Parental Disagreements About Childhood Vaccinations

Youth vaccinations are in the news again. A health study by the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that oral cancers are on the increase which HPV, a sexually transmitted disease is to blame. Experts have actually recommended that HPV is at the root of up to 95 % of non – tobacco related oral cancer. The good news is that there is a vaccine for the virus. The bad news is that it is most effective when administered before a person becomes sexually active. Some groups say that the vaccine promotes promiscuity.

At a recent televised Republican primary debate, Congresswoman Michelle Bachman chastised Texas governor Rick Perry for an executive order mandating that pre-teen girls get vaccinated for HPV, which is also believed to cause most cases of cervical cancer in the United States. Bachman argued that the vaccine is not known to be safe, citing an unnamed mother who purportedly told her that the HPV vaccine caused her child’s mental retardation. There was an immediate outcry that there is no evidence to show that the HPV vaccine is unsafe.

Many parents have similar concerns about other vaccines. For years, there were concerns that the MMR vaccine caused autism. Recent studies purport to disprove this, but the argument rages in many homes across the state and nation.

Exactly what occurs if parents cannot agree regarding if and when to vaccinate their kids? Parents with joint legal custody both can make medical care choices for a child, and the law anticipates parents to confer and reach agreement. If agreement is not reached, the problem could be determined by a court. In California, the court will weigh each parent’s argument and decide whether the vaccine is in the best of the youngster. That leaves a great deal of space for uncertainty concerning exactly what the court’s decision will be, and the decision may be highly subjective.

If you have a disagreement about whether your child ought to be immunized, an experienced child custody attorney could be able to assist to resolve your concern. Do not think twice to call someone before the issue boils over.