If you are in full support of vaccination, and have no problem being a walking advocate for the cause, then this is the perfect accessory for you. Expressing one's opinions through fashion is a great way to start a dialogue without sounding like a broken record on a subject. Plus these tote bags are pretty awesome!
You can buy one for $20 online, and you get your choice of three colors: black, red or navy blue. The online store was created through Storenvy, which is an online distribution company where you'll find some of the best indie boutique brands. The store's tagline is simple and to the point: "Don't be a f***ing idiot. Vaccinate your kids."
Image: VYFK
The bag logo comes in two styles, which I have dubbed "upfront" and "subtle." Essentially, one spells out the whole "Vaccinate Your F***ing Kids," while the other just uses an abbreviation of the phrase (VYFK) in the pattern of a cool hipster brand. You know, in case you want to get the message out, but a little more, shall we say, demurely rather than all-out and proud.
Image: FYFK
Both versions of the logo come in black form-fitting T-shirts, and white stickers for your car, laptop or wherever you feel you'd like to broadcast this essential message.
No doubt the growing number of parents applying for vaccine exemptions is responsible for the situation in which we now find ourselves. To give you an idea, there have been 102 cases of measles reported in 14 states since Jan. 1, more than in all of 2012. That's absolutely terrifying, and seems intrinsically linked to this parental trend.
As was stated in a recent Forbes article on the matter, "the thought that thousands of people could have been exposed to a virus that was declared eliminated in the U.S. a decade-and-a-half-ago is scary. And it drives home the reality that vaccines only work as protection if almost everyone uses them."
So while the bag may be a little too bold for picking your kids up at school, let's at least let its message sink in. And please, for the ones you know and love, and even the ones you don't, vaccinate your f***ing kids.
Image: Teseum via flickr
More on vaccinating
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Parents share why they don't vaccinate
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