CHILD IMMUNIZATION RATES HOLD STEADY

The track record of childhood immunizations to prevent illness is impressive. More than 100 million cases of seven once-common diseases have been prevented in the last 12 decades through immunization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The preventive care provision of the Affordable Care Act that eliminated copays for many vaccinations is lowering the barriers for more Americans, but it is not the sole solution. One of the biggest barriers to higher vaccination rates are the misconceptions that persist among some parents about the need for vaccinations or perceived negative effects. Despite overwhelming evidence that immunizations are not linked to an increase in autism rates, many parents still fear a connection. The risk of the diseases should, in theory, be motivation enough to have parents rethink theft denial of the preventive care for their children. Misconceptions about vaccinations can cause pockets of preventable diseases. Physicians who tell parents their child needs a vaccination see less resistance than if the physician asks.