Vaccinations have been in the press a lot lately, with all the hype about Merck's Gardasil lobbying campaign.

As a parent, you have to weigh the risks of vaccinating fully, partially, or not at all, and decide what's best for your family. Vaccination is a difficult topic to research because it's hard to find accurate information on either side that lacks sensationalism and fear-mongering. A dozen people can read the same reports and books and reach a dozen different conclusions. However, I believe that it is important to make informed decisions and that doing some research is vital when it comes to the health of our kids.

When researching vaccination, there are some factors I think are important to consider. Finding out the answers to these questions may help you wade through the information in order to make your decision:

• What is the incidence rate of each disease and its prevalence in your area? (How likely is your child to catch the disease?)


• What are the risks and complications from contracting each disease? (What's the worst-case scenario if your child gets the disease?)


• What is the incidence rate of complication from each disease? (How likely is this worst-case scenario to occur if your child gets the disease?)


• What is the success rate of each vaccine? (How well does each vaccine prevent the disease it is meant to prevent?)


• What are the risks and complications from each vaccine? (What's the worst-case scenario if your child gets the vaccine?)


• What is the incidence rate of complication from each vaccine? (How likely is this worst-case scenario to occur if your child gets the vaccine?)


• What is your child's and family's health history? (Are there health issues or contraindications in your family, taking into account diet (formula/breastmilk as well as solids), allergies, prematurity, congenital health issues, prior vaccine reactions, etc.?)

I know a large number of parents who don't vaccinate their children. It is completely legal to either delay vaccinations or refrain from vaccinating your children, as each state has vaccination exemptions (medical, religious, philosophical, or any combination of the three). The argument I hear most often is that (despite what pharmaceutical companies would like us to believe) vaccines are neither 100% safe nor 100% effective. There are many children out there who have been damaged by vaccines.

A final note: If you feel unprepared at a doctor's visit and you're not sure whether you want your child to receive a particular vaccination, it is okay to delay while you make your decision. That's true even if it's the second or third shot in a series. You can always make up the shots you miss, but you can never take them back out.