Posted on: Monday, September 8, 2003

EDITORIAL
Child immunization still the proper course

There was encouraging news out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week concerning the health of younger children.

The centers report an encouraging trend of doctors prescribing fewer antibiotics to children for relatively minor illnesses such as earache.

And why is this good news? Scientists have known for some time that over-prescription of antibiotics creates a pool of germs that become resistant to the most common antibiotics. In effect, this powerful weapon becomes inefficient if not ineffectual.

Physicians have learned to resist pressure from over-stressed parents who want their children "cured" as swiftly as possible. But the doctors know, as should most parents, that antibiotics are not useful against colds, viruses and most ear infections.

What this news should not encourage, we must emphasize, is the idea that standard childhood inoculations are unnecessary. Some parents have concluded that since many childhood diseases have become rare, or even nonexistent, there is no need to inoculate their youngsters.

Wrong. The decline in these diseases is the direct result of a firm, uniform policy of inoculation. Yes, do not overtreat with drugs that have little or no use. But continue to pursue a course of standard childhood immunization.