Most Doctors Believe Immunizations Are Necessary And Helpful, But Some Parents Still Worry.
By Beth Williams, Wisconsin State Journal
At 3 1/2months, Griffin Bain is already behind.
And his parents believe that's a good thing.
Candace and Julian Bain, who live just outside Oregon, have decided to wait before immunizing their first child until he was a little bigger and stronger. Griffin is set to get his first shot next month. Doctors begin recommending the first vaccination shortly after birth.
"Vaccines definitely save lives," Candace Bain, 33, said. "But when it's your own baby, the risks look bigger."
State law requires schoolchildren to be immunized for a variety of contagious diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and hepatitis B. But parents are given the option of filing waivers for personal, religious or medical reasons, said Freddi Adelson, director of health services for the Madison School District.
Students who aren't immunized or whose parents don't sign waivers can be kicked out of school in the Madison District after Oct. 27.
Last school year, the parents of 699 students, or about 2.8 percent of the Madison School District, received waivers, down slightly from the year before. Statewide in the 2003-04 school year, about 3.3 percent of students had their vaccination requirements waived, but that percentage doesn't include the Milwaukee School District because of a computer problem.
In 1999-2000, 651 students, or 2.6 percent of Madison district, had the requirements waived, while statewide about 2.1 percent of students did.
Most health-care professionals believe vaccines are essential with any risk far outweighed by their benefits.
"The world is a much safer place today than when I was a kid because of vaccinations," said Dr. Tom Saari, a UW Medical School pediatrician. "I wish young parents understood that."
Some parents are worried about possible adverse reactions to immunizations, said Aszani Kunkler, a certified nurse midwife and owner of the Madison Birth Center.
"Parents are weighing the risks and benefits of each shot," Kunkler said. "These people are not kooks. They're taking parenting seriously."
The Madison Birth Center, which is in the Middleton Hills development, is sponsoring a parenting conference Saturday. The conference will feature a panel of speakers discussing the pros and cons of immunizations as well as other workshops.
Parents most commonly worry about allergic reactions and the use of thimerisol, a preservative that contains mercury, in some shots, Kunkler said. Some people believe thimerisol is linked to autism, although Saari is quick to point out that no study has proved a connection between the two.
"A baby was far more at risk by exposure to his mother who had eaten some tuna," Saari said.
One of the panel speakers, Dr. Bob Sears, a California pediatrician and co-author of "The Updated Baby Book," said more parents are questioning immunizations and often don't have anywhere to turn for advice.
"Doctors aren't trained about the possible side effects of shots," Sears said. "We are trained that these side effects are extremely rare, and therefore aren't realistic."
Sears said most immunizations are worth the risk. But he cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed out of 1.9 billion shots administered between 1991 and 2001, 18,000 people suffered a severe reaction.
Saari stressed that whatever the rare side effects of these shots, the diseases they prevent are deadly.
"You've got to constantly immunize children to keep them safe," he said.
REPRINTED FROM:
Wisconsin State Journal
September 17, 2004
