“God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt.” I heard this old adage a lot in my childhood, usually from my Pa, who would take us shooting, take us fishing, and make us weed his gorgeous garden. What is a little dirt and sunshine to a child except slow exposure to potentially harmful things that, in moderation, are totally fine?

Sounds a little bit like vaccines to me. They are a lot like my late grandfather’s take on dirt: A little bit doesn’t hurt you and might just make you stronger. But the same people who have been telling us for years that exposing an infant to up to six vaccines at once is totally fine have also warned that peanuts are most certainly not. I’m here to tell you it’s okay to eat the peanuts. And science is finally catching up.

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