A large group of American parents are having a tough time keeping up with their kids' vaccination schedules. More than a quarter of all children are under-vaccinated, with missed doses accounting for the bulk of the non-compliance. The experts say the trend--which increases the risk of disease among the country's most vulnerable population--can in part be explained by the large number of vaccinations that are required. The authors of this new study examined vaccination schedules for 2003 and 2004, when children were expected to get up to 14 shots by the age of 18 months. That number has since risen even higher.
"This is a little bit of a wake-up call--not a huge one--that you need to make sure to do the best you can to get children vaccines when they're supposed to get them," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Health Day. Kids can catch up on their vaccinations later in life.
- read the article in the Washington Post
ALSO: Parents of autistic children are advocating a "philosophical objection" law in New York that would give parents the right to skip required vaccinations. Report