Erica Mena Says She Won’t Vaccinate Her And Safaree's Baby, Joining Other Celebrity Parents With The Same Beliefs
Love & Hip Hop star Erica Mena joins a growing list of celebrities who have publicly voiced their stance as anti-vaxxers, people who oppose vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination.
Since confirming the news that she was expecting her first child with her husband, Safaree Samuels, the soon-to-be mother-of-two has expressed her decision to not have her baby girl vaccinated, once she is born.
Using her Instagram Stories to display her stance, the expectant mother recently reposted an anti-vaccination meme, which read, “Love them, protect them, never inject them. Learn the facts before you vax.”
Despite receiving backlash from social media, Erica continues to bring attention to her anti-vax views. She’s even shared a post asking friends and family members to “make sure they do not have booster shots before they visit” their new addition.
While it is unclear where Safaree stands on the topic, her preteen son from a previous relationship, King Conde, wants his mother to “just admit [you’re] wrong and give up.”
Screenshotting the text message exchange with her son, Erica wrote, “My son King is not letting up on his reasons why we should vaccinate the baby.”
In the messages, King voiced his concern about his little sister's health, although his words were initially taken as “disrespectful.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for wanting my baby sister to live as healthy as possible,” he reportedly wrote. “While [you’re] convinced ignoring what right for her is fine? I’m sorry for possibly being disrespectful but I’m only being that way because I’m passionate about this. I love you.”
Proud of her son’s big brother instincts, she concluded the conversation saying, “Look at you being a great big brother. I can’t [wait] for her to get here so you can defend her with all your might.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children be vaccinated, but the conversation surrounding vaccines has become a full-fledged debate with some worrying their children can be harmed by the vaccines, while others fearing a child can become severely sick without them.
The anti-immunization movement has gained so much traction that even celebrities are split about the decision.
See other celebrities who are adamant about keeping needles away from their family:
Kevin Gates
As the loving father of two, Kevin Gates admits that being a “cold-blooded investigator” served as the reason he decided he would not vaccinate his children.
While chatting in a 2016 Rolling Stone interview about his son and daughter, the New Orleans rapper proudly accredited his children’s “accelerated,” growth to his anti-vax decision.
“They different,” he proclaimed. “They sit down like little people and just talk.”
Lisa Bonet
While her former husband, Lenny Kravitz believes vacations can help end preventable child deaths, Lisa Bonet holds an opposing position.
The Cosby Show actress voiced her thoughts on The Donahue Show in 1990.
During her appearance, the now mother-of-three told host Phil Donahue, vaccines could potentially "introduce alien microorganisms into our children’s blood" that could later "cancer, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, [and] sudden infant death syndrome.”
Bonet is the mother of Big Little Lies actress, Zoe Kravitz.
Toni Braxton
In her 2014 heartfelt memoir, Unbreak My Heart, Toni Braxton speculated the MMR vaccine given to her son Diezel might have played a part in her son developing autism.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence that after my son's first MMR vaccine, I began to notice changes in him," wrote the Braxton Family Values star, whose son was diagnosed with autism in 2006.
Braxton is the mother to two adorable sons, Denim and Diezel.
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Holly Robinson Peete
Actress Holly Robinson Peete doesn’t consider herself an anti-vaxxer but does hold strong opinions about getting multiple vaccines at once.
“Despite what happened to my son, I’m not anti-vaccine,” Pete shared in an open letter for Essence.
Opening up about being “belittled” when she reportedly suggested to her 2-year-old son’s pediatrician to break up his vaccinations, the mother-of-four revealed she believes vaccinations triggered her son’s autism.
“When my son was 2-and-a-half, he was just recovering from an ear infection and had been on antibiotics, therefore his immune system was suppressed,” she wrote. “He had already missed several appointments for his vaccination so his pediatrician wanted to catch him up on all of them in the same day. Although I asked if he’d consider waiting or breaking up the cocktail, which contains three viruses, he laughed me out of the office and belittled me.”
She continued, “I firmly believe that it took my son to a place of no return and his body could not handle it. He had a violent reaction with convulsions and then he stopped talking and slipped into a silence. He no longer said, ‘Hi, Mommy,’ he no longer responded to his name and he no longer made eye contact.”
Tisha Campbell
“I am not anti-vaccination but I am pro-vaccination safely,” Tisha Campbell said during an interview with Essence. “I am pro-vaccination if that is the choice of the family. It shouldn’t be pushed upon you.”
The My Wife and Kids actress whose son, Xen, is autistic, has been very vocal about her worries that children receive too many vaccinations.
She continued, “When you asked me do I think [vaccinations] can attribute to autism, I think it might have something to do with it because of what I’ve seen from my particular family."
She concluded, “Again, I am not anti-vaccination but we put our trust into people and they’re just human beings and human beings can make mistakes and when it comes to our children we just may have to take an extra step in protecting them.”
Campbell is the mother of two sons.
