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Texas doctors are going on the offensive to get more Texas children immunized against serious diseases. They’ve launched a media campaign to make parents more aware of the importance of early immunizations.
Texas is 48th in the country in vaccinating children age three and under, and it gets worse every year. The Texas Medical Association is running radio and TV announcements all over the state in the hope of reversing that trend, and they’re investigating to find out why this problem exists. TMA President Dr. Robert Gunby says they’re taking a good look at the state’s so called “conscientious objector” law that gives parents the right to not vaccinate their children, which he says is not good public policy.
Gunby says they’ll also look at cuts in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, periodic vaccine shortages, and a lack of coordination between public health agencies, doctors, schools and day care centers. Gunby says the legislature can change those things, but the TMA still needs to get accurate information out to parents.
Gunby says there are third world countries with higher vaccination rates than Texas, and doctors have to do something.