These books were playful.  They had whimsical illustrations and had more of a fairy tale plot.  Who wants to ruin those pages with tragedy? With “coincidence”? With a “necessary evil”? l While the publisher very easily could have added a page or two to cover more facts about vaccines, these books offered no hint of side effects, no list of adverse reactions, no update on vaccine court proceedings nor a tribute listing the obituaries of healthy children who’ve died as a result of a vaccine. 

And clearly these books excluded a warning that some people have reason, and the right, to not vaccinate. 

Those books come off as non-fiction.  I’d stick them in the fiction section, though, because some of their content couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

I could see through the subtle indoctrination as the stories progressed.  I can only hope that the parents who check out these types of books, and who begin to read them to their children, learn that long before they step foot near a doctor’s office they can say no, no thank you or not right now if they are offered a shot.   

Speaking of parents and of more indoctrination…

The same day that I saw those books in the children’s section at the library, I saw an article about parents being “trained” to bring their children to the doctor, specifically to “well-baby” doctor visits.  Train the parent.  I don’t see too much wrong in helping a new, young parent learn the ropes about child rearing.  Unless it includes duping the parent.  Or not fully informing the parent.  Or cajoling the parent to do things they aren’t ready to do.  Or making the parent think they have no say in their child’s health matters.  And telling the parent that “everybody has to, and everybody includes YOU.”

That “training” sounds more like the indoctrination that I saw in those children’s books! 

Unfortunately, a lot of us here fell for that sort of indoctrination.  Our children’s shot records are proof of that.  So are their vaccine injuries.  We took our children to those “well-baby” visits.  We did what we were told.  We scheduled their shots.  And we brought them back for more.  In fact, we made sure that every single box on the shot record was filled.  Some of us made it to every single appointment, and when one “well-baby” visit was over, we departed with an appointment card reminding us to come back for another. 

Come back soon, ya hear! 

“Well-baby” visits and “preventative” measures.  While labeled as such, our children are far from being well and some of these measures didn’t prevent a health disaster; for some, they actually caused disaster. 

Parents, especially new parents, would be better served to learn all there is to know about a “well-baby” visit, including that parents have no recourse for when things go wrong.  Things can go wrong, and that fact needs to be realized long before parents find themselves face-to-face with their medical provider in an exam room. 

Unless a parent fully prepares themselves on their rights, and unless they’re the type to question authority, sadly, some parents will continue to fall for the same trap so many of us did. 

Now, before someone accuse me of being anti-“well-baby” visit, I will say that yes, some of that appointment’s agenda is important, like tracking a baby’s height, weight and development as well as sharing parenting resources.  It’s unfortunate that the main goal of these doctor visits seems to be vaccinate, vaccinate early, and vaccinate often. 

What can parents do? 

I’d encourage parents to learn.  To ask.  To question.  To say no when you want to say no.  Many of us had an unsettled feeling but said yes to those shots anyway.  We learned what not to do but only after our children reacted to a “preventative” measure.  My hope is that in encouraging parents to read between the lines, to ask questions and to listen to their gut that they might avoid what I went through.  It’s why I and so many of my friends share our stories.  It’s why we write the types of posts we write.  It’s why we’ve written the books we’ve written. 

Books written by AofA writers and supporters. 

Our stories—stories of too many too soon, of vaccine injury, of filing claims in Vaccine Court, of being fired by pediatricians for asking questions, and of losing our children.  These stories are not full of indoctrination or peppered with sneaky tactics to reel an unsuspecting parent in.  Our stories are not sugar coated nor set in a fairy tale setting either.  Our stories are real, raw and full of emotion as well as based on undeniable facts and real-life experiences.  As hard as those stories are to tell, they need to be told.  They need to be heard too.  They need to be heard by the parents of children whose health is being compromised and whose lives have become a commodity for the vaccine industry.  

Lord help these young parents and their children.  This world is not what it used to be.  It really isn’t. 

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.