Vaccinating Your Child:

Informed Decision Making is Always the Right Choice

One of the most common reasons many new parents book appointments with me or my colleagues is that they are looking for answers to questions regarding routine vaccinations for infants, toddlers, and children. Thanks very much to recent media attention to Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey, parents seem to be asking more questions before their children begin the recommended immunization schedule – which starts at 2 months in Canada.

Vaccinations are a "hot button" topic – and everyone has an opinion from the more alarmist "they are dangerous and risky" to the equally alarmist "you're a terrible parent if you put your child and others at risk by not vaccinating." The truth is, there is a lot of pressure on parents to vaccinate without asking questions, but I feel that parents should be allowed the time and opportunity to educate themselves in order to make decisions that they feel good about. Often I am asked "what would you do for your children?" and my answer is always this: for my children I will take the time with my partner to explore how we feel about the risks and benefits of vaccination for our child; there is no black or white, but rather shades of grey when it comes to making decisions on the behalf of those we love.

Today, there are many great resources to help parents make decisions they feel comfortable with and I encourage you to learn what you need to make the right choice.

Vaccination Information Resources:

1. Public Health Agency of Canada – Canadian Immunization Guide, 7th ed. http://tinyurl.com/5k9tlz

2. The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears http://tinyurl.com/yun7sq

3. Centres for Disease Control (US) www.cdc.gov

4. Childhood Vaccinations – Answers to your Questions (book) Order from www.drbailetti.com/book.htm