You may have heard from various sources that autism may be tied to vaccines, and you may have also heard that there is no connection at all between the two. This discussion can be quite confusing to many parents and providers. Where do you start and what should you know?

You have a few choices concerning vaccinations. You and your doctor may agree to any of the following - immunizing your child, breaking down the immunizations to individual strains or spacing them over time, and not immunizing your child. The best tip is to be informed.  Start with your doctor, discussing the pros and cons of each choice.  If you decide to break the immunizations down, as an example; the MMR into individual doses of Measles, Mumps and Rubella, you can order them through Hopewell Pharmacy http://www.hopewellrx.com/autism/index.shtml by sending them a prescription from your doctor written that way. To make sure there is no confusion when you visit the doctor, contact Hopewell Pharmacy ahead of time to see what they will need from you. Take that information with you to your doctor or send ahead.

For additional information about immunizations please visit the following website

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm

Making the decision to have your child receive the flu shot or mist should also be discussed with your doctor. The following website may help you with links to vaccine information, flu clinics and immunization news: http://www.immunizecolorado.com/index.asp.