Vaccine refusals are on the rise while recent studies show immunization is unrelated to the rise in Autism

LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With vaccine refusals on the rise, it's more important than ever to educate parents before their babies are born. To commemorate Infant Immunization week, AltaMed Health Services, the nations largest independent Federally Qualified Health Center, is informing expecting parents about the importance of immunization in a special class at AltaMed Medical Group—Commerce.

"There has been a lot of media coverage and fears about vaccines causing problems in children, specifically the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine," says AltaMed Provider Dr. Desmond Lew. "The reality is that Autism appears at roughly 15 months of age regardless of whether the child is vaccinated or not. These vaccines are essential to the health of our children and it's important to educate parents about these needs."

While AltaMed regularly offers education classes for expecting parents, today's class on immunizations covered:

• traditional vaccine schedules
• seasonal vaccines and immunizing caretakers
• vaccine coverage options including the Vaccines for Children program

"Providing immunizations along with education is a key initiative for AltaMed," says AltaMed's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Martin Serota. "We've seen a huge reduction in disease thanks to increased vaccinations—chicken pox, measles, mumps, there's a generation who has never experienced these illnesses—informing our patients of the benefits and getting them treated is our first priority."

A recent study led by Allison Kempe, M.D., MPH, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Children's Outcomes Resarch (COR) program at The Children's Hospital, finds that misinformation about vaccines is on the rise. The study shows that 79 percent of physicians report at least one vaccine refusal and 8 percent report refusals for more than 10 percent of children.

About AltaMed Health Services – AltaMed has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years. Accredited by the Joint Commission, AltaMed prides itself in the quality of its care delivered by its premier health care professionals. AltaMed is the largest Federally Qualified Community Health Center in California delivering more than 650,000 annual patient visits through its 43 sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

SOURCE AltaMed Health Services