Every year, millions of children get the vaccines they need to stay healthy and start school. But according to a national survey, one in ten parents either refuse to vaccinate their children, or choose to delay it.
According to the study in the Journal of Pediatrics, parents say that their biggest reason for refusing or delaying giving their kids some shots is because of safety concerns. The results are in line with a larger federal study released last month that showed one in every 10 toddlers and preschoolers aren’t getting the recommended vaccines including chickenpox and the measles-mumps-rubella combination shots.
Federal health standards are that by age 6, children should have vaccinations against 14 diseases in at least two different doses. The results of the survey suggests that nearly 2 million infants and young children aren’t being fully protected against preventable diseases. Nearly 20 percent of those parents surveyed said that they think that delaying shots is somehow safer than the recommended schedule.
The survey asked around 750 parents of children 6 and younger.
