Although the number of recommended childhood vaccines has increased substantially during the past few decades, multiple inoculations do not weaken or overwhelm the infant immune system, according to a recent report.
"Addressing Parents' Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines Overwhelm or Weaken the Infant Immune System?" appeared in the January issue of Pediatrics and was written by Paul A. Offit, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Offit noted that 20 years ago, children received seven vaccines routinely and up to five inoculations by age 2 years. Today children receive 11 vaccines routinely and up to 20 injections by age 2. He said this increase has raised concerns in parents, who worry that their children's immune systems are inadequately developed to handle vaccines safely or that multiple vaccines may weaken, overwhelm, or deplete their immune systems.
"The infant immune . . . [Full Text of this Article]
