As a mother of three children under the age of six, I am intimately familiar with the great parenting question “To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?” Let’s fact it, this is a parenting choice that can be fraught with feelings of guilt, worry, and self-doubt no matter what we choose for our kids. To begin with, we’ve heard conflicting information about childhood vaccines for several decades now.
On the one hand, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a long list of vaccines for both children and adults, and most schools will not let your child enroll if he or she is not up-to-date on vaccines unless you sign a religious waver. On the other hand, we’ve all heard the rumors about the dangerous levels of mercury found in vaccines, a link between autism and some vaccinations, and severe allergic reactions and side effects which can harm our children if we choose to vaccinate.
So what’s the right decision for your family?
As parents, in order to make the best decisions for our children, we need accurate and truthful information about the risks and benefits of vaccinations. The best source of this information is your family doctor or pediatrician. Before agreeing to, or rejecting, any vaccine for your child, you should always speak to your child’s doctor about the possible risks of vaccines versus the risks of choosing not to vaccinate.
But remember, many doctor offices only schedule 10 to 20 minutes for each appointment, so your doctor is apt to be in a hurry when the appointment time comes. To help ensure that you have your doctor’s full attention when discussing vaccinations, make an appointment to speak with him or her by phone BEFORE your child’s physical. This way, you can feel free to ask any questions you may have, and your doctor will have the time to answer them without being pressured by a 10-minute appointment limit.
Before you speak to your doctor, here is some information about vaccinations to keep in mind.
Vaccines are the best tools we have today to prevent potentially deadly childhood diseases.
Dr. Bruce Gellin (2000) of the National Network for Immunization Information states, “There is no scientific controversy about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. We know that vaccines are some of the best tools modern medicine has to fight a number of killer diseases.” Children who are not vaccinated are at risk for serious medical complications or even death should they contract these diseases.
Most vaccines today do not contain mercury.
From the early 1930s until 1999, most vaccine manufacturers did, in fact, use a mercury-based preservative in vaccines called thimerosal. However, it was assumed that the mercury in each dose was so low it would not cause health problems in children or adults. Unfortunately, the level of thimerosal that each individual received increased steadily over the years, as the number of recommended vaccines also increased.
According to the Center for Medial Consumers (2004), a baby born in the 1940s would likely receive one vaccine in a lifetime, while the same baby born in the 1990s would receive 17 before the age of 18 months. Because of this drastic increase in the number of vaccines, the mercury exposure level from vaccinations administered in the 1990s actually exceeded FDA approved levels for mercury. In 1999, the FDA asked all vaccine manufacturers to voluntarily stop using thimerosal in their products; and today thimerosal has been removed from most vaccines.*
* Note: Some vaccines, such as certain brands of the flu vaccine currently recommended for all babies aged six to 23 months, still use thimerosal as a preservative.
The original study linking autism to the MMR vaccine has been retracted.
Twelve years ago, Dr. Andrew Wakefield produced the results of a study which he claimed proved a direct link between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine. However, this study was later found to be riddled with conflicts of interest, abusive to the autistic subjects in the study and ultimately inaccurate. On January 28, 2010, the British General Medical Council found Wakefield guilty of three dozen violations, including four counts of dishonesty and 12 counts of abuse of developmentally challenged children during his autism study.
But remember, just because Wakefield’s study has been disproved does not mean an end to all research on a possible link between autism and childhood vaccinations. According to the Huffington Post (2011), many parents still believe such a link exists, and further medical research is absolutely needed to clarify the situation.
There is a small risk of a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine.
According to the CDC (2009), there is a very small risk of a severe allergic reaction after receiving a vaccination. Tell your doctor if your child has ever had an allergic reaction to latex, a previous immunization, eggs, baker’s yeast, or any other food or item. In addition, let your doctor know if your child is sick, has recently been very ill, has a medical history of seizures or any other medical problems. You can also visit the CDC website for more information about the risks of all recommended vaccines.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
References:
Center for Medical Consumers. (2004). "Study finds no autistic link to mercury in childhood vaccines – Findings are challenged." Health Facts. doi: 212.674.7105.
Gellen, B. (2000, Janurary). "Should I vaccinate my child? A physician’s perspective." National Network for Immunization Information. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
Herper, M. (2011, February 11). "Huffington post still believes vaccines cause autism." Forbes. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. (2009, August 6). "Vaccines and immunizations: Basics and common questions." Retrieved February 28, 2011.
