La Salle Nursing Professor: Not Getting Your Children Vaccinated 'Endangers The Health Of Your Community'
By Chris Stigall
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Governor Chris Christie and Senator Rand Paul have both gotten in hot water as of late for their comments on vaccines. Christie asked for more of a choice for parents in deciding whether or not to vaccinate their children and he has since attempted to clarify his statement.
La Salle Nursing professor Dr. Frances Kinder told WPHT morning host Chris Stigall that the governor "spoke at the top of his head" and truly understanding vaccines "comes down to education."
"Parents and health providers need to understand that there are risks to having vaccines but the science is clear. Not vaccinating your child endangers the health of your community. Vaccinating prevents the spread of disease. So, parents need to be educated."
While she is aware of there being side effects for vaccines, Kinder ensures Stigall that at her private pediatric practice, like many across the nation, do their best to educate parents on vaccines as much as they can and she feels that they are in fact safe.
"There are side effects of vaccines, mostly irritability and fever. What we do in our practice and in all practices across the United States, which is we give parents the vaccine information statement which is required by the law. Parents need to sign this that they have been informed and educated on the vaccine and it tells them what to look for, as far as any type of side effects and reportable adverse reactions…There are side effects and adverse reactions and most of them are very local, but if there are any type of reactions that need to reported, there is ongoing surveillance with the different companies that make the vaccines…but I can say, yes, vaccines are safe and not getting your child vaccinated endangers the community. It's a public health hazard."
According to Kinder, educating the public has not been the primary tactic of a number of her colleagues in her area and they have handled families that differ from her in a way that she completely disagrees with.
"It's best to educate people. Sometimes now across my area, physicians are dismissing families that don't want to get vaccines, but I think the American Academy of Pediatrics is saying, 'education is best."