Childhood vaccines have been under speculation by some parenting groups for years. In more recent years, many fingers have been pointed at vaccines as the cause or instigating factor in the high numbers of autism cases identified each year. Parents are becoming concerned about vaccines and the health of their child, but waiting or choosing not to vaccinate may be just as dangerous.

The Vaccination Schedule

The many vaccines required for children today are scheduled to be administered beginning at birth and routinely at almost every doctor’s appointment for the remainder of childhood. The sheer number of vaccines is baffling to many parents who remember only a handful from their own childhood.

Pediatricians will inform you of when your child is due for each vaccine, and will give you information about the shot and common side effects. Parents may elect to skip or delay vaccines, but schools and daycares will require a completed shot record with enrollment or a qualified waiver.

Concerns about Vaccines

In the past, many vaccines were made using live strands of the disease the shot was designed to prevent. In some cases, the vaccinated child actually developed the disease or experienced severe, sometimes life threatening side effects. Over time, live viruses were removed from vaccinations, and today all vaccines are available without live cultures – but be sure to check with your doctor that your child is receiving the safer version.

Many strongly believe that autism is caused or brought forth more prominently by the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine. For many years mercury was used as a component of the shot, and mercury was believed to have harmful effects in children. Today, mercury has been removed from the vaccine, but many parents still delay the vaccine.

Delaying Vaccines

There is a middle path between getting all vaccines on time, even if you’re not sure your child is ready, and skipping them all together. Most of your child’s first doctor’s appointments will include four or five shots. Rather than getting all the vaccines so early, you can delay them over a few years giving your child’s immune system time to develop more properly should he have an adverse reaction to the immunization.

The MMR is often delayed. The correct time frame for the MMR is between twelve and twenty-four months. Most doctors give it at one year, but you may simply be more comfortable waiting until your child is two. Vaccines are important to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases, but there is no rule that you have to immunize your child on someone else’s schedule.