According to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, one in four toddlers are improperly vaccinated. Missed doses or improperly timed doses make up for the majority of immunization errors in children who are 19-35 months old.

Though immunization rates in the US remain good overall -- and the rates of children who are immunized by kindergarten age are higher than ever -- the CDC recommends children being vaccinated at the proper, recommended times. So, in addition to relying on your pediatrician's recommendations, it's important for parents to do their own homework.

For more information, see the CDC's information on vaccines.

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The safety of childhood vaccines has been a matter of debate for years now. I'll never forget having a conversation with a good friend of mine. She chose to get her son vaccinated and her neighborhood "mommy group" all but shunned her. They treated her as a pariah because she made the choice she thought was best for her son. She respected their decision not to vaccinate, but they couldn't respect her decision. It's just one of those hot topics that makes emotions run high.

Recently, the government has consented to pay a Georgia family a settlement out of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The family's little girl developed neurological symptoms after being vaccinated and was later diagnosed with autism. US officials say that the shots did not cause the autism, but rather exacerbated an existing condition. The girl is said to have had an issue with her mitochondria (cellular structures that generate energy). The CDC states that this is a rare case and childhood immunizations are lifesaving. This case does not change government recommendations about vaccinations.

What's your opinion?

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Gardasil, if you've been living under a rock, is the relatively new vaccine meant to protect girls from HPV. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical cancer. It's been nothing if not a controversial vaccine. When its use was approved, some parents cheered, others worried over a vaccine so new. States tried to mandate that girls get the vaccine, but the outcry was so great that that issue is still in limbo.

Now some are asking the question, "Should boys get the vaccine too?" Receiving the vaccine would mean immunity from genital warts for them, but the benefit would be far reaching. Not being infected with HPV would mean they wouldn't pass it on to women during sexual intercourse. Would parents consider giving a vaccine to their sons that would ultimately protect their sons' future girlfriends and wives?

I'm curious to hear from parents of boys. Would you consider giving your sons the HPV vaccine?

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The new ABC show "Eli Stone" us under fire from the largest Pediatrician's group in the U.S. due to its portrayal of autism possibly being caused by childhood vaccines.

The autism-vaccine debate continues to rage on in the media these days, and the arguments for and against the connection are as fierce as anything in the medical community's modern history.

The drama, set to debut this Thursday, follows a lawyer who wins a case for the family of an autistic child due to an executive at the vaccine maker not allowing his own child to receive the vaccine in question.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has taken a sharp view of the show and has stated "A television show that perpetuates the myth that vaccines cause autism is the height of reckless irresponsibility on the part of ABC and its parent company, The Walt Disney Co."

And the autism-vaccine debate rages on.

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The human immune system's "memory' -- the rate at which it continues to protect us from invading organisms -- lasts much longer than many scientists previously though, according to a new study.

In fact, the researchers states that in some cases, the effects from the immune system can last more than 200 years. That length of time ought to protect anybody for as long as they need, right?

This study shows yet another reason the human machine is so remarkable. The question is if newer medicine and technology will mean 200-year lifespans in the future.

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As the U.S. and other countries prepare for the next, coming wave of the flu, are the children in this nation (and others) being overlooked in terms of preparations?

A report this week from the U.S. government stated that children in this country would most likely be primary spreaders of a flu pandemic, as well as targets of the flu. The only problem is that they are -- as a group -- not at the forefront of preparations for dealing with the flu.

Sounds to me like a huge contradiction, yes? Dr. John Bradley of the American Academy of Pediatrics said that "right now, we are behind the curve in finding ways to limit the spread of a pandemic in children even though they are among the most at risk."

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Autism has been in the media quite a bit in recent years, as the number of confirmed cases seems to have shot up. Now, either cases are really increasing, autism diagnoses are becoming better or more accurate reporting is taking place -- or all three.

It's hard to know if autism is really increasing as a percentage of the population, and everything from food chemical additives to vaccinations have been brought up as possible autism causes. Thimiserol, a mercury-based component in some vaccines, is now gone form them due to a possible link to causing autism.

So, it comes as a little bit of a jolt that scientists are now saying autism occurs due to genetic variations like mutations that are present and then kicked into gear by different environmental variables. Well, I have a feeling many ailments like cancer and diabetes are like this as well, because the powerful witch's brew of genetics and variable lifestyle choices can mix to create, well, you name it. But autism? It's suspected that autism actually lurks in the human genome and can be passed from parents to offspring. But what triggers it in some and not in others? That is still a mystery.

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Needles? Injections? Vaccinations? Er, no way. But with school starting in a few weeks (and my youngest heading to kindergarten), I've had nothing else on my mind.

Unfortunately, like most children, mine hates shots -- so what's a mom (or dad) to do?

Well, when infants get shots perhaps the most important thing you can do is stay calm, cool and collected. Not always easy, I know. Babies can't talk, but they do sense fear and anxiety, especially in their parents. So if you feel yourself becoming anxious, try and take deep breaths to relax your muscles.

If that's not working, here are a few other strategies that may work:

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It's not ready for human use yet, but researchers have genetically engineered a rice that carries the cholera vaccine. This is a big deal because many underdeveloped countries don't have the means to refrigerate regular vaccines, plus this method of delivery could have some advantages other vaccines don't -- such as triggering immune reactions in mucous membranes.

I generally don't like the idea of genetically modifying food for any reason, even though this one does seem worthwhile. I just worry that GM foods haven't been around long enough for us to really understand the long-term effects they might have.

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Do childhood vaccines really contribute to autism in kids? That subject has been under debate for quite some time, and even though science says vaccines are not the cause of autism, that is not preventing a court case from happening on that very charge.

More than 4,800 claims have been filed against the federal government during the past six years regarding the suspicion that vaccines can lead to autism, due to vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. Although it is no longer used in many childhood vaccines, it is still used in flu vaccines.

Parents of autistic children are very concerned about having been marginalized by biased governmental findings and are determined to do something about it. Some parents even look to the "before and after" state of their kids regarding vaccinations and use that instead of possible corrupted governmental data.

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So if you're reading this then you've obviously survived the flu season. But whether you spent the winter miserably sick, or squeaked through flu-free, the over-all picture is that this years flu numbers were quite a bit lower than expected -- which means there are a whole lot of flu vaccines set to expire and headed for the trash.

The sad part about this is that although the expiration date says they're no good, in reality experts say they're probably still effective for another year or longer -- which means we're headed for serious frustration if next year we have a worse-than-expected flu season and end up with vaccine shortages instead of excess.

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