Do unvaccinated kids get invited to your family's social events? Take our poll, and then share a comment below—it could appear in a future issue of Parents!
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Looking after a group of young children is never easy. Making sure they are happy, safe, and healthy at a birthday party or playdate can be a daunting task. With hawk-like supervision, playground injuries are preventable enough, but keeping your child from contracting an illness or disease from one of his playmates can be tricky, especially when not all parents are on the same page regarding the vaccination of their children.
In recent years, a contentious debate about the merits and dangers of vaccines has arisen. As a result, whether it be because of religious, philosophical, or health reasons, some parents have chosen to opt out of immunizing their children. However, as one example, the CDC estimates that the vaccination rates for children between 19-35 months old still ranges between 82-93 percent for various life threatening diseases, making those who decide not to vaccinate their children a small minority. Unfortunately, this decision has ramifications beyond the individual health of a child, as parents of other kids may decide to avoid the risk of prolonged contact with an unvaccinated child.
What do you think? Would you ban an unvaccinated child from your own kid's playdate or birthday party? Take our one-question poll, and then share your thoughts below!
Zach Verbit is a recent college graduate from Florida State University currently interning at Parents magazine.
