Vaccines And Your Family: Empowering Parents To Make Wise Decisions

For many new and expecting parents, one topic that can cause sleepless nights even before the baby is born is childhood vaccinations. It’s no secret that this is an issue of great controversy in the medical, scientific, and parenting communities, and it can be enough to make any well-meaning parent’s head spin with anxious questions: “Should I vaccinate? Should I not vaccinate? Should I use a delayed schedule? Am I putting my child at risk for autism and autoimmune disease if I do vaccinate? Am I putting them at risk for deadly contagious diseases if I don’t?” In the midst of these important questions, parents of young babies can often be left confused about where to seek out quality answers.

In the internet age, where opinion rather than fact reigns supreme, it can be especially difficult to know where to turn for sound advice. On both sides of the vaccine debate-and everywhere in between-there is a minefield riddled with uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and guilt trips. How is a parent to navigate the controversial landscape? It all starts with education. Armed with a basic understanding of developmental immunology, the risks factors of childhood disease, and the science and politics that go into the recommended vaccine schedule, parents can feel empowered to make wise decisions for their family, regardless of what side of the spectrum they find themselves on.

On Thursday, August 25th, Dr. Katherine Caputo, a licensed naturopathic physician from Great lakes Natural Medicine in Lakewood hopes to provide some of this education to the parents of the Cleveland area. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Public Library Dr. Caputo will be presenting information on childhood vaccinations in a relaxed, judgment and agenda-free environment. The first hour will be a presentation on topics such as: the development of the infant and child immune systems, the current state of the recommended vaccine schedule, the risk factors of vaccine-protected infectious diseases, the controversy of vaccine-related autism and autoimmune disease, and the politics of parental choice. The second hour will be set aside for question and answer, so if you have questions about vaccines, this is a wonderful opportunity to get them addressed! This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited to the first 100 guests.  Well-attended children are welcome; however, there will be no childcare provided. For more information, you can call Dr. Caputo at 216-269-3876 or email at drcaputo@greatlakesnaturalmedicine.com.