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This question is being asked more and more often by parents as they hear and read about the association between vaccines and various serious health conditions. Although there are no federal mandates that force parents to have their children vaccinated, state laws essentially act as such. Many parents are unaware that they can get an exemption from vaccinating their child based on medical, philosophical, or religious reasons, depending on the laws of their particular state.

If a child does not meet state vaccination requirements, goes to school, and the truth is discovered, the school can have the child removed from the school. There have also been instances where state officials have charged parents with neglect for failing to vaccinate children with all mandated vaccines.

Before parents make decisions not to vaccinate a child and deal with the consequences, they need to have full access to information that allows them to weigh the risks and benefits of the growing number of recommended vaccines. Parents need to know that there are legal avenues they can take to exempt their children from receiving vaccinations.

Programs That Protect Children

As parents and physicians have seen an increasing number of injuries associated with immunizations, government and private sector organizations have formed to ensure that children harmed by vaccines will receive some compensation and that parents have access to all available information about the pros and cons of immunization. There are dozens of such groups and programs, but some of the main ones designed to help protect our children include:

• National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC)
  
  
• National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  
  
• Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

Details about these organizations and others and the services they provide are discussed throughout this book, and there is a list in the Appendix.

Bottom Line

We are fortunate that we have stopped the epidemics of smallpox, polio, diphtheria, and measles. The introduction of vaccines has accomplished more than we dreamed they would. Vaccines have become a necessary part of our world-for the current health of our children and for future generations. But because each act of administering small bits of disease and foreign substances to children opens the door to the possibility of debilitating consequences or even death, every possible attempt must be made to ensure that today's vaccines and those in the future are as safe as possible.

I am not suggesting that we return to the days without vaccines. But we must seriously address what appears to be an obvious link between the epidemic of developmental delays, autoimmune diseases, and the increasing number of mandatory vaccines. Every parent should know the advantages as well as the dangers associated with each and every vaccine, each and every time it is given. They should know the positive and negative consequences of refusing that their children be vaccinated, and be made aware of how they can go about getting exemptions. And the government, industry, health-care professionals, and parents must band together to get the research needed to determine the safety of these vaccines. The stakes are too high for us to do otherwise.

Copyright © 2001 by Stephanie Cave, M.D.

Tags: Childhood Immunizations, Pediatrics

About the Author

I graduating from LSU with a B.S.in Medical Technology in 1966. I went back to Medical School at age 36 after having three children, fulfilling a dream I had had for years. I graduated in 1983 and completed a residency in Family Practice in 1986. Board certified in Family Practice. My practice was a typical family practice until the last couple of years. I now enjoy integrative medicine and I spend my time mapping out and normalizing chemistry for my patients. In the last 4 to 5 years, I have treated autistic children. My colleague, Dr. Amy Holmes, and I are seeing more than 700 autistic children. This is where the inspiration for the book started. We realized that there is a link between vaccines and the epidemic of autism that we are seeing. I set out to put together a way to give vaccines safely and effectively and the book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations, is the result.

About the Author

Deborah Mitchell is a medical writer and journalist specializing in complementary medicine and nutrition topics. Her articles have appeared in professional journals, as well as national consumer magazines. She has authored and co-authored eleven books about various health topics, including Natural Healing for Back Pain, The Natural Guide to Headache Relief, The Dictionary of Nutritional Healing, Natural Aphrodisiacs, Natural Medicine for PMS and MSm: The Natural Pain Relief Remedy.