Vaccination:
Let’s put the judgement to rest.
There is a Middle Ground
The basic question in every parent’s mind is:
“Do the benefits of vaccinating my child
exceed the risks?”
By seeking out medical providers who are
willing to spend time addressing their concerns – and by keeping an open mind themselves - parents can begin to make sense out of
the vaccine scene, and determine a course of
action that is right for their individual child.
As Aileen Marty, M.D., FACP, Professor of
Infectious Diseases at Florida International
University Department of Medicine’s Health
Travel Medicine Program and an unapologetic
proponent of vaccine use, states:
“It is unfortunately, ridiculously overly simplistic to say, “Vaccinate or don’t vaccinate”.
The reality is that vaccinations, like medications, have to be tailored to the individual, the community, and the circumstances
regarding exposure and risks... There is a
middle ground, but it involves recognizing the risks of not vaccinating and having
a scientific and rational understanding for
when for a particular child there may be
particular vaccine-preventable disease that
should not be given. It should never be “all”
or “none”, it has to be tailored for the risk.”
Here are a few tips to help parents
make sense of the vaccine scene:
Know your diseases: For most of us, the
diseases we’re asked to immunize our children
against are simply funny-sounding names. Do
some research and find out for yourself:
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• What are the actual consequences of contracting these diseases? For instance, the
CDC reports that about half of infants
younger than 1 year who get pertussis end
up in the hospital.
• How is the disease transmitted? Does vaccinating your child in infancy make se