Statement by Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher on Childhood Vaccinations
Contact: CDC Press Office, 404-639-3286
WASHINGTON, July 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher:
Vaccines, approved for use in the United States, have been protecting our nation's children from deadly infectious diseases since our grandparent's generation. In fact, vaccines can be credited for saving more lives and preventing more illnesses than any medical treatment. Without question, continuing to ensure our children are vaccinated with licensed vaccines is critical to protect their health and to prevent disease outbreaks. FDA considers all vaccines currently available to be safe and effective.
It is essential that children continue to receive all vaccines according to currently recommended schedules. The risk of devastating childhood diseases like whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, tetanus, polio and diphtheria is real.
Physicians and parents should be reassured that continuing to vaccinate infants, within the flexibility of today's schedule, is the best way to protect infants from devastating childhood diseases. Although the United States enjoys some of the lowest levels of disease, the disease causing organisms still circulate among us. Terrible childhood diseases like whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, polio, and diphtheria are waiting for us to let our guard down. The risk of devastating childhood diseases from failure to vaccinate far outweighs the minimal, if any, risk of exposure to cumulative levels of mercury in vaccines. The choice to vaccinate infants with these vaccines is a sound one.
Note: HHS press releases are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.hhs.gov.
-0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ 07/07 18:10
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
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