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Parents worry about contact with unvaccinated child

By Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

You should be aware of the risks and consider limiting contact with unvaccinated children, possibly until your child is a year old. But obviously, you should speak with your child's physician regarding this risk, including recommendations about what constitutes "contact." Can your child be in the same room with this other child?

"Herd immunity" means that this other unvaccinated child is likely being protected by the vaccinated people surrounding them. (Your choice to vaccinate helps to protect other children from disease.)

Assume that you will have to have at least one conversation with these other parents regarding your own choice. Pass along your doctor's recommendations using neutral language, and say that you will follow the doctor's advice. (Pediatricians report that they don't mind being cast as the "bad guy" in this conversation.)

Understand that there is a possibility, if not a likelihood, that your baby will be exposed to other unvaccinated children without you being aware of it -- but you ARE aware of this risk among your family members.

Having this conversation may in fact upset some family members, but the risk to your child from "upset" is less than the risk of whooping cough, measles, flu and other diseases.

Dear Amy: I am in a relationship with a beautiful girl. She is awesome. We are relatively young, mid-20s. I am worried that my love for her may not be real.

 

I don't question my feelings for her, but sometimes I catch myself wanting to do single things like going out and socializing with other women.

I don't like the thought of losing her and I know that's selfish, but at the same time I just can't shake this feeling.

I know it's not fair to her if I am not 100 percent committed, but I don't know if these feelings are because in college I dated someone the whole time and now I wish I had used those years to explore and find myself as a person.

Is it normal to feel this way as a man, and what should I do?

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