Dear Pregnant Mom Who Is Just Beginning to Question Vaccines
Marcella Piper-Terry revisits and updates one of her most widely shared essays, originally published in 2016. Written as an open letter to expectant mothers, the piece speaks to parents navigating vaccine decisions during pregnancy and early infancy.
The article explores challenges many families report, including information overload, variable source credibility and the importance of consulting well-cited primary research. Piper-Terry encourages readers to consider bias, conflicts of interest and individual biological differences when evaluating medical recommendations.
The updated article discusses injections commonly recommended during pregnancy, including the influenza shot, Tdap, COVID shots, and RSV vaccination, while also addressing related newborn interventions such as Vitamin K, Hepatitis B and RhoGAM.
Throughout, the author frames the discussion around informed decision-making, parental autonomy, and individualized risk assessment, supported by an extensive collection of references and educational resources.
Editor’s note: While the article references policies and institutions discussed in a U.S. context, the considerations raised are relevant to Canadian women and families navigating similar decisions. While you’re here, check out CHD’s A Parents’ Guide to Healthy Children, and you may also wish to explore additional Canadian perspectives and resources from our ally organizations and educators including: Vaccine Choice Canada, Billie Harrigan and Reclaiming Birth.
Find Marcella Piper-Terry’s full Substack article HERE.
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