Alternative schedules: Why not?

Abstract

Vaccines are one of the most successful public health interventions of all time. Sixteen diseases that afflicted generations of American children are now vaccine preventable. However, as the number of vaccines in the routine childhood immunization schedule has increased, parents have become more concerned about the safety and necessity of these vaccines than they are about the diseases themselves. Alternative vaccination schedules, which differ substantially from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended schedule, have become increasingly popular. In this chapter we review the science behind the official immunization schedule and explore parental concerns about the recommended immunization schedule. We review the problems inherent to alternative vaccine schedules; namely, they are not evidence based, prolong susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases, and result in unnecessary office visits and infant stress. We also provide evidence-based talking points and practical suggestions to help primary care providers work with families who request alternative schedules.