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A Need for Needles?

Part One

By Carma Haley

or even autism," says Marni Roiniotis, a mother from Chicago, Ill. "I've come to the conclusion that perhaps the decision about vaccinating kids is not as simple as previously thought."

Suspecting her child may suffer from autism, Susan Chyczewski, a stay-at-home mom from State College, Pa., also encountered information regarding the suspicion of immunizations causing these complications. "My older son had developmental delays and has an odd habit of rocking when tired or excited," says Chyczewski. "At one point we were concerned he might be autistic. So I did do a lot of reading on autism and it seems that earlier claims I had found that linked autism and vaccinations cannot be substantiated after all."

Through the use of vaccines, many of these life-threatening illnesses have been eradicated from society. Oftentimes, this works to the disadvantage of children as their parents assume the disease or illness poses no threat any longer. "The problem that is happening with parents now is that they have never seen these diseases -- with the exception of chicken pox," says McLeod. "They have never seen a person with polio, diphtheria, measles or tetanus. So, the five seconds of that shot to prevent these diseases seems far worse then the disease because these parents do not have the conception or focus of what the disease is truly about."

There are parents who have witnessed the disease first hand and know the ramifications of what the illness can do. "I am old enough to know polio victims. I always thought that vaccinating children was the only responsible choice," says Roiniotis. "With 'live' vaccines I knew there was a risk of my child contracting the disease, but considered it minimal when compared to epidemics of diseases that caused death or severe permanent disabilities."

Want to see more?

• Childhood Immunizations Quiz
• Schedule of Childhood Immunizations
• Vaccinations and Your Preschooler
• Understanding Attention Deficit Disorder by Dr. William Sears
• Preschool Development Issues