A Glimpse Inside the Workings of Ed's Brain: Vaccination 2010

In 2001, I contracted the flu. I lost about 10 percent of my body weight, and since it was a few months before I got married, more than one person remarked how they couldn't believe even I would lose weight for a wedding. To which I would respond "yes, being unable to eat for several days in a row and puking nonstop whenever I dared attempt to eat is a very sure way to lose a lot of weight...quickly". The experience was unpleasant enough that I faithfully got a flu shot every year thereafter, figuring any possible shot at avoiding being that sick again was a good thing. I also drug the kids in to get their shots, despite their protests. I even breastfed Helen substantially longer than I initially planned because I didn't want to wean her during flu season.

So I was a little surprised when Ed announced to me that he didn't think we should give the kids flu shots this year. He argued that they had questionable value and it just didn't seem worth the trouble. So, imagine my surprise when he called me after Helen's 3 year well-child visit and told me "Helen got a flu shot". Uh, excuse me? Why?

"Well, as it turns out, there were no scheduled vaccinations at this appointment, and I figured since Helen had already been psyched up to get one, I might as well get her the flu vaccine. It's not like it's harmful or anything, just of questionable value."

Someone please tell Ed that this logic makes no sense, because it does not.

The official stats? Helen now weighs 26 pounds, which puts her at the 12th percentile. She's 36 inches tall, which puts her at the 25th percentile - and is also very important in the world of amusement parks, because often a child must be 36 inches before they can ride by themselves. Woohoo!

Elaine