To Vaccinate Or Not to Vaccinate?

A new study by Pediatrics, a medical journal, shows more Oregon parents are choosing to delay vaccinating their children.

According to the study, 10 percent of parents are getting just one or two shots at at time, instead of the full recommended schedule at each baby visit.

It’s a public health issue that’s not only a concern to the health of the child but to the community as well.

“Unfortunately, I’m not surprised by this study,” Heather Kaisner, immunization program coordinator for Deschutes County Public Health Department, said Tuesday about the study.

One of the reasons for the delay is simple parental empathy. They don’t like to see their baby get too many shots.

“It’s hard,” Kaisner said. “I’m a parent, and it’s really hard for parents to see a child getting four or five shots at one visit.”

But the problem with that, according to Kaisner, is that parents eventually fall off schedule, and children never get up to date with their shots.

“We are really trying to get babies protected as soon as possible from these horrible diseases,” Kaisner said.

Central Oregon has already seen its fair share of diseases recently, from the whopping cough to the plague.

“The more people start delaying and doing what we call alternative schedule, the more susceptible our whole community becomes to these diseases,” Kaisner said.

Holly Remer from Healthy Beginnings, a 21 Cares for Kids Partner, says it works with the public health department and have been aware of the problem in our community.

“One of the nice things about Healthy Beginnings screening is we have professionals there that can explain the importance of immunizations,” Remer said. “Not immunizing your children can put your own child at risk, and can put other children at risk too.”

At schools, some parents aren’t happy with others who send children without recommended vaccinations.

“The more your child is protected and don’t get sick, they are not going to pass on that illness onto others who maybe can’t get the vaccine,” Kaisner said.

While there are numerous vaccinations recommended in the first year of life, Kaisner urges talking to your pediatrician and following their advice.

Of course, there are some opposed to vaccinations, including a comment on our Facebook page that says, “What worries me most is government that thinks it has a right to tell me what must be injected into my kids’ body.”

For the latest Healthy Beginnings screening dates and locations, you can log onto their website at www.myhb.org.