The recent whooping cough epidemic in California is putting the state on track for its worst outbreak of the disease in 50 years, and parents like Danielle Lawson of San Anselmo seem to be exacerbating the problem.
As a mother of a 5 ½-month-old newborn, Ms. Lawson has yet to obtain any of the recommended vaccines for her daughter. I haven t categorically ruled them out, she told The New York Times for a story published Friday. But I just think at this point she s too young, and her immune system is still developing. Nothing goes into my baby right now except for breast milk, so I don t feel comfortable injecting her with strange chemicals.
In addition to autism, a generic fear of unnatural chemicals is preventing parents from getting their children vaccinated, says Dr. Whelan. Unfortunately, parents don t know about the devastating effects of diseases such as whooping cough, and because they have no experience with it, they don t understand the threat and avoid taking preventive measures to protect their children.
