Parents could get vaccines at pediatrician

Parents should be able to get vaccinations from pediatricians because babies cannot be vaccinated against infectious diseases, U.S. health researchers suggest. Dr. Herschel R. Lessin and Dr. Kathryn M. Edwards of the committee on practice and ambulatory medicine, and the committee on infectious diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said very young infants, as well as children who are immunocompromised, are at especially high risk for developing serious consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases and cannot be immunized completely. There is evidence children who become infected with these diseases are exposed to pathogens through household contacts -- particularly from parents or other close family contacts -- who are not fully protected from these diseases, from either immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases, the researchers said. One option to increase immunization coverage for parents and close family contacts of infants and vulnerable children is to provide alternative locations for immunizations such as the pediatric offices. "Ideally, adults should receive immunizations at their own physician, but to provide greater protection to these adults and reduce the exposure of children to pathogens, immunizing parents or other adult family contacts in the pediatric office setting could increase immunization coverage for this population to protect themselves as well as children to whom they provide care," the researchers concluded. The findings are published in the journal Pediatrics.