More parents are choosing to delay vaccinations or skip them all together. A national survey found that at least 1 in 10 parents are setting their own vaccination schedules or not getting them for their children at all. Many health care experts are worried about what this means in regards to children’s health. According to these statistics, more than 2 million infants and young children may not be fully protected against preventable diseases, including some that can be deadly or disabling.
The results from this survey were released Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Children who have not been vaccinated are at a greater risk of contracting illnesses like whopping cough and measles. Whooping cough outbreaks are becoming more common and are deadly.
Pediatricians believe that many parents are refusing vaccines because they believe the vaccine is more harmful than the chance a child would contract the disease it was meant to keep away. The media is being blamed for fueling the fears that vaccines cause autism and other health problems.
Colorado and many other states allow parents to sign a waiver for their school age children who haven’t received vaccines. There are three ways to exempt out of vaccines:
a) a medical exemption signed by licensed physician stating that the student’s physical condition is such that immunizations would endanger life or health or is otherwise medically contraindicated; or
b) a religious exemption signed by the parent, guardian, or emancipated student that the student adheres to a religious belief opposed to immunizations; or
c) a personal exemption signed by the parent, guardian, or emancipated student that the student adheres to a personal belief opposed to immunizations.
You can print out a Colorado Immunization Schedule here.
Do you make sure your kids have all their vaccines, on schedule? Do you choose to delay or eliminate vaccines? Why or why not?
