| The decision whether or not to vaccinate children is a highly debated controversy for parents today. It is also a highly debated topic among health care providers. Parents are inundated with vaccine information. Some of the information is credible and others are not. As providers, it is our responsibility to ensure parents of children are provided with the most current evidence-based research related to immunizations. Parents need to be educated regarding true contraindications, anticipated adverse effects, and the risks and benefits of vaccinating and/or electing not to vaccinate. Parents do have the ultimate decision to vaccinate or not, but they need to understand the consequences of their decision. It is important that parents receive immunization information from credible sources, as there are many non-reliable sources available to parents today.;This paper will address the need for vaccinations and the need to follow the set schedule of vaccines as approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians (AAFP). This paper will also cover frequently asked questions by parents, thimerosal as a preservative, safety of multiple vaccines, how vaccines are tested and monitored, and lastly the implications of not vaccinating. Nola J. Pender's Health Promotion Model is used as the theoretical framework for the paper, as vaccinations are an important piece of health maintenance and keeping our children healthy. These are all important topics for advanced practice nurses to be aware of and to have the most current information to give parents. |
