From the news -- multi-state measles outbreaks, autism-weary parents cautious when it comes to immunizing -- you'd think parents who get the full schedule of vaccines for their kids are the ones way outside the norm.
In fact, it's quite the opposite. Surprisingly so. According to the CDC, more than 75 percent of U.S. toddlers got the recommended shots against childhood diseases in 2007. And nearly 90 percent got all but one in the recommended six-shot series.
Fewer than 1 percent of the more than 17,000 children in the study got no vaccines at all.
From Reuters:
The one exception was the four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and
pertussis or whooping cough vaccine, received by 84.5 percent of
toddlers, the CDC said.
Maryland parents are the most inclined to get the full schedule of shots -- 91 percent of toddlers in that state are up-to-date with the recommended innoculations. Nevada, with 63 percent, is the least.
Here's the schedule for toddlers that the study looked at.
The recommended series tracked in the report was: four doses of
diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine; three doses of polio
vaccine; one or more doses of measles, mumps and rubella (German
measles) vaccine; three doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
(Hib); three doses of hepatitis B vaccine; and one or more doses of
chickenpox vaccine.
Where do you come in? Do your toddlers have all the shots? Did you follow the schedule? Did you opt out of all of them (if so, do you live in Nevada?)?
PS: That kid in the picture? He's smiling not shrieking. How do you get one of those?
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Photo: dearborncounty.org
