Which Childhood Vaccines Are Optional?

Your child has protection from some diseases when they’re born because immunity for these is passed down from the mother. Breastfeeding provides additional antibodies, but there remain plenty of health risks from infectious disease that can be prevented. 

This protection comes in the form of vaccination. Dr 2 Kids, Smita Tandon MD assures the parents of her patients that vaccine technology is a safe and effective way to sidestep serious health risks and encourages everyone to maintain an up-to-date vaccination schedule throughout their lifetimes. 

The way the human immune system works is complex and not easily understood by many people. In the United States, we’re well protected from communicable conditions due to decades of vaccination against diseases that are still spreading in other parts of the world. 

Parents who want to pick and choose which vaccines their child receives are gambling with a dangerous notion. There are no childhood vaccines that are truly optional when it comes to building a child’s immune system against diseases that can threaten their lives or compromise their health today or in the future. 

The consequences of skipping vaccinations

The word “natural” often evokes the idea of “good.” So the concept of natural immunity might sound tempting as an alternative to immunity by way of a vaccine. 

However, gaining natural immunity means suffering through the ravages of a disease that can, in some cases, cause disability or death. While a child’s immune system develops protection against a disease in the future, their body is still left to deal with the effects of that disease today. 

Vaccination as a child has far reaching effects into the future. There are plenty of baby boomers alive today who are dealing with shingles, an inflammatory nerve condition that’s often painful and long lasting. 

Shingles results from the herpes zoster virus that enters your body when you have chickenpox. For people of boomer age, chickenpox was a common childhood disease that at the time had no vaccine. It wasn’t until 1995 that the varicella vaccine was licensed for use in the US. 

Skipping this vaccine creates the risk that your child could have chickenpox today and shingles in the future. 

Mandatory vaccine requirements

In California, all children enrolled in state schools, whether private or public, must have certain vaccinations in place before their first day at school. No child is exempt from vaccination on the basis of personal belief. 

If there’s a valid medical reason why your child should not receive a required vaccine, Dr. Tandon and other licensed physicians can provide the necessary exemptions.

If you have concerns about specific vaccines, consider making an appointment with Dr 2 Kids,  Smita Tandon MD. Dr. Tandon can help you understand any benefit/risk relationship connected with each vaccine, so you can see the positive results that vaccination offers your child. 

We all want the best for our children and when it comes to a healthy immune system, vaccination is the best protection they can have against infectious conditions. Call or click today to book your visit.