Title:  Fewer Vaccinations
Producer: Emily Halevy/Collin Siedor
Feed: CWKN #382, April 23, 2008
Time: 1:42
SUGGESTED LEAD: THE NUMBER OF PARENTS CHOOSING NOT TO VACCINATE THEIR KIDS AGAINST VARIOUS CHILDHOOD DISEASES IS ON THE RISE.  IT SEEMS THE PROGRAM TO VACCINATE AMERICAN KIDS HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL, THE PROGRAM IS NOW BEGINNING TO FAIL, AS WE’VE SEEN WITH RECENT OUTBREAKS OF MEASLES IN CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA AND OHIO. CONNECT WITH KIDS HAS THE STORY.
<<PKG>>

NARR: 8 MONTH OLD ZOE (ZO-ee) HAS HAD ALL HER SHOTS; TWO YEAR OLD CALEB IS UP TO DATE AS WELL, INCLUDING THE M-R-R SHOT, MEASLES MUMPS AND RUBELLA. (:11)

SUPER: Sarah Byrd, Mother (:11)
“The one concern that I had was with the MMR shot.  There’s a lot of media and news going on about how there’s- that around the same time the kids get the MMR shot that they’re showing signs of autism.”

NARR: AND YET THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE REPORTS, “SCIENCE DOES NOT SUPPORT A LINK BETWEEN THIMEROSAL IN VACCINES AND AUTISM.”

THIMEROSAL IS A PRESERVATIVE CONTAINING MERCURY THAT WAS DISCONTINUED SEVEN YEARS AGO.

STILL, SOME PARENTS HAVE A QUESTION FOR THEIR FAMILY DOCTOR … (:16)

SUPER: Anitha Leonard, M.D., Kids’ Health First Pediatrician (:42)
“…if it is not gonna harm their child not to give the vaccine, then why do it?”  

NARR:  ESPECIALLY BECAUSE … DESPITE RECENT OUTBREAKS OF MEASLES AND MUMPS … MOST CHILDHOOD DISEASES ARE NOW RARE. (:06)

SOT: Anitha Leonard, M.D., Kids’ Health First Pediatrician (:53)
 “I myself have never seen a case of measles, I’ve seen a few cases of mumps, I have never seen rubella.   So when you don’t see these children dying of these diseases it’s kind of out of sight out of mind.”

NARR: AND YET THESE GERMS ARE STILL HERE … OR JUST A PLANE RIDE AWAY … AND STILL DEADLY. (:05)

SOT: Anitha Leonard, M.D., Kids’ Health First Pediatrician (1:11)
“For instance, a child that’s before the age of one there are certain bacterial infections that are deadly to these babies that we are currently vaccinating: pneumococcis for instance, they usually get 4 vaccinations before they are one.  So, if I got a pneumococcal infection right now or if a 13 or 14 year old did, it’s not as detrimental to them, whereas if a 2 month old got it, pneumococcis causes meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, which is bacteria in the blood and can cause death. 

NATS: Sarah saying goodbye (1:39)

NARR: I’M COLLIN SIEDOR FOR CONNECT WITH KIDS. (:03)

SUGGESTED TAG:   WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME FLU SHOTS, THIMEROSAL IS NOT USED AS A PRESERVATIVE IN CHILDHOOD VACCINES.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VACCINATION SAFETY LOG ONTO <LOCAL URL> AND CLICK ON THE CONNECT WITH KIDS ICON.