Think Twice about Vaccination

Children in the United States receive as many as twenty-four vaccinations by the time they are two years old. Some even receive up to five shots at one time during a regular doctor’s visit.  As a matter of fact, the number of vaccinations received in the United States is by far more than any other industrialized country. In 2008 CNN reported that more and more parents are asking about the risks involved in such large amounts of vaccination and are demanding answers as to why so many are needed. Educated parents are now questioning the link between autism or other neurological disorders and vaccination and are demanding release of research and information that possibly connects the two.

While the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a one size fits all strategy when it comes to vaccinating infants, many doctors agree that unless there is a known risk involved, most of the vaccines are unnecessary. For instance, currently newborns receive Hepatitis B shots as soon as they’re born and before their discharge from the hospital. Hepatitis B is spread through sexual activity, infected needles, sharing razors or toothbrushes, or contact with an infected person.

Dr. Richard Frye, a neurologist and pediatrician at the Medical University of Texas disagrees and expresses concern about this CDC recommendation; “I’ve never understood why we give this at birth.”  Many pediatricians believe that not all disease is created equal and each infant should only be vaccinated if at risk. “I don’t know any babies who have sex or share needles” Dr. Traver of Foster City said,”. . . unless the mother is infected this vaccine is not only useless, but harmful to the infant.”

Here are some things to consider:

Educate Before You Vaccinate
An educated parent is the child’s best advocate. Research and ask questions about different vaccines and how they can affect your child.

Skip Some Unnecessary Vaccinations
Most pediatricians agree that risk factors vary greatly from one person to another; therefore not all vaccinations are necessary for everyone.  For example, whooping cough has affected only five children in the past decade, yet it is required by CDC to have newborns vaccinated against it! You must educate yourself by sitting down with your pediatrician and discussing the severity of each disease and assessing the risks of the vaccine before proceeding.

Spread Them Out
A lot of ‘required’ vaccines are often combined into one shot. For instance, MMR is a combined vaccine of Measles, Mumps and Rubella, while­­­­ DTaP is a mixture of Tetanus and Pertussis. It may be difficult to ask your pediatrician to separate these types of vaccinations into separate shots, but it is not impossible. While most doctors don’t have the separate shots at their clinic, with a little research, you will be able to find a few that offer them separately.  Also, an alternative vaccination schedule may be a better option for your child once the family history and risks involved are evaluated.

As for me, I get a lot of questions from my pregnant patients regarding vaccination, and I inform them of the research that is available on this subject. From the level of mercury and various harmful preservatives, to vaccines and the link to autism- the information is out there and available to those who seek a better alternative. In my experience, mothers who make the educated decision to either not vaccinate or use an alternative schedule for injections, have healthier children with far fewer ear infections, colds, and cases of flu.

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