When I was young, my mother also told me a few times to be wary of getting vaccinations. She wasn't opposed to them as a general rule. And as a child I got my fair share of the necessary shots. But she also warned me that a fair amount of the time the inoculation will actually cause the person to get the very thing they were trying to avoid. If you understand the science of how vaccinations work, it does make sense.
However, I had never actually seen any evidence to support this claim. Also, I have come to think that science has improved over the years and our trusty eggheads have got this thing down to a, well...science.
In the wake of my father's recent heart attacks and surgeries, I figured it'd be best to take advantage of my heath care plan and get my free annual checkup. Yesterday, during the course of the visit, the doctor asked me if I wanted a flu inoculation. I began to think of all the things I have going on right now. The big General Conference broadcast kicks off this weekend. That is one of the busiest weeks of my year for work. Also, I had a trip scheduled to fly to Saipan to work on some equipment there. And, I also had an exciting scuba diving outing planned. I pre-paid my way onto a boat that is going to a dive site only visited a couple times a year. I was lucky to get this slot, and I didn't want to lose it under any circumstance. Not a good week to take a chance on getting sick and I could hear the words of my mother ringing in the back of my head. So I politely declined the offer.
Later at the end of the visit she again asked me if I would take the shot. I relayed to her what my mother had told me about the consequences of an inoculation gone wrong. She acknowledged it was possible, but informed me that was very unlikely and wouldn't happen to me. In the end I said, "Well, you're the doc, doc. If you advise it, I'll do it."
I'm sure you didn't get all the way to this point in the story without already knowing how this ends. I'm currently sick, with a bad flu. I'm at home, knowing that I should be working on getting the satellite equipment ready for the broadcast. I know that I should be packing to go to Saipan. I also should be readying my gear for my big scuba diving trip this weekend. But alas, I am home, kicking myself for not heeding to the words of my now proven wise mother.
Does this mean I have to start beleiving all of my mother's long-held wives' tales? Or worse yet, Anna grew up in a different country with a whole slew of other equally unlikely wives' tales. Will I have to start believing those as well? If so, between the two sets of beliefs, the next time you see me walking around it will be in a germ free bubble.
