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Haters, take a seat! On this week’s episode of “Coffee Convos“, Kailyn Lowry made the controversial announcement that she hasn’t vaccinated her youngest son, Lux. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for mommy shamers to come out in droves and slam the Teen Mom 2 star, 26, for her parenting decision. Keep scrolling to find out what Kail told In Touch exclusively about the backlash.
The conversation was sparked by a message from a listener who said: “Wondering if you and Kail can talk about the well-known controversy of vaccines. I’m a mother of three and I’ve always said that I would never be ‘that mom,’ but recently I’ve read so many horrifying stories about vaccines like the MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella], some absolutely devastating stories.”
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Thoughts?
She continued, “I vaccinated my two older girls and never even thought twice about it, but now I’m paranoid to vaccinate my five-month baby boy. I would love to know both of your opinions.”
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Here Come The Haters.
In response, Kail, careful not to ruffle too many feathers, explained: “I definitely think this is a controversial topic, and I don’t want to lose listeners because of my opinion — but, I did vaccinate Isaac, because to me, I didn’t know any better, and I gave — I let them vaccinate him with whatever they basically said that he needed. And I feel like I was ignorant, and didn’t do research, and didn’t know any better.”
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What About Lincoln?
She then added that Lincoln, 5, is only partially vaccinated.
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Research Is Key.
“With Lincoln, I knew a little bit more, and I started to research more, and that’s when I think the conversations of vaccines started to really be going on with me and my friends that became moms,” she said. “And there were documentaries on Netflix, and all kinds of, just, news that I would try to look into. Lincoln did not get all of his vaccines. I definitely picked and chose which ones I felt like were necessary, and he did not get them all at once.”
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And Lux?
Lux, 18 months, isn’t vaccinated at all.
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Mama Knows Best.
“He hasn’t ever really been sick, and for me, I just think the more research that I do, and the more educated I’ve become, I just don’t vaccinate him,” she told listeners. “So, that’s my opinion, and I don’t judge Lindsey if she chooses to vaccinate, or anyone else who chooses to vaccinate — that’s your prerogative. You’re a parent, you know what’s best for your child, and I’m not here to judge.”
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Clapping Back.
When we reached out for comment, the reality TV mama told us: “I mean, I guess the only thing I can really say and continue to stand for is to parent how it’s best for your child and family. People don’t love everything I do but I don’t shove my beliefs down anyone else’s throat. I know what’s best for my kids and other parents know what’s best for theirs.”
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Is Javi On The Same Page?
So how does her ex-husband, Javi Marroquin, feel about all of this? Well, “He texted me asking me how I felt about Lincoln getting a flu shot because I guess he told me that Lauren [Comeau] is a big believer in vaccines. So, I said ‘Whatever you guys choose to do with your son is fine, but my son’s not getting the flu vaccine.'”
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Fast Facts.
According to the CDC, vaccines and autism in children are not related.
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“There Is No Link.”
“Some people have suggested that thimerosal (a compound that contains mercury) in vaccines given to infants and young children might be a cause of autism,” their website reads. “Others have suggested that the MMR (measles- mumps-rubella) vaccine may be linked to autism. However, numerous scientists and researchers have studied and continue to study the MMR vaccine and thimerosal, and reach the same conclusion: there is no link between MMR vaccine or thimerosal and autism.”
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Lindsie’s Take.
Kailyn’s co-host, Lindsie Chrisley, had a different take on the matter. She, too, made sure everyone understood that she was not trying to convert anyone.
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Lindsie’s Take Part II!
“What people choose to do with their kids is their business, and what I choose to do with mine is what works for me,” she began.
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Professional Opinion.
“We did vaccinate, and we did it on an alternate schedule, so it wasn’t on the schedule that is the recommended schedule. And I did do some research before vaccinating, and what I found was that there have been links from the MMR vaccine to autism,” the Chrisley Knows Best star continued. “And that definitely scared me a lot because I think autism is more prevalent in boys, so that really, really scared me. And I was, like, ‘OK, I need to talk to a pediatrician about this because this could not be good,’ you know? ‘I need more information than what I’ve just found on the internet. I need, like, a professional opinion.’ And to be perfectly honest, my pediatrician, and any of the other moms that I talked to in regards to vaccines, all pediatricians are 100% pro-vaccine, so you’re going to get, like, that one medical side. And you’ve got to consider, too, that it’s a business.”
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What Do You Think?
The anti-vaxxing movement has gained a ton of momentum as of late, and the World Health Organization recently listed “vaccine hesitancy” as one of their ten threats to global health in 2019. What do you think about Kail’s statement? Let us know in our Teen Mom Facebook group!
