Headlines such as "Immunizations Thought to Increase Risk of Autism," or "Mercury Found in Immunizations may cause Irreversible Brain Damage" have been featured on magazine covers, news reports and newspaper columns. But what truth do these headlines hold? Perhaps more than many wish to acknowledge. As a result, one of the newest controversies is related to the topic of childhood immunizations.

Traditionally, children are vaccinated against illnesses such as polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella and more recently varicella -- or chicken pox. Vaccines begin at only a few weeks of age and continue on a recommended schedule" through the age of 16, with a majority of them required during the preschool years. As vaccinations are required for a child to attend daycare, public or private school systems or, in some cases, receive medical coverage, many parents follow the schedule of immunizations without question.

"I never thought twice about getting my children immunized," says Aquilla Rexroat, a mother of four from Chillicothe, Ill. "They have always been immunized when they were scheduled to be and received them regardless of how they were feeling, how they were developing or if they were being treated for something else. I never thought to question it -- they are required to have them."

However, organizations such as National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) feel that the poor health of our nation's children, including those illnesses and diseases the federal government states as epidemic, may be due in part to both the immunization procedures as well as the immunizations themselves.

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