It's Time to M.O.V.E.!
Making on-time vaccinations easy for your family.
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate— this was the fervent debate that dominated the health discourse just a few short years ago. Concern about a potential link between vaccinations such as MMR to diseases such as autism led some parents to take the drastic step of refusing to inoculate their children.
Today, the majority of medical professionals agree that vaccinating young children is not only preferred, but also necessary in the prevention of certain infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, Hib and whooping cough. Over 17 potentially fatal diseases can now be prevented with appropriate shots. And while many children are receiving their vaccinations on time, there are still some parents who do not make inoculation a priority. Recent figures collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one out of every four children does not receive all of the recommended vaccines by age 2.
How can you make sure that your child receives the protection that he/she deserves? Several pro-active organizations, such as Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDS), have launched national campaigns targeted to parents in need of support and direction. Make On-Time Vaccinations Easy (M.O.V.E.) is the latest effort sponsored by PKIDS to encourage the start and continuation of vaccinations throughout a child’s first years. Led by two mothers who are driven by their devastatingly personal experiences, the M.O.V.E. movement is being spread by public service announcements through media outlets.
It’s easy to understand why Kelly Lacek of Pittsburgh, PA is so passionate about M.O.V.E. She and her husband almost lost their young son, Matthew, because they chose not to inoculate him. Their decision was based on what they now say was misleading information that made them question vaccinations, and they truly believed that they were doing what was best for their child. To their horror, when Matthew was 3 years old he was diagnosed with the now-rare disease called Hib, or haemophilus influenza type b, which can result in lifelong complications such as mental retardation, learning disabilities and deafness. The Hib vaccination, which was introduced in the 80s, reduced the number of cases by more than 99 percent, and only those children who do not receive the vaccine are vulnerable. Matthew has since recovered and is catching up on his vaccinations, while Kelly is sharing her story through the M.O.V.E. campaign in hopes of inspiring other parents to jump on the vaccination bandwagon.
Chauntell Veit of New Orleans, LA also experienced the near devastation of losing a child when her newborn son, Geoffrey, caught whooping cough from her. Veit and her husband rushed Geoffrey to the emergency room when his coughing spells became so severe that he stopped breathing. Luckily, he was quickly diagnosed, treated and has since fully recovered. Although Geoffrey was too young to receive his first whooping cough vaccine, the Veits have made it a priority to follow the recommended schedule for his other vaccinations.
Most medical professionals agree that parents should no longer be wary of the safety of vaccines. “All vaccines have been very carefully studied and have been found to be completely safe and absolutely effective,” says Dr. Russell W. Steele, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and a staunch advocate of childhood immunizations.
Philosophical or religious reasons keep other parents from vaccinating their youngsters, but some segments of the population just may not have the same access to information and funding as others. Early childhood vaccinations are tedious, sometimes costly and require monthly trips to the doctor, which can be extremely inconvenient for working parents and/or single parent households. Although significant progress has been made over the past few years in improving overall childhood immunization rates, there are still some disparities among racial and ethnic groups. This is most evident in large, urban areas with impoverished populations that do not have equal access to healthcare, creating potential pockets for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the state with the highest vaccination rate is Massachusetts at 91 percent. Vermont ranks as the state with the lowest percentage at 63 percent. Local health officials, however, believe that this study does not paint an accurate picture of Vermont. Although the state does not require children entering school to get immunizations for chicken pox like some states do, officials say that 81.5 percent of children have received all of their other vaccines.
The vaccine debate is likely to continue for years to come, but advocates such as the Lacek and Veit families are using campaigns like M.O.V.E. to educate the general public and hopefully protect as many children as possible from infectious diseases.
“If we can help any other families, we will be satisfied with our efforts,” say Lacek and Veit.
PKIDs, one of the first parent-supported, national, non-profit organizations, offers these tips to help Make On-time Vaccinations Easy:
1. Maintain Your Baby’s Vaccination Record
Your healthcare provider updates your baby’s vaccination record, but you should keep a copy as well, especially in case you:
- move.
- change doctors.
- switch insurance plans.
Log on to www.pkids.org/move to download a blank immunization record.
2. Ask Questions
Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about a specific vaccine. If cost is a concern, ask about programs that offer free or low-cost vaccines including:
- Vaccines for Children (VFC).
- State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
3. Plan Ahead
- Bring your baby’s vaccination record to each healthcare provider visit.
- Schedule M.O.V.E., the next/future vaccinations before you leave the provider’s office.
- If you have a busy schedule, ask about flexible hours (evenings, weekends).
- Mark scheduled visits on your calendar.
- Post the appointment card on your refrigerator.
Jourdan Crouch is an assistant editor.