We received a notice this week from the American Academy of Pediatrics about an outbreak of the measles in San Diego. A 7-year old boy became infected with measles while traveling in Switzerland. He had never been vaccinated. Upon returning home, he transmitted the disease to his siblings, five classmates, and four other children who were at their pediatrician's office during his visit. All children had never been vaccinated. At least one of the children was hospitalized due to the severity of the illness.
Because of the dramatic success of vaccinations in preventing formerly commonplace illnesses, many people take vaccines for granted. There is a great deal of misinformation out there regarding the safety of vaccines. Fortunately, there has also been solid research in recent years consistently demonstrating the safety of vaccines. Much of the public concern regarding vaccine safety centers on autism. We have made strides in increasing our understanding of autistic-spectrum disorders, but we still have a ways to go. The focus of autism research in recent years has been three-fold:
1.) Demonstrating vaccine safety.
2.) Identifying other genetic and environmental causes of autistic-spectrum disorders.
3.) Early identification of signs of autism within the first year of life.
We believe that following the standard vaccine schedule is the safest thing you can do to protect your child against these serious and even deadly vaccine-preventable diseases. There is a solid and increasing body of research available now to prove this. We know that as a parent, you are simply trying to do the best that you can for your child. We want to support you with accurate information during this sometimes confusing information age. Please let us know if you have any specific concerns regarding vaccines and vaccine safety.
Please see our
Links--Vaccinations page for a variety of reputable sources for more information.