by Pauline M. Campos
March 30, 2008

I know I am not the only mother who feels like the most evil being in the world when I help the nurses hold my baby still for the vaccinations that come with her well baby checkup appointments. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” I say, as I hold her close to calm her when it’s all over. “Mamma’s so sorry. But this is to help you stay healthy.”

A little pain for more security against such diseases and illnesses as measles, mumps, chickenpox, and the flu? Many parents say the trade-off is worth it.

But there are also a growing number of parents who have “opted out” of childhood vaccinations after obtaining “philosophical exceptions.” And while many parents relish the opportunity to choose what they believe is best for their families, health officials are eager to convince more parents to “opt in” for safety.

It’s a controversial subject, to say the least, but unlike breast versus bottle or co- versus independent sleeping, it is one where the decision can affect more than just your child.

Unvaccinated and traveling abroad
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a confirmed case of measles was discovered in January 2008 in an unvaccinated 7-year-old child from San Diego, California, upon his return from a family trip to Switzerland.

The resulting outbreak investigation confirmed 11 additional cases of unvaccinated children in the San Diego area, which were epidemiologically linked to the original case. Two cases of second generations of secondary transmission also were discovered. Four of the affected children had been in the same pediatrician’s office as the index patient while waiting to be seen, and three of those children were under 12 months of age.

In total, some 70 exposed children were placed under voluntary home quarantine because the parents had either declined the measles vaccine or the children were simply too young to have been vaccinated.

Personal beliefs and school laws
Each state has what are commonly known as “school laws,” which refer to the list of immunization requirements that must be met before a child enters school. While there are some variations to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations, these most often include vaccinations against diphtheria, pertussis (whopping cough), mumps, polio, and rubella.

When the school bell is ready to start ringing, parents are often required to bring written proof of their child’s immunization records.

But there are exceptions. Those with religious objections, such as some Amish congregations, can legally opt out in any state. And in California, Washington, Colorado, and many other states, parents can simply sign a school form stating that vaccinating their child would conflict with their own personal beliefs.

In all, 48 states offer non-medical religious exemptions and 21 offer personal belief exceptions (PBEs), which are defined differently from state to state. Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin are listed as the three states with parental exemption rates of greater than 2 percent.

Personal beliefs and why to “opt out”
Compared with vaccinated children, those who are not are 22­–224 times more likely to contract measles.

While non-vaccinated children in third-world countries remain at risk due to lack of treatment options, many in industrialized counties such as the U.S. remain so because their parents believe it is a safer option.

Mistrust in the vaccine industry, as well as concerns with vaccines and media-hyped links to autism and crib deaths rank high on the list of why many choose to forgo the shots. According to an article by the New York Times, many of the “opt out” parents are educated and tuned in to their child’s health.

Some would argue that the rise in unvaccinated children can be linked to the successes of the very vaccines that have nearly eradicated conditions such as polio; but others would say that success can come at a price. An average of eight children die per year as a result of the live vaccines available today.

Just ask Google if vaccines are dangerous and you’ll soon come across the very reasons many parents are just saying no to the shots so many others hold their children down for before offering them a sucker and wiping away their tears.

No end to the controversy
While I may have jumped on the vaccination bandwagon without so much as a look at my pediatrician, I do know that a middle ground does exist. Dr. William Sears of babywearing fame is among the many who advocate for an “alternative” or “delayed” vaccination schedule.

This viewpoint allows for children to receive all necessary vaccinations by the time they are ready to enter school, but spreads them out over a greater period of time in order of importance. The thought-process behind the delayed schedule, says Sears, is to allow little bodies to better process the chemical overload of the injected vaccines as well as to minimize side effects.

No matter where you stand, be it pro-vaccination (either regular or delayed schedule) or completely against, it is highly unlikely that the debate will end any time soon.