Parents need honest answers to questions about childhood vaccines | Opinion

Veronica McNally

In this photo illustration, a bottle containing a measles vaccine is seen at the Miami Children's Hospital in January, 2015.

Veronica McNally, whose daughter died of whooping cough, is a founder of the Franny Strong Foundation

My heart aches for Rebecca Bredow, the young Metro Detroit mom jailed for violating an Oakland County Circuit Court judge’s order to immunize her son against vaccine-preventable diseases.

As I watched Michigan and national media coverage of Rebecca’s case, I saw a young woman who, from all indications, loves her son and is trying to do what is best for him. When Rebecca shared her story with the public, memories came flooding back of my family’s experiences with childhood immunizations.

Like Rebecca, I’m a young mom who had questions about immunizing our kids. On Feb. 24, 2012, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl — our daughter, Francesca. She was just 3 months old when she came down with a cough. Days later, on May 17, she died of pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, a vaccine-preventable disease.

Francesca’s death generated newspaper and TV news coverage. It also compelled my husband and me to take a closer look at the illness that claimed her life and what could have prevented it.

We quickly discovered that Francesca’s case of whooping cough was not an isolated incident. In fact, many vaccine-preventable diseases were making a comeback. Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases were occurring and continue to occur today, at times at alarming rates. They are far more common — and dangerous — than you might think.

During our research, we learned that Michigan has some of the worst immunization rates in the nation. Currently, we rank 43rd in immunization coverage for preschool-aged children. Only 56% of preschoolers are up to date on their vaccines. That means half of Michigan parents with toddlers are choosing to delay vaccinations or skip them altogether. Let that sink in for a moment.

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Fifty-six percent? Is it a surprising statistic? Surprising? No. Alarming? Yes. On the central question of whether vaccines are safe and effective, online there are daunting volumes of confusing and often conflicting information, some falsely claiming to be fact and science-based.

Until recently, there was no easy-to-access online resource about childhood immunizations written specifically for young parents in Michigan, based entirely on medical science, and written in language that most parents can understand. There was no resource that featured Michigan parents talking with other parents in an open, honest and fact-based way about childhood immunizations.

Such a resource now exists — IVaccinate.org. Launched in March by the Franny Strong Foundation and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the website answers questions expectant and young parents have about childhood immunizations.

Since our daughter’s death from pertussis, I have spoken with thousands of young moms and parents across the state about our experience. In many instances, they have questions about vaccines, but in all cases they love their children. If you meet a young or expectant parent seeking information about childhood immunizations, remember that they are just trying to protect the children they love.

Veronica McNally, and her husband Sean, are founders of the Franny Strong Foundation.