Deadly Prescription For Kids?

Eric and Constance Grieger's top priority is keeping their children healthy, but their prescription for preventing disease could be deadly, CBS News Correspondent John Roberts reports.

"We educated ourselves on what the benefits and risks would be by not immunizing and by immunizing, and we thought it would be best if we didn't immunize," said Constance Grieger.

Vaccines have virtually eliminated polio, tetanus, diptheria and whooping cough in the Western world. But after their three older children had what the Griegers say were adverse reactions to some of the vaccines, they decided - against popular wisdom - not to immunize their younger children.

"I guess I get tired of being called somebody who's neglecting my children, jeopardizing the life of my children," Constance Grieger said. "I don't feel I should have to continue to say why I'm doing this. If there is some sound reason shy I should immunize my children I would like to have it."

And the Griegers are not alone. For years, Idaho has claimed one of the nation's lowest immunization rates among young children. In part because of decisions like the Griegers' and also because some parents simply don't recognize the benefit of vaccinations.

"As people become less aware of what happens when someone gets polio or gets diptheria," said Dr. Gerry Hirschfeld, a pediatrician at St. Luke's Children Hospital, "then parents tend to not validate the importance... of getting immunizations."

The majority of Idaho's schoolchildren have been vaccinated against preventable diseases. But significant outbreaks of whooping cough in the state have prompted the creation of a statewide registry to track which children have been immunized.

"This just makes it easier, far easier, for parents to properly maintain that record and know when it's time to get the next shot," said Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne.

Kempthorne's goal is to make the information in the database readily available to the medical community.

"It's a voluntary program. It has the absolute integrity of confidentiality. It's not going to be used for other purposes. It's strictly for immunization, it's not going to made available to anyone else," the governor said.

But it's been a tough sell among some of Idaho's ultra-conservative watchdog groups.

"There is a strong feeling in Idaho about government," said Dani Hansen of the conservative Eagle Forum. "Idaho families do not feel they need government help to send them a reminder to get their children immunized. Their private doctors do that."

The Grieger family believes the immunization registry is an invasion of privacy.

"I don't want anybody looking in at our family and wanting information that's not necessary," said Constance Grieger. "I think the hidden agenda is to use the registry to find out who's not immunizing."

And they will continue to defend their decision not to vacinate their children.

"My father had polio. I have grown up with the risk factors held above my head," said Constance Grieger. "I am not walking into this blindly. We're not finding ourselves in a demographic of people who find our children at risk."

One in 3,000 children who get measles will die from it, and one in 200 children who contract whooping cough will die from it.

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