My Child, My Choice
April 16, 2022
The hardest thing a parent can witness is their child being sick. In that moment all our worries and fears surface and sometimes even a physician realizes that I am a mom first. Let's walk together through my journey.
It started with high fevers, some body aches and mild cough. After doing some testing, I diagnosed my own child with SARS-coV-2. My first thought was; oh, hell. At this point I have treated many patients and some of them were very sick, so through my mind there were some really scary thoughts running. When in doubt, fall on what you know, and I know medicine. So I tackled this problem with my thinking cap on.
I knew Covid is a mild illness in kids. I also knew that children have a strong immune system and can handle it. As we know children have fewer ACE2 receptors needed for the virus to enter the cells. Also children have been exposed to variety of other coronaviruses over their lifetime and have already developed all sorts of antibodies that might help in the fight against SARS-coV-2. So, I took a deep breath assessed the situation and treated her with some antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, made sure that she is taking her vitamin d and c, zinc and elderberries. I also evaluated the need for other medications. Within 36 hours, my child was better, fever down, energy back up, like nothing happened and that was that. Where we lucky? Maybe, but in my experience children have milder cases and they fully recover.
The result of this encounter was that she has developed the natural immunity. The antibody levels are high and with the new strains her response will be swift. This is the normal course of any viral illness. And now we get to the essence of why I am writing this, the poorly researched experimental vaccines for children.
The emergency use authorization for the Pfizer mRNA vaccine was based on trials in children ages 5-11 and 12-15, around 4500 participants, and only 2 month follow up. Recent data showed that the mRNA vaccine briefly lowered the risk of Covid infection by 65%, with that protection dropping down as low as 12% within 34 days. Is that effective; especially knowing that the disease itself is very mild and recovery seems swift?
The risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 in healthy children is almost nil, and by now it is well known that children do not readily spread the infection to other children or adults. Overwhelming data also shows that the SARS-CoV-2 associated burden of severe disease or death in children and adolescents is very low, statistically zero.
Now let's talk about safety. There are some real concerns related to immediate and long-term sequelae of the new mRNA injections. Data so far has shown some real concerns with increase in cases of myocarditis. A great study from Hong Kong showed occurrence of myocarditis to be 1/2680 young man, and there are some grave concerns about long term effects on fertility, neurologic events, pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome, many other adverse events and in severe cases death.
You lost me at myocarditis (as Jerry Maguire said in that movie). I have heard some physicians say "myocarditis is mild". As a mom, I am sorry but there is no mild myocarditis in my mind. As a physician, child having shortness of breath and chest pain is not normal. As an intelligent human I call Bull**** and say look at your own data and leave my child alone.
Now, I might get in trouble for saying all this, but it needs to be said and I hope it will be heard. My job as a mom is to be a voice for my children. My job as a physician is to guide the parents and the children through this confusing journey and I cannot stand on the sidelines and endorse something that in my opinion is not safe or effective for our children.
One day when I am wrinkled and old, I hope to hold a grandchild in my lap and read him or her a story. This mRNA vaccine raises lots of questions when it comes to the fertility, and I know it concerns many parents. My own child's experience showed a mild illness and I will not vaccinate any of mine, but I recognize we all have a choice and decisions to make. I hope I raised some concerns that others will look into. I hope I answered some questions about the illness, possible treatment and the immunity? And I hope that before any of you make a decision on how to proceed you will ask the hard questions of your own physicians and ask for the safety profile and risks vs benefits before you make the decision to vaccinate. I always do, because when I am in the pediatrician's office with my children I am a mom first.
"In the private sanctuary of one's own conscience lies that spirit, that determination to cast off the old person and to measure up to the statue of true potential." Thomas S. Manson.
Dr. Kat