U.S. News & World Report

Although most get their children inoculated, concerns persist, study found

March 1, 2010

MONDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) — Although most American parents vaccinate their children, many are concerned about the safety of vaccines and some choose not to have their children protected from potentially deadly diseases, a new study found.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that while 90 percent of parents say vaccines are a good way to protect their kids, and 88 percent follow their doctor’s vaccination recommendations, 54 percent are worried about serious side effects.

“Parents’ hesitation about vaccines has, in some cases, led them to postpone vaccinations for their children,” said lead researcher Dr. Gary L. Freed, director of the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan Health System. “The study found that 12 percent of parents have refused at least one vaccine that their children’s doctor recommended.”

“When parents refuse vaccines, they place their child at risk for potentially life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases,” Freed added.

The study findings were published in the March 1 online edition of Pediatrics.

For the study, Freed’s team collected information from 1,552 parents on their attitudes about vaccines. The survey was part of the CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

MORE…