Be Deliberate About Vaccination Choices

February 23, 2008

Boost your child's health through common sense

Vaccines are an important tool in the fight against some dangerous, contagious, infectious diseases.

Before vaccines were available, thousands of children became deaf, blind and crippled - or they died - from diseases that no longer plague us.

In some countries, when many people choose not to be vaccinated against measles or polio or Pertussis (whooping cough), the disease re-emerges, followed by serious complications.

Life is a balancing act, from our first breath to our last. It is human nature to want the best for ourselves and our loved ones. As a public health professional, it is my job to look out for our com munity. By state law, it is my responsibility to protect the public from communicable and contagious diseases.

How do I accomplish that? "Wash your hands! Cover your cough! Stay home when you are sick! If an effective vaccine is available, consider getting it!"

Most people who have met me know that I repeat these statements every time they ask about preventing disease.

Vaccination is a very important public health tool to protect the entire community. It is because these methods are t ime-tested, scientifically proven methods of preventing diseases.

Vaccines work to keep away vaccine-preventable illness.

Young children rely on their parents, school kids rely on their teachers, adults and parents rely on others to help guide us through the many decisions we have to make to keep our families healthy.

As a pediatrician, I make recommendations to my patients and their parents that will result in the best for the patient. As a public health professional, protection for the community is part of that equation.

When scientists and experts from the Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Family Practice, American Medical Association, Institute of Medicine, A merican College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and others conclude that there is no causal connection between mercury i n vaccines (thimerosal) and autism, it is hard for me to dismiss these findings.

Autism rates continue to rise. Perhaps the best evidence that thimerosal is not related to autism is that removing thimerosal from vaccines in the United States (nationwide since 2002, California since 2001) and other countries (Denmark s ince 1992) has not led to a drop in new cases of autism or a decrease in the rising tr end.

Although all childhood vaccines are thimerosal-free, some adult and multiple-dose vials might still contain small amounts. If you still are concerned, ask your doctor for a thimerosal-free option rather than avoiding vaccination.

I cannot imagine the challenges of living with autism. It saddens me every time I receive a report of an illness in a child that is vaccine-preventable, and the child was not vaccinated. We know vaccines work to prevent diseases. The protection they provide can last a few years to a lifetime.

Many people worry about the number of vaccines children receive all at once. Talk to your doctor. Some vaccines are extremely important in protecting those younger than 6 months of age; others can be given as the child gets older.

Let us work together to find the cause of autism and seek ways to prevent it. Be considerate and deliberate about your vaccination choices. Let us all continue to care about children.

Source: The Olympian