More than 1 in 10 parents skip or delay kids' vaccinations

Consumer Reports News: October 03, 2011 04:58 PM

Thirteen percent of parents of young children don't follow government recommendations for childhood vaccines, according to a survey released today in the journal Pediatrics.

University of Michigan researchers surveyed 748 parents of children ages 6 months to 6 years. Thirteen percent said they either delayed vaccines until the child was older or skipped some or all of them entirely. Vaccines against H1N1 and seasonal influenza, rotavirus, and chickenpox (varicella) were among the vaccines most likely to be refused. About 2 percent of parents reportedly skipped all vaccines.

Even among parents following the recommended schedule, there's skepticism: 28 percent thought delaying vaccine doses was safer, and 22 percent disagreed that the best vaccination schedule to follow was the one recommended by immunization experts.

Despite well-documented health benefits of routine childhood immunization, the past two decades have seen marked increases in the numbers of parents with concerns about the safety, necessity, and benefits of recommended vaccines. According to the study's authors, alternating vaccination schedules leads to underimmunization and increased risk of contracting and spreading preventable diseases.

Bottom line: The potential benefit of childhood vaccinations greatly outweighs the potential risks. Read more about the shots your child needs and see the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended vaccination schedule.

Source
Alternative Vaccination Schedule Preferences Among Parents of Young Children [Pediatrics]

—Ginger Skinner