One in four U.S. parents believes that some vaccines cause autism in children; but even many of those worried about risks, think their children should be immunized.
Extensive research has found no connection between autism and vaccines. Fear of a vaccine-autism connection stems from a flawed 1998 study that was recently retracted by the journal Lancet.
Most parents do follow the advice of their children's doctors, according to a recenlty published study in the journal Pediatrics. The study reported results from a survey of 1,552 parents.
According to the survey, 9 out of 10 parents believe that vaccination is a good way to prevent diseases for their children.
In 2008, unvaccinated school-age children contributed to measles outbreaks in Washington State, and several other states. According to the CDC 13 percent of the 140 who became sick with measles that year were hospitalized.
In King County, 5.5% of school aged children have been exempted from vaccination for non-medical reasons. Children with non-medical exemptions are at increased risk for acquiring and transmitting vaccine-preventable diseases.
High vaccine coverage, particularly at the community level (commonly refered to as "herd immunity"), is extremely important for children who cannot be vaccinated, including children who have medical conditions that make it to risky to vaccinate them and those who are too young to be vaccinated. These groups are often more susceptible to the diseases than the general population and depend on the protection provided by the vaccination of other children to reduce the circulation of viruses and bacteria.
It may get harder for Washington State parents to exempt their child from vaccination when it comes time to enter school. Currently being debated in Olympia is House Bill 2706, a bill drafted by executive request of Governor Chris Gregoire, concerning the exemption from vaccination for school and child care entry. The bill ensures that exemptions are truly obtained from strong conviction and awareness of risks, rather than convenience. If this bill is passed, it will require a statement signed by a doctor stating that the doctor has provided information about the benefits and risks of immunization. The bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
Comments
The reality that vaccination of children with the currently recommended live-virus vaccine components (measles, mumps, rubella, herpes varicella zoster, 3 bio-engineered strains of human influenza, and 5 strains of human-cow hybridized rotavirus or a human rotavirus) puts all of the unvaccinated and unprotected individuals with whom these recent vaccinated individuals have contact at risk of contracting these viral diseases that those who are vaccinated shed after they are vaccinated for an undefined duration (per the vaccine manufactures package inserts). Many of these vaccines shed upwards of 21+ days post vaccination.
Additionally, the medical community is aware that the vaccine effacacy wanes within 2-10 years. Considering that all vaccines have a percentage of children that do they NOT protect regardless of dosages received, outbreaks can easily be caused by fully vaccinated individuals, as we currently are seeing in NY with the mumps outbreak. Get your facts straight.
Sorry Honey, Vaccines are not just for children anymore. Can you give us the dates on when you recieved your H1N1, seasonal flu shot (s), MMR booster, Td, Pneumococcal, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningococcal and HPV vaccines? What? You haven't had yourself injected with any of these. Call my bluff Honey. Put up the evidence.
That, "Extensive research" which "has found no connection between autism and vaccines" is about to fall apart. One of the lead authors of the Denmark studies (on which the IOM report totally relied on) is now being investigated for fraud. Fraud that will make the Lancet thing look petty. Be one of the first to break the story!
We're doing a delayed schedule with our kids. While we believe in the theory behind vaccines, we feel that its too much too soon. Our son will start getting vaccines at age 2.
immunizationanswers.com
talk about a skewed view of the facts....maybe do a bit more research before writing such a column.
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