Reader guest post:

My name is Emma, I’m a mum, a nurse and a staunch supporter of vaccination. So much so it seems I’ve been ‘defriended’ by a number of people on FB. All my children are vaccinated according to the recommended schedule and my sons receive the flu vaccine annually.
My youngest son Oliver (10mths) suffers from eczema, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see a few dots on his face when he woke one morning. We went about our day until he started being physically ill that evening. Hmm something was up… Next morning it seemed his ‘eczema’ actually wasn’t eczema and he was diagnosed with Chicken Pox at our 1st
doctors visit!
I was shocked, devastated and a little embarrassed that my dear little boy had been exposed to such an illness.
Throughout the 2 1/2 weeks of illness Oliver was also diagnosed with Norovirus, a staphylococcal skin infection requiring 2 different antibiotics and countless baths and creams and conjunctivitis. He experienced weightloss, sleeplessness and of course the horrid itch eventually.
I was basically held hostage by this virus, not wanting to infect others Oliver was rarely taken from the house or car. Oliver isn’t old enough to receive the CP vaccine, he and other babies and the vulnerable in our community rely on ‘herd immunity’ where the greater population are vaccinated to protect those that can’t receive it. Four GP visits and a trip to the ER, and countless medications has also made for a very expensive 2 weeks.

I strongly urge parents have their children vaccinated. It’s not just about your child’s welfare but our obligation to our community and those that need our protection.