New York, New York - November 2, 20ll
More and more parents are opting to spread out their child's vaccines, but some pediatricians are giving those children the cold shoulder.
Eleven year old Chris Barnes is getting his latest round of vaccinations for measles and tetanus."It doesn't really scare me as much as other people -- it's just a shot," he said.
Without regular immunizations , Chris would be turned away at his pediatrician's office.
Doctor Wayne Yankus refuses to see patients unless they follow the government recommended immunization schedule. He says he's among a growing number of pediatricians who don't give parents
the option of delaying child vaccines. "These things prevent diseases that we don't have to see anymore," he said.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends 27 immunizations by a child's second birthday. But some parents believe that's too frequent and want the option to spread them out.
Yasmina Zaidman asked her daughter's pediatrician to slow down her child's
shot schedule."It just felt right to us given that she's young and her immune system is developing."
But Doctor Yankus argues the timing can impact the effectiveness. "Although parents have a right to their children's immunizations as they see it," he said, "they don't have a right to endanger school children."
Chris' mom feels better waiting in Dr. Yankus' office knowing that the other children sitting in the waiting room are healthy and knowing everyone is right on schedule.
Bigad Shaban - CBS News
