http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/hsn/20010723/hl/some_parents_shun_vaccines_1.html
Tuesday July 24 02:36 AM EDT
Some parents are becoming so concerned
about side effects from the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, also known at the
MMR vaccine, that they've decided not to have their children inoculated.
Instead, according to an article from the BBC,
they're opting to expose their children to the diseases with the help of an
informal network of like-minded parents. When one child comes down with one of
the diseases, other parents are informed and they have "measles
parties," the article says.
More than 500 sets of parents are linked by the network. Many are concerned
that the vaccine may cause side effects like autism, bowel problems or problems
with the immune system. They also say that this is the way things were done
when they were kids: They were exposed, got the disease, then had lifelong
immunity.
But health officials say that the parents are being careless with the health
of their children and that the vaccines are designed to prevent diseases that
can be harmful and, in some cases, deadly to children. Those who don't get
exposed as children could instead get the diseases when they're adults. Side
effects from these diseases are much more common in adults.
The parents in the group, however, say their concerns about the vaccine
outweigh possible drawbacks. Another option, they say, is to have the vaccine for
each disease administered one by one, rather than in the group of three. But
that option, so far, has been rejected by medical experts. In the meantime,
statistics show that these parents might have a lot of company. Since 1998,
when concerns first were raised about the MMR vaccine, immunization rates have
fallen below recommended World Health Organization (news
- web
sites) levels.
To find out more about the measles vaccine, including possible side effects,
you can read this information from Medline.
To find out about a measles epidemic in the Netherlands last year, you can read
this article from the British
Medical Journal. During that epidemic, 40 children were hospitalized
with severe complications, including encephalitis, and three children died
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.