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Measles Cases Rise in the United States

Posted on: 08/11/2008

At Greater Lowell Pediatrics, we believe that immunizing against vaccine preventable diseases is our most important responsibility in keeping your child healthy. We know that parents have many valid questions about the safety of the immunization process as well as specific vaccines and the diseases they prevent. To give one example, we are often asked by parents about a possible connection between immunization and the development of autism. Many well conducted scientific studies have disproved a causative role for vaccines.

Immunizations have been much in the news and on the internet of late.  Of concern to us at GLP are recent attacks, many in the form of inaccurate and unsupported claims, that place in jeopardy a program that has been so successful in protecting the health of all of us.  The recent rise in Measles cases in the United States is an example of the harm caused by fear of vaccination. (See Measles Returns at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/opinion/24sun2.html?ref=opinion). Fortunately, there are now many excellent websites to recommend dedicated to exploring these issues and providing accurate and up to date information about immunization:

American Academy of Pediatrics (includes a comprehensive list of vaccine information
sites for parents)
  http://www.cispimmunize.org/resour/rsc_main.html

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center
  http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/microsite/microsite.jsp?id=75918

Immunization Action Coalition
  http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/

National Network for Immunization Information
  http://www.immunizationinfo.org

CDC Parents’ Guide to Childhood Immunizations  
  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/parents-guide/default.htm