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May 2, 2001
“Parents Wary of Vaccines”
Detroit News (www.detnews.com) (05/01/01) P. 1; Bauza,
Margarita
According to a new study conducted by the University of
Michigan, an increasing number of parents are becoming concerned by the recalls
and reported side effects of certain vaccines, and as a result they are
avoiding some vaccines. The study,
which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, involved
750 family physicians and pediatricians, and was designed to assess the impact
of a number of well-publicized recalls and vaccine problems. The study found that almost 70 percent of
doctors surveyed felt that concerns among parents were increasing, and some of
the doctors said their own concerns were rising as well. Also, many of the pediatricians reported
that at least one parent in the last 12 months had refused to allow their child
to receive at least one vaccine.
Beverly Hills pediatrician Dr. John Dorsey expressed surprise at the
findings, noting that he has seen the devastation that epidemics can bring and
that vaccine problems are largely anecdotal.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children receive four
doses of polio vaccine; two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine;
varicella vaccination for children who have not already been vaccinated or who
have not had chickenpox; and three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, starting at
birth.
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.