Mom who grew up unvaccinated says she's now 'proud to vaccinate' her kids

Last week, Abbey Clint took her 7-month-old daughter to be vaccinated. She proceeded to take a picture, and wrote a Facebook post about how proud she was to vaccinate her kids.

"I grew up unvaccinated before it was cool," she began. "I've had to catch up on my inoculations with each pregnancy. Glad I didn't catch measles while pregnant! Glad my babies don't need to suffer through preventable infectious diseases. Preventative maintenance saves co-pays and saves lives. Proud to vaccinate!"

The 30-year-old, who hails from Pennsylvania, was worried that her assertion might anger her Facebook friends who are anti-vax, but given that the USA is facing a record-breaking year of measles cases, she decided it was more important to state the facts.

According to public health officials, misinformation on social media has caused children's vaccination rates to drop to dangerously low levels in certain communities.

And for Clint, it's all about weighing up the risks. Although she grew up hearing every anti-vax argument, she's now realised that she was incredibly lucky that she didn't end up getting seriously unwell, and she wasn't willing to take that chance on her own children.

As well as sharing photos from the doctor's office, the mother also posted an infographic on the lack of scientific evidence living vaccination to autism. "There’s a lot of anti-vax memes being shared in my personal circles," she said during an interview with Buzzfeed News. "So I was just throwing out a different side of things, just for the sake of keeping it a conversation and not an echo chamber."

Credit: Facebook

The post quickly went viral, racking up over 380 shares and 6,000 comments.

"I think there is a lot of fear that is embedded in this whole issue," she continued to the publication. "That goes beyond simply the vaccines themselves."

"We grew up without a lot of antibiotics, without any Tylenol, pain meds, or anything like that. To this day my mom’s cupboard at home is full of all-natural supplements, and you cannot find an ibuprofen."

"What if I caught it? What if my baby caught it in my womb? It’s preventable. That’s what’s shocking to me now," she concluded.