An alarming survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) finds an increasing number of physicians are encountering parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. The most common reason cited — a belief that the diseases vaccines prevent have been wiped out. Physicians at the Cook County Health & Hospitals System’s Jorge Prieto Health Center say that is a dangerous misconception. “Although vaccination is widely considered one the greatest triumphs of modern medicine, vaccine-preventable illnesses continue to be a threat to children and to people whose immunity is compromised, such as patients living with diabetes or cancer,” said Dr. Juliet Bradley, lead physician at the Jorge Prieto Health Center. “Even though the United States has a high standard of living and universal access to vaccines, we are seeing a resurgence of vaccine-preventable illnesses like whooping cough, measles, chicken pox and mumps. People sometimes think about these illnesses as “routine” childhood illnesses, but these illnesses can cause really serious illnesses and even death.”

Family Medicine Physician Dr. Stephen Cambalik notes that the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae is still around today and causes a variety of illnesses including ear infections, throat, lung and severe organ and bloodstream infections. “This germ was the number one cause of bacterial meningitis in children younger than 5 years old. Without the Hib immunization up to five percent of infected children died and of those that survived almost 20 percent of children were left with permanent hearing loss,” said Dr. Cambalik. CCHHS doctors remind parents that in addition to protecting their own children, ensuring a high community vaccination rate is crucial for vulnerable individuals. The higher the percentage of immunized people in a community, the lower the chance of someone who is not immunized getting the disease. “People don’t always realize that their decision to not vaccinate their child can affect the health of an older family member living with diabetes or cancer, whose immunity might not be strong enough to fight off whooping cough or chicken pox,” said Dr. Bradley. According to the AAP, routine childhood immunization will prevent about 42,000 early deaths and 20 million cases of disease saving $13.5 billion in direct costs and $68.8 billion in societal costs. If your child needs to see a physician, please call 312-864-KIDS (5437) to make an appointment at a CCHHS clinic near you.