Why parents fear vaccines

A vial containing the MMR vaccine is loaded into a syringe before being given to a 1-year-old baby at the Medical Arts Pediatric Med Group in Los Angeles on Feb. 6, 2015. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

I REFER to the letter urging the government to go on an aggressive campaign to educate people, particularly in rural areas, and set up multiple vaccination centres in light of a measles threat looming large in South-East Asia, “Measles threat must be dealt with swiftly” (The Star, Feb 18).

In public discussions about the vaccine controversy, the parents themselves tend to be left out, so I would like to take readers through the decision-making process of one such parent. This might provide some reassurance for other parents and some issues for doctors to ponder over.