One of the key elements of high-quality early learning is good health. Today, though, more than one in 10 parents follow an alternative vaccination schedule, instead of the recommended number and pace of shots, a new study says.

In the latest development of the persistent debate over vaccine safety, a University of Michigan study found an even higher proportion of parents, one in five, who followed recommended vaccination schedules still thought delaying shots was safer. And most parents, 41 percent, who followed alternative schedules developed their own plan, instead of relying on well-known options, according to a story published by Pediatrics today. (Read the abstract)

The good news is that not many families are skipping all of their children’s shots. Only two percent of parents in the study reported refusing all vaccines.

The report will fuel the vaccine safety discussion that has been going on for years, despite a lack of established scientific research showing vaccines pose public health risks. We do not have space or time to review arguments and challenges around vaccinations. But, this study is a reminder of how important that debate is and that good health is a fundamental support for learning in preschool, pre-kindergarten and child care.

A surprising finding was that a large proportion of parents currently following the recommended schedule seemed to have attitudes counter to this practice, which suggests that they may be at risk for switching to an alternative schedule in the future. The results of this study highlight the need to develop interventions quickly to quell the apparently growing concerns among parents about the safety and necessity of recommended childhood vaccines. -- “Alternative Vaccination Schedule Preferences Among Parents of Young Children.” 10/3/11.

Further Reading: “More parents think it's safer to delay vaccines,” -- 10/3/11, My Health News via MSNBC.com.