Vaccines are medicines bright and shining stars
Before vaccines, parents in the United States could expect that every year:
-Polio would paralyze as many as 50,000 children.
-Rubella (German measles) would cause birth defects and mental retardation in as many as 20,000 newborns.
-Measles would infect about 4 million children, killing 3,000.
-Diphtheria would be one of the most common causes of death in school-aged children.
-A bacterium called Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) would cause meningitis in 15,000 children, leaving many with permanent brain damage.
-Pertussis (whooping cough) would kill thousands of infants.
Vaccines have changed these horrifying numbers! Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations before. And, for most Americans today, vaccines are a routine part of healthcare.
However some people are left re-evaluating their usefulness and questioning whether vaccines are still necessary. Further, some parents are concerned that vaccines may actually be the cause of diseases such as autism, hyperactivity, developmental delay, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among others.
Support the Vaccine Education Center
You can help protect children and educate families about vaccines by supporting the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
To contribute today, click on the Make a Donation button.
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