Parents and pediatricians react to immunization law
7/3/2003 6:56 PM
By: Heather Maze and Web Staff

A new state law allows children who haven't been vaccinated to attend public schools and day care centers.
 

Some people think the new law is a good thing, while Texas pediatricians and health experts worry about public health.

Kindergarten teacher Sherry Glidewell is a strong believer in vaccinations.

"I think it's a really bad thing that's going to affect everybody, not just those children whose parents decide not to vaccinate," she said.

Pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown said the House bill, which passed on the last day of the session, was a major blow to public health.

She said statewide, immunization rates are already low. If they drop even further, certain diseases might even come back. Brown said in 1991, immunization rates fell below 70 percent and caused a measles epidemic in Austin.

Brown and the Texas Pediatric Society believe such epidemics are less likely if all children are immunized.

Others believe there are great risks associated with vaccinations.

Austinite Dawn Richardson began Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE) six years ago in an effort to get the law passed.

She said her mission is "to prevent vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect the right of every person to make informed independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their families."

Opponents of vaccinations say injecting a child with antibodies to protect against one disease lessens the body's ability to create its own antibodies and weakens the immune system.

PROVE's Web site cites scientific articles that claim some vaccinations increase a child's risk of contracting juvenile diabetes, autism, and other chronic illnesses such as asthma.

Parents have reported to PROVE that they have been harassed by not choosing to immunize their children. Facilities have threatened to report them to Child Protective Services for child neglect.

One San Marcos father named Sergio, (last name withheld), said it's the parent's decision whether to immunize, not the government's.

His daughter Sofia is home-schooled, so it hasn't been an issue. Sergio said Sofia was never immunized because he's not convinced it's beneficial.

"I would feel at ease saying that there's probably just as much of a chance that they could cause some damage as that they could help," he said.

Currently, if immunization rates become too low, whooping cough and measles are the biggest concerns among the Pediatric Society. Right now, Doctors say Austin has an outbreak of whooping cough, with more than 100 cases reported statewide in the past year.

The new law goes into effect Sept. 1. Parents that do not wish to have their child immunized must make a written request to the Health Department to obtain a form. The paperwork must then be notarized.