Immunizations

Dear Dr. Markel,

I had my two children who are 4 yrs and 2 yrs old vaccinated for chicken pox. I've been researching the vaccination more now and I believe I made a big mistake. This shot is only 70-85% effective on minor cases. I have a friend who had her children vaccinated and they have gotten chicken pox 2-3 times(minor cases).This shot sounds like it helps you get minor cases of chicken pox many times in your life. I had chicken pox when I was tiny and now I should be immune for life. I don't believe this is the case for my children. There is a booster now required before kindergarten, should I have my children get the booster? Will this prolong there exposure until they are older when it is more dangerous to get chicken pox?

Dear Dr. Markel
If I don't want to give my 1 1/2 year old every shot - how can I still get her into school? She's had all of them except the Hep. B. If I don't have a choice, then what's the point? Does she have to go to a special school for kids who's parents are against vaccines?

Dear Dr. Markel,
Could you direct me to a neutral source of information that outlines the pros and cons of vaccinating your child?

While my research on the subject has turned up a wealth of strong facts and opinions in support of both sides of the question I nevertheless feel that the bias of most of these sources is hard to escape.

It seems to me that up-to-date, accurate, and unbiased resources that deal with a subject as important as this one, should be easily accessible.

Dear Dr. Markel,
I am very concerned about the number of vaccinations that are apparently disguised as “well baby visits” at the pediatrician’s office. I refused the Hepatitis B vaccine right after my son was born, and now I am faced with the prospect of so many vaccines in the first year, a majority of which did not exist when I was growing up, such as rotavirus, pneumococcal, varicella and Hepatitis A. Do I have the right to decline to have my baby used as a pincushion? What are the risks of deciding for or against these vaccines? What if my doctor in turn refuses to care for my baby?