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Maternal (Expert Forum)
Being with a unimmunized child
Patient medical question and answer from The Maternal and Child Health Forum. Health topic area and articles about newborn care
Being with a unimmunized child
by Lora__0, Jan 17, 1999 12:00AM
I have a delema that I am not sure how far I should
go with this issue. We havea family member(Brother)
who has a 9mth old baby,wo has not had even 1
immunization. They are very self centered- know it
all type people who feel the drug companies are
conspiring with the Drs for more money on this
issue. So needless to say, I dont think they will
get them just because I ask them to. They are aware
that she will need them by school age and say they
will have them by then.
My delima is that I asked my Ped if my children
should not be aroung her-and she said no, they
shouldnt. Especially my 4mth old who was
premature.I also have a 2yr old. Do you agree? How
far should I go with this? Should I not go around
them, because if I carry something home my kids
could get it? If or wen they do start gtting her
vaccinated, she will be many behind, so when would
contact be safe? I know this will cause a feud, but
I do want to do what is best for my families
safety.
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks, Lora
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Dear Lora :
Thank you for your question .
I am not sure about the conspiracy theory your brother is worried about . If there was one , immunizations wouldn’t be offered (free of charge) in county health departments of various states.
Immunizations represent one of the most cost-effective means of preventing serious infectious diseases that plagued the US and other countries until the second half of the twentieth century. It has led to global eradication of small pox, the virtual elimination of polio in the Americas. It has almost eliminated the congenital rubella syndrome , tetanus and diphtheria, and reduced the incidence of pertussis , rubella , measles, mumps and the disasters of H. influenzae type b meningitis, a common cause of morbidity and mortality only 15-20 years ago.
Remember when you administer the vaccine , you are initiating an immune response that gets triggered if exposed to the bacteria or virus you have been immunized against . In other words , with the various vaccines you are providing your 4 month old, you are protecting him/her in case he/she does get exposed . The more boosters he/she gets , the higher the protection rate . You need not specifically worry about his/her premature status unless it was associated with complications like chronic lung disease or immune deficiencies or certain organ or system dysfunction .
Immunizations don’t protect us from all infections , we still have a long way to go before we can eradicate them all. Meanwhile , washing hands , maintaining good hygiene of ourselves , our food and environment are probably the best weapons we have .
L.M.
Disclaimer : this information is for educational purposes only.
Keywords : immunizations*(infectious disease)
