You May Want To Rethink Your ‘Delayed’ Vaccination Schedule

shutterstock_112344575__1381951595_142.196.156.251Children who receive their Measles vaccination on time have lower risks of experiencing febrile seizures after the shot. Yet another reason to follow the Center for Disease Control’s recommended schedule instead of constructing your own.

From The Huffington Post:

In the study, children who received their first dose of a measles-containing vaccine at ages 12 months to 15 months ”” which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ”” had a lower risk of experiencing fever or seizures shortly after vaccination than those who received the vaccine at ages 16 months to 23 months.

Previous studies have found that measles-containing vaccines are linked with a small increased risk of seizures brought on by fever, called febrile seizures, one to two weeks after vaccination. The reason for the link is not known, but scientists suspect an increase in virus replication occurring in this one- to two-week time period may cause fever in some children. Previously, it was not known whether a child’s age affected their risk of fever or seizures following measles vaccination.

I know vaccinations are a hot topic. I, for one, am for them. But I totally understand new parents being freaked out with injecting their children. I get it. What I don’t get, is people who construct their own vaccination schedules based on tips from chat rooms and conspiracy theorists.

The one recurring excuse that I have seen about delaying the MMR vaccine was from those who believed in the vaccine-autism link. Something about the brain not being fully developed… I don’t know. I’ve heard parents complain about injecting their kids with vaccinations when they are “too young.” I think some people feel that if they are eventually giving their kids the shots – it’s all good. This research proves a delayed schedule may not be such a great idea.

Here’s how I handled my vaccination anxiety – I had this conversation with my pediatrician:

Do you have kids?

Yes.

Did you delay any vaccinations for them?

No.

Okay. Neither will I.

I’m not a doctor, but my pediatrician is. If she – being a doctor who knows way more about the health of children than I do – puts her own kids on the CDC schedule, that’s good enough for me.

(photo: Oksana Kuzmina/ Shutterstock)

Similar Posts