Finding the facts on childhood immunizations
This may be the most challenging time in history for parents to make informed decisions about their child’s immunizations. Mixed messages about the importance and safety of vaccinations abound on the internet and quite often, incorrect information is presented in a very convincing way. How do you, as a parent, make an informed decision?
Vaccination has been one of the greatest public health achievements over the last century.
Because of vaccinations, fewer infants and children die from preventable diseases each year. Vaccines go through multiple studies to ensure they are safe and effective, with safety being at the forefront of every vaccine development process and use.
However, it is important to remember that the viruses and bacteria that cause diseases, like polio, measles, meningitis, diphtheria and tetanus, are not gone. In the absence of a widely vaccinated population, these diseases can and will emerge again, as we are now seeing with measles.
The U.S. is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in more than 25 years. According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been 49 confirmed cases of measles in California as of June 2026. Most of these cases have been among unvaccinated children.
You, as a parent, should have a space you can go to for accurate, science-based information to guide your decisions. So where should you look for the information you need to make wise decisions? Below are some reputable resources to access science-based information to help you make informed decisions for your child’s health.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is the largest professional association of pediatricians in the U.S. and advises on best practices in childhood health care.
The AAP members are devoted to providing quality medical information for the safety of your children and their own. Their immunization information can be found at aap.org/en/patient-care/immunizations/vaccination-recommendations-by-the-aap/
The California Department of Public Health is also a trusted resource for vaccination information, which can be found at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/Vaccine-Facts-What-You-Need-to-Know.aspx
Many sites on the internet claim to tell us the “truth” about vaccines, but quality information from science-based research, reviewed by those who are experts in their fields, is key when making informed healthcare choices for you and your family.
Please talk with your child’s healthcare provider about vaccines needed to help protect your child, your family, and your community. I think we can all agree that the bar needs to be very high when we are making decisions about our children’s health!
About Dr. Teresa Frankovich
Dr. Teresa Frankovich is an associate medical director at Partnership HealthPlan of California.
About Partnership HealthPlan of California
Partnership is a community-based, safety-net health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. Partnership provides quality care to about 850,000 Medi-Cal members. Starting in Solano County in 1994, Partnership now serves 24 Northern California counties – Lassen, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba. Learn more about Partnership at PartnershipHP.org.
About Your Partner in Health
Partnership will be sharing quarterly articles on important health topics with media outlets in our service area to help our members and communities be healthy.
