by Dr. Julian Nieves, MD
Salud Primary Care
Health decisions that are made by parents on behalf of their children are highly personal and generally fall into the rights of parenthood. There are instances though where a health decision can affect children outside one’s family, such as if a parent sends a child to school when they are sick and infectious. Another example is when a parent opts out of vaccinating their children. If enough children are vaccinated for a particular disease then they create what is called “herd immunity” and even those individuals who are not or cannot be vaccinated enjoy the protections of immunity. But if enough families forgo these vaccinations, changing the ratio, then the disease is able to spread.
With the first days of school upon us, it may be a good time for your family to review the decisions you have made about vaccinations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 16 vaccinations. Their website has tools to check the recommended vaccines for your children. The list below may also help your family made vaccination decisions:
• Each state decides which immunizations are required for a student to enroll in a school or attend a child care facility. To learn about the Connecticut laws, visit the Department of Public Health.
• Assess the vaccination history of the adults in the family as well as the children. The CDC offers a quiz for adolescents and adults over the age 11: What Vaccines do YOU need?
• Reach out to your family physician if you have concerns or questions. Not all information that you read on-line or in a magazine will be helpful for your particular situation. You should have a relationship with your doctor that will bring into play your medical history, livelihood, and personal outlook.
• For more information, take a look at this video from Everyday Health with Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Will Other Children Put Your Kids at Risk This Fall?
