Researchers with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have determined that vaccination records of children who were born in China, Russia, and Guatemala may not be accurate -- and, as a result, parents who have adopted children from these nations should consider having their children tested by a pediatrician to establish their true immunization status.

According to an article on Canada's CBCNews website, the Case Western researchers reached their conclusions after analyzing data on 465 children who were processed through an international adoption clinic between 2001 and 2006:

Children who are adopted from China, Russia and Guatemala may not be protected against polio, measles and other diseases even though their records suggest they are, say researchers who checked for evidence of immunity. ...

"Immunization records should not be accepted as evidence of protective immunity," the study's authors concluded. "Parents should be well informed and supported to choose between re-vaccination or vaccination, based on serologic [blood] testing."

The Case Western study was published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, health, vaccination