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This Doctor’s Brutally Honest Sign About Not Vaccinating Your Kids Is Going Viral

An Australian doctor has gone viral for her message on viruses. Two years ago Dr. Rachel Heap, of the Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters (NRVS) in New South Wales, posted a rant on her organization’s Facebook page about the importance of vaccinating children which then turned into a meme. Well, that meme now graces the wall of a Colorado doctor’s office and thanks to patient Sunni Mariah, Dr. Heap’s words have spread around the internet like wild-fire.

It all started when Mariah noticed a sign in her doctor’s office with the headline, “Not vaccinating your kids leaves them vulnerable to disease their whole lives.” The sign continued with a series of tough questions such as:

“What do you tell your son when he breaks the news to you that he cannot have kids, thanks to the mumps that he got as a teenager?” Mariah snapped a photo of the sign for Facebook, captioning it as “some serious shade” towards anti-vaxxers and the post took off, racking up 4.8k comments and 191k shares on Facebook.

Dr. Heap says she was “frustrated and emotional” when she wrote the post, but still gave the doctor’s office permission to hang the print. With a growing number of anti-vaccine supporters, Dr. Heap and NRVS fight misinformation and misunderstanding of vaccines in their community as well as encourage a dialogue. With over 20 years as a doctor, ten years in intensive care across rural Australian areas and six months in the kids Intensive Care (PICU), she’s had her fair share of experiences with vaccine preventable diseases.

“It was whilst working in kids ICU that I first heard of the ‘anti-vaccination movement’ and saw directly the impact their misinformation had,” Dr. Heap told Bored Panda;

“On my first day at work, I looked after a baby with pertussis (whooping cough). They survived, but spent nearly 6 months of their life in ICU. The second baby I saw with pertussis did not make it.” She says these patients and their families are “her ghosts,” and drive her to do what she does.

Since the post went viral, Dr. Heap said she and Mariah have been keeping in contact. “No way were we expecting this – I wrote those words 2 years ago – who could possibly have thought that two years later I would be on international news sites and shared by George Takei?”

Scroll down below to read the full sign from Dr. Heap and share your thoughts on the topic! (Facebook cover image: Theerawan Bangpran)

Twenty-six-year-old Sunni Mariah was at the doctor’s office when a sign caught her eye

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This Doctor's Brutally Honest Sign About Not Vaccinating Your Kids Is Going Viral

A print of a meme written by Australian doctor Rachel Heap, aimed at anti-vaxxers explaining the risks of neglecting to vaccinate children

This Doctor's Brutally Honest Sign About Not Vaccinating Your Kids Is Going Viral

Well her words definitely hit a nerve, because the internet is abuzz with comments

This Doctor's Brutally Honest Sign About Not Vaccinating Your Kids Is Going Viral

pediatrician-vaccination-sign-sunni-mariah-14

This Doctor's Brutally Honest Sign About Not Vaccinating Your Kids Is Going Viral

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Sofie Tapia is a journalism graduate from the University of Kentucky. She is now a free-spirited content creator who wanders the globe rearranging words for various outlets. She previously worked as a reporter for Lebanon Daily News and worked as an editor at both Al-Masry Al-Youm and Egypt Independent. She can be reached at Sofie@BoredPanda.com

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Laugh Fan 6 years ago

Won't vaccinate but will take antibiotics if they get an infection somewhere. They'll take drugs to help control epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, depression, gastric reflux, migraines. They'll take drugs to treat cancer. They'll have an operation and have anaesthetic, post operative pain killers... Yet, all drugs carry a risk. Diseases carry a MUCH bigger risk and not just to that individual. Oh, and I do wish people would stop raising autism and vaccines. THERE IS NO LINK. Educate yourselves by looking at proper studies. Don't take your information from scare-mongering newspaper articles or some celebrity who doesn't know better.

44points

CrunChewy McSandybutt 6 years ago

A lot of anti vaxxers are also anti medicine. They only use holistic, "alternative" treatments.

5points

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Carol Emory 6 years ago

Then I post the link to several studies about the gene mutation on chromosome 15 that is the actual cause of autism. Studies that are so accurate that Canada now uses it to test for the possibility of a newborn having autism..and they've been right every time. Hmmm. (Even another anti-vaxxer tried to say the chromosome is being altered by the vaccines. Uhm..that's not how DNA works..but thanks for playing...)

4points

Carol Emory 6 years ago

Every person that brings up that scientific studies prove vaccines causes autism, I correct them.."Study..singular..study. And his test subjects numbered under 25..all of the scientists that supported his finding have retracted their statements after they were able to view his methods and see how flawed they were. And, since he published his 'findings,' he's had his license revoked and is no longer allowed to practice medicine...." Yeah..sounds like a reliable source.

4points

Chris Sprucefield 6 years ago

Soon, you will not have working antibiotics as more and more strains of common illnesses are going resistant or even immune to the antibiotics we have, and antibiotics do not work on viruses, for that, you need antiviral drugs, and they are very specific to what they treat. Flu's are viruses, not bacterial infections.

1point

Edzus Bernauts 6 years ago

well those who actually use antibiotics to everything, they doing again even worst thing then just not vaccinating kids. As we already at point where were getting immunity to antibiotics, the bacteria is more resistant to them. So the more you use antibiotics, the higher chance they wont help next time. Thats why it's always advised to use them only if really necessary.

1point

Laugh Fan 6 years ago

Oh and the parent who won't give their child the HPV vaccine? A new review, which involved data from more than 73,000 girls and women, has concluded that it is safe and effective. The analysis by the non-profit, non-governmental organisation, the Cochrane group, examined 26 studies carried out across the world over the past eight years and concluded that they “did not find an increased risk of serious adverse effects”. Regular screening is sensible as HPV is not the only cause of cancer but add in safe sex as well. HPV is very easily communicable and can affect a variety of body parts, so it won't be a 100% guarantee but it will be a very, very good start. The jab would still be better.

20points

Laura Pantazis 6 years ago

I am a super proponent of vaccines. I don't fault anyone for passing on the HPV vaccine right now though. There have been serious side effects caused by the vaccine. The CDC reports that of the side effects reported, 6% are considered serious. I think that the parents should sit down with their pre-teen and let the child be part of the decision making process. If the pre-teen wants the vaccine, then the parent should do it. I personally wouldn't have wanted that one particular vaccine and indeed have chosen not to get it for myself. Everything else though I stay current on.

2points

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Agnes Jekyll 6 years ago

Of my generation, one in three people have HPV, and condom use does not prevent it. I'd have loved to have had this vaccine, as would 70% of my friends.

1point

fuggnuggins 6 years ago

Whistleblower Dr. Judy Mikovits - 11 Minutes That BLEW ME AWAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZETbXCqCM 25 million Americans, alone, infected through vaccine labs and vaccines. 25 million!!! And antivaxxers are the danger... Jailed, without trial, without hearing, without the opportunity to make a defense, for showing the data. For showing the data. Who's a dangerous idiot? An NPC is a dangerous idiot. Useful, dangerous idiots.

0points

Yasmine Bonner 6 years ago

Nothing independent about the Cochrane Group - funded by the Australian Govt.

-3points

diane a 6 years ago

I am not ashamed to say I got HPV - it sits in your system for many years then comes out to catch you - I wish they had this vaccine when i was at school

7points

Rosie Hamilton 6 years ago

It is extremely common. Which makes the vaccine even more of a sensible thing to have.

6points

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John 6 years ago

My wife and I were very lucky to have 2 children before she got cervical cancer from HPV. The oncologist said he would have terminated the pregnancy had it been caught earlier. Needless to say, both have received the vax when they reached age. We don't want them to go through what we did.

5points

Chris Jones 6 years ago

Kudos to you Diane. Some people never know they have it. Cancer is not inevitable but why run the risk eh? It is so common that only a small percentage of people get anything serious BUT when millions have HPV that small percentage runs into thousands.

2points

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Laugh Fan 6 years ago

44points

CrunChewy McSandybutt 6 years ago

A lot of anti vaxxers are also anti medicine. They only use holistic, "alternative" treatments.

5points

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Carol Emory 6 years ago

4points

Carol Emory 6 years ago

4points

Chris Sprucefield 6 years ago

1point

Edzus Bernauts 6 years ago

1point

Laugh Fan 6 years ago

20points

Laura Pantazis 6 years ago

2points

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Agnes Jekyll 6 years ago

Of my generation, one in three people have HPV, and condom use does not prevent it. I'd have loved to have had this vaccine, as would 70% of my friends.

1point

fuggnuggins 6 years ago

0points

Yasmine Bonner 6 years ago

Nothing independent about the Cochrane Group - funded by the Australian Govt.

-3points

diane a 6 years ago

I am not ashamed to say I got HPV - it sits in your system for many years then comes out to catch you - I wish they had this vaccine when i was at school

7points