I always believed that vaccines should be compulsory, and that parents who did not vaccinate were selfish and risking the health of so many kids more than their own. I believed that, even when I saw my child withdraw before my eyes and cease all attempts at speech and eye contact. I believed it when the doctors starting mentioning the word "autism" to me. I believed it when we saw speech therapists, and had to use sign language to understand when my 2 and a half year old was hungry.

The day a chiropractor suggested the vaccines sometimes shock the body, and that she could undo the damage I thought she was crazy. Until 10 minutes after her first adjustment when my son spoke his first proper word. It was Dad. Within a week he spoke a sentence "shoes please dad". He quickly regained eye contact, stopped having violent tantrums, and is now a healthy almost 6 year old with communication skills exactly right for a boy his age.

Now I know my evidence is anecdotal, and that studies could disprove the link between too many vaccines at once and autism. However I also saw my child change twice, once following MMR and varicella, once following the chiropractor's adjustment. I do still believe that vaccines have a benefit for most children, but am choosing to partially vaccinate my children now, and on a delayed schedule. And believe me if anyone told me I "had to" vaccinate I would take it to every court in the land to allow me, the parent who knows my children best, the right to make informed decisions just like I have that right in every aspect of parenting.