Choosing Not to Vaccinate?

A growing number of parents today are choosing not to vaccinate their children. While this seems risky and uncertain to many, these parents insist that they are doing the safest thing for their children. What are the reasons behind the trend to delay or skip vaccines all together, and is it legal?

For most parents it is a common part of the routine doctor visits. At two months, four months, six months, and so on babies are taken in to be weighed, measured, and injected with vaccines that their parents and their doctors believe will save these children from lifelong pain and suffering or worse at the hands of disease. For many there is simply no question about receiving the shots. A slight fever, a sore muscle at the injection site, and a cranky baby are all the outward signs that most will notice in relation to the vaccine, which to many is far better than the possible effects that the diseases could cause. Images of the old black and white photos of polio victims lying out in iron lungs flash through our minds at the idea of not vaccinating our children, quickly persuading us to squash any ideas of skipping those necessary shots.

And yet more and more parents today are doing their own research when it comes to vaccines and choosing not to proceed with the routine injections. Rather than solely taking the word of doctors and the vaccine industry they want to know the effects and the risks themselves. Parenting sites all across the web are hosting discussions on vaccines, books such as Just A Little Prick by Peter and Hilary Butler that explain vaccines are gaining notice, and newspapers are finding themselves looking for information as Texas lawmakers put vaccines in the headlines. In today's information age it almost seems outdated not to be as knowledgeable as possible on the many areas that affect our children's lives. Parents today want as much information as possible in order to make the best choices for their children, even if their choice goes against conventional thinking.

The most well known reason parents have for choosing not to vaccine is the use of Thimerosal, a mercury based preservative used in vaccines. After a sensationalist article about the link between mercury in vaccines and autism by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was published in the Rolling Stone magazine Thimerosal became big news. Experts argued back and forth on whether there was a real link and more parents began to take a look at what they were really injecting into their children. Though some people claimed that Thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 1999 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports on their site that lots containing thimerosal were not taken off the market and were still being used until they expired in 2003. The CDC also points out that some influenza vaccines and tetanus-diphtheria vaccines given to children age 7 and older contain thimerosal as a preservative. The Thimerosal debate, however, was just the tip of the iceberg.

Though the mercury connection is the most widely known, the reasons that many parents have for refusing to vaccinate their children are vast. There are many other chemicals used in vaccines that some parents feel are hazardous to their children. Aluminum hydroxide, phenoxyethanol (also known as antifreeze), formaldehyde, Ammonium sulfate, and neomycin are just a few of the chemicals used in the creation process and to preserve the vaccines. Many parents feel that it is too risky to inject young children and their immature immune systems with the large array of chemicals. Modern health problems such as auto-immune diseases, asthma, and some childhood cancers are being attributed by some parents to the damage that mass vaccinations can cause on an immature immune system. For these parents the adverse effects are more than just the slight fever and soreness seen at the time of the shot, but continue on throughout the life of a child and result in a weakened system. Of course the adverse reactions can also mean permanent damage or death to some children. The risk of that occurring is too great for some parents to accept.

For some they oppose the use of aborted fetal tissue used to grow the vaccine. For those opposed to abortion knowing that some viral vaccines such as the chicken pox vaccine and the rubella vaccine are connected with aborted fetal tissue causes an ethical problem. Many pro-life supporters refuse to inject their children with these vaccines and urge the vaccine makers to use other means to culture the viral vaccines. For some parents not opposed to abortion the idea of aborted tissue in the vaccines is more than they can stomach.

Opposition to those parents choosing not to vaccinate believes that vaccines are preventing an assortment of diseases from reaching epidemic status. But the parents disagree. They feel that sanitation, better nutrition, healthier living conditions, and a decrease in poverty are factors in the reduction of disease in America. Many also agree that diseases often thought to have been eliminated by vaccine use were declining because of the healthier living conditions before the vaccines were used. The Polio epidemic of the 1930s and 1940s is an example used on both sides. Those who support the vaccine use often use the Polio epidemic to show the devastating effects that some diseases can have on those who are not vaccinated. Yet those opposed to vaccines say there is another side to the Polio equation. As breastfeeding rates drops and tonsillectomy rates increased the Polio risks increased nation wide. Breastfeeding is known to help create stronger immune systems in children; a stronger immune system helps them fight disease better. Scientists have also discovered that the only area of the body that can synthesize the antibody to poliomyelitis is the tonsils. (http://whale.to/vaccine/polio4.html)

Many wonder if the parents who choose not to vaccinate are doing so legally. A majority of states have enacted into law some kind of exemption from mandatory childhood vaccinations, based either upon personal or religious belief or for medical reasons. Often parents are simply required to file with their local school districts, sometimes with the agreement that if an outbreak does occur the unvaccinated children will not attend school until it is deemed safe. The exemption requirements vary from state to state, some requiring only a written objection from the parent while other require specific forms be filled out and renewed. The requirements for each state can often be obtained at a local Department of Health or online.

The debate on whether to vaccinate or not to rages on among parents. The risks associated with both the diseases and the vaccines themselves are being weighed by parents trying to make the best possible choice for their children. Some parents choose to vaccinate according to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, some choose to delay vaccinations or skip certain vaccines that they feel are unsafe or unnecessary. And some parents are choosing not to vaccinate at all. With experts, doctors, and scientists speaking up on both sides of the issue no clear consensus may be in the near future.