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Before you Immunize
(New
Britain-WTNH, May 16, 2001 11:00 PM) _ Most doctors agree immunizations
protect children against deadly diseases.
But, the
number of parents choosing not to vaccinate continues to grow. So, why the
change?
For most
families, getting their kids immunized is automatic.
"I
know he has to have them so I am not going to go beyond that and go against
it. I want him healthy," says Carole Nadeau, New Britain.
"I
think everyone has to do what is right for themselves and their children,
you have to do the research yourself," says Donna Morelli.
Most
children get about 22 immunizations by the time they enter middle school,
protecting against everything from hepatitis, to polio, to chicken pox.
But, a
growing number of families are opting against immunizations.
"I
think for a lot of parents a big concern is safety. That there is a lot of
information out there now," says Dr. Brian Lamoreaux, New Britain
General hospital.
And that
information is causing confusion among parents who want to keep their kids
both safe and healthy, but are worried about the side effects of vaccines.
Doctors
say there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to vaccines. The most
common one is safety. Specifically that immunizations are proven to be
unsafe and that they commonly cause adverse reactions.
"There
haven't been conclusive studies that have shown immunizations we are giving
now to be unsafe. In fact, because immunizations are given to healthy
children, they are among the most highly scrutinized interventions that we
do perform," says Lamoreaux.
That may
be true, but it didn't make a difference to the Wojcik family who decided
not to immunize their kids.
"To
me we are using ourselves as guinea pigs to force feed this stuff and I
don't want my children to be the guinea pigs," says Linda Wojcik,
Danielson.
Linda
Wojcik says she became educated on how to build the body's immune system
naturally before deciding not to immunize.
"Less
chemicals in our food, less preservatives in our food..less of all that
stuff we choose not to do," says Wojcik.
And she's
critical of what she calls the scare tactics she encountered when it came
time for her kids to go to school.
She had
to sign papers citing spiritual reasons for not having them vaccinated.
Naturopathic
Physician Joseph Breton says 25 percent of his patients are not immunized
because the risks outweigh the chance of developing diseases no longer
prevalent.
"We
have to ask the question, is that happening today in the U.S. Is it due to
the vaccines or is it due to improvement of conditions," says Breton.
And he
says the medical community should take a serious look at a possible link
between various shots and autism.
"It
is truth that autism is up 40 percent. Some statistics tell us since the
induction of certain vaccines," says Dr. Breton.
Most
pediatricians believe any connection is unsubstantiated and the refusal to
immunize causes anxiety.
"It
would be as if I had a medicine to prevent a child from becoming paralyzed
and couldn't give the child that medicine."
Despite
the disparity, both sides agree. Parents should learn the facts before
making this important choice.
National Immunization
Kids Health
Parent Place
Think Twice
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