Parents are increasingly pressuring doctors to delay vaccines for young children , raising the threat from preventable diseases such as the flu , measles and mumps , a new study suggests . Researchers from the University of Colorado surveyed 534 physicians across the country with 93 per cent reporting that they had received requests for jabs to be rescheduled . Some parents wanted to space shots out so their children were n't jabbed so many times in one sitting while others worried about possible vaccine-related neurological complications . Children in the U.S. receive around 29 vaccines for about 14 illnesses between birth and six years , based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Growing trend : Parents are increasingly pressuring doctors to delay vaccines for young children , raising the threat from preventable diseases such as the flu , measles and mumps , a new study suggests . Three-quarters of the doctors surveyed said they agreed to vaccine delays at least some of the time , even though they knew it was potentially harmful . In some cases , practitioners feared they would lose patients from their practice if they pushed the recommended vaccine schedule too hard . Only three per cent said they had refused such requests . Overall , 25 per cent of doctors said the demand for injection delays were up from the previous year . Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children have faced scrutiny after a measles outbreak in California blighted more than 100 adults and children since December . Most cases are tied to an outbreak at Disneyland in California , which likely began with a traveler who brought it in . However , the exact source of the Disneyland-linked cases is not known . Doctors are concerned about unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children becoming ill and spreading disease to others . The potential repercussions are worrisome and are happening 'right now with the measles outbreak , ' said Dr. Allison Kempe , a University of Colorado researcher and a member of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's vaccine advisory committee . The survey , conducted in 2012 , did n't ask doctors which particular vaccines parents asked to delay . The recommended CDC vaccine schedules are based on research around what time they will be most effective at preventing disease . Delaying shots targeted for certain ages means they may be less effective later on . It also makes it more likely that children will never get vaccinated , because parents get too busy or forget to schedule another doctor 's visit , said Dr. Robert Frenck , an infectious diseases specialist at Cincinnati Children 's Hospital Medical Center . He was not involved in the new study , published in Monday 's Pediatrics . 'People just do n't understand that these diseases are all there , they 're not gone . They 're just being kept at bay right now . If people stop vaccinating , they come right back , ' Frenck said . Doctors involved in the University of Colorado investigation were all certified members of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians - the two leading groups of doctors who treat young children .
Researchers from the University of Colorado surveyed 534 doctors across the country . 93 per cent reported that they had received requests for jabs to be rescheduled . Some parents wanted to space shots out to spare their children from getting jabbed so many times in one sitting . Others worried about possible vaccine-related neurological complications . Children in the U.S. receive around 29 vaccines for about 14 illnesses between birth and six years , based on recommendations from the CDC .