I am a healthcare provider, and I choose to get vaccinated. There are many who would cast doubt and fear on the decision to vaccinate. Those who oppose vaccination will also say that contracting these illnesses is no big deal, which is a half-truth.
Varicella, or chickenpox, is a relatively mild disease common when I was a child but is now preventable. I had a patient present to me with chickenpox and, when I examined him, he had a secondary infection in the skin and soft tissues. He had early signs of something called necrotizing fasciitis, which is a severe infection known to be associated with chickenpox and can be fatal. His mother was very distraught, but I told her it looked like she brought him in time to get better. He would need to be on IV antibiotics in the hospital so we could make sure it did not progress.
I found out later that she was distressed because she had taken him to a "chickenpox party" to purposely expose him to another child who had chickenpox rather than get him vaccinated. She placed him in harm's way, thinking that chickenpox would be "no big deal." He got better, but it was a painful experience for everyone involved.
I choose to prevent disease rather than take a chance that I will be one of the lucky ones who get sick but survive without consequences. Vaccination protects me, my family, my patients, and my community. Vaccination protects all of us.
