Even though The View panelist Jenny McCarthy has long argued that vaccinations are linked to autism, which has earned her the “anti-vaxxer” label, the former Playboy model claimed that she is pro-vaccinations in a piece published in The Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday. McCarthy says she simply doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to vaccinations.

McCarthy has an 11-year-old son named Evan who was diagnosed as autistic back in 2005. Like many other parents in such situations, McCarthy suspected that vaccines were to blame for her son’s sudden behavioral changes. McCarthy has been very vocal about her beliefs and wrote the foreword for a book called Callous Disregard: Autism and Vaccines–The Truth Behind a Tragedy, which discusses the theory that a link between autism and vaccinations exists.

Due to McCarthy’s views on autism and vaccinations, she has been labeled an “anti-vaxxer,” and the beliefs have led her to be criticized to no end. Despite the constant bashing on Twitter and in other media outlets, McCarthy claims in her article that she never said she was against vaccines–just the opposite, actually. Check out an excerpt from her piece below:

I am not “anti-vaccine.” This is not a change in my stance nor is it a new position that I have recently adopted. For years, I have repeatedly stated that I am, in fact, “pro-vaccine” and for years I have been wrongly branded as “anti-vaccine.”

My beautiful son, Evan, inspired this mother to question the “one size fits all” philosophy of the recommended vaccine schedule. I embarked on this quest not only for myself and my family, but for countless parents who shared my desire for knowledge that could lead to options and alternate schedules, but never to eliminate the vaccines…

…This is what I believe:

I believe in the importance of a vaccine program and I believe parents have the right to choose one poke per visit. I’ve never told anyone to not vaccinate. Should a child with the flu receive six vaccines in one doctor visit? Should a child with a compromised immune system be treated the same way as a robust, healthy child? Shouldn’t a child with a family history of vaccine reactions have a different plan? Or at least the right to ask questions?

McCarthy’s mention of a staggered vaccination schedule stems something from pediatrician Dr. Robert Sears has been recommending to parents concerned about vaccines for years. Under an alternative schedule, vaccinations would be administered further apart, rather than a child receiving multiple vaccines during one visit.

In addition to an alternative schedule, McCarthy also wants to see toxins removed from vaccinations. Some vaccinations include ingredients such as thimerosal (mercury) and formaldehyde.

Now that Jenny McCarthy has cleared the air a bit on where she stands on vaccinations, she can focus on promoting her upcoming book called Stirring the Pot: My Recipe for Getting What You Want Out of Life. The book goes on sale on May 6 and will be McCarthy’s tenth book.

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