the government is ok with that. For the most part, that isn't how it works here. Almost all parents get their children vaccinated. The doctor writes the prescription and then you take it to the Vacunatorio. (Yep, they have a special place just for vaccines). You don't need an appointment. It's free, it's easy and it is done by almost everyone. Maybe because there are still some pretty nasty diseases in South America that the U.S. just doesn't have to think about.
So, there is no outrage from parents who are questioning just why the government can tell them what to do and what not to do with their children's health. There is no protesting in the streets, or groups of parents that are refusing the vaccine. The parents here are just grateful for the free medicine that can keep their child safe from the deadly outbreak that is just down the road. They are grateful to live in a country that can afford to keep them safe and avoid this turning into an epidemic They say thank you and clamor for more information on when they can get their children's shots. Their only outrage has been that there has been a shortage of the vaccine.
Because, you see, they are thinking of the greater good, along with the good of their child. They know that if ALL children, and not just some, are vaccinated then this horrible virus, with it's unforgiving fatality rate, will disappear. And they can all breathe a little easier. I truly believe in vaccines and my children have had them all, and a few extra that they needed just for South America. Because I know that no matter how much I try to shelter them from exposure to things like Meningitis or Measles or Mumps, you just never know. You don't know if the toy that your daughter found in the sandbox at the park and happily chewed on for a few seconds before you took it away, was left there by a little one that has the Hep A virus. You don't know if the little boy who just played a round of hide and seek under the racks at the store with your bored son, while you were looking at that great new shirt, is only hours away from breaking out in the Measles. You don't know if the woman sitting next to you in the movie theater at the latest Disney flick has just flown in, with her children, from a foreign country in the midst of an outbreak of Meningitis. And could have infected everyone near her on the plane, and the theater, before she even knows that she (or her kids) are carrying the disease.
And because I don't know, I vaccinate.
Because I also know that I have made an informed choice. Not one based on fear - either of the vaccinations or the diseases. I do know that I have done what is best for my children and the children they come in contact with. I also know that I may not have eradicated the chances of them getting sick but I have made the odds a lot more favorable. And in my book, that is the best I can do - give them the best chance at a happy, healthy life.
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