Information about http://www.immunize.org/iz_open_letter_608.pdf
AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS ON IMMUNIZATION POLICY …
Tags: centers for disease control, centers for disease control and prevention, centers for disease control and prevention cdc, disease control and prevention, exemplary safety, food and drug administration, food and drug administration fda, fundamental principle, immunization policy, international public health, measles vaccine, medical cause, medical intervention, medical success, principle beliefs, public health community, safety record, unsubstantiated claims, vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine risks,Pages: 3
Language: english
Created: Wed Jun 4 13:21:31 2008
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AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS ON IMMUNIZATION POLICY
June 2, 2008
As advocates for public health, we are writing to express support for immunization and
concern about those who decide not to vaccinate their children based on unsubstantiated
claims about vaccine risks. No medical intervention is risk-free, but vaccines have an
exemplary safety record and significant adverse reactions are very rare. Vaccines are tested
in large clinical trials, are thoroughly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
and are subject to comprehensive ongoing surveillance by the FDA, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), and the international public health community.
Well-designed scientific studies are the only valid method of demonstrating medical cause
and effect. In contravention of this fundamental principle, beliefs not based on science have
led increasing numbers of parents to choose not to immunize their children. The implications
of this choice are profound. A decision not to vaccinate is not just an individual decision.
Because these diseases are spread from person to person, the decision to leave a child
unvaccinated not only leaves that child susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases, but
permits the spread of those diseases to the surrounding community, including infants too
young to be immunized and those suffering from immunodeficiency conditions. The
ongoing measles outbreaks across the nation are a clear, current example. In each instance,
the outbreak was started by an unimmunized individual who spread the infection to others,
including children whose parents had opted not to have them immunized and infants less than
one year of age who were too young to have received measles vaccine.
It is indisputable that immunization has been one of the greatest medical success stories in
history. The scourge of smallpox has been eradicated completely, while polio, which once
crippled and killed tens of thousands of children annually, now only circulates in a few
countries and is targeted for eradication. Bacterial meningitis incidence has dropped
dramatically thanks to the introduction of three vaccines that combat various forms of this
deadly disease. The list of diseases that have been nearly eliminated by vaccines is long, and
millions of lives have been saved as a result. Yet, with the exception of smallpox, any of
these diseases can and will return if immunization rates lag.
It is vital to the health of our nation that policy makers stand firm in supporting immunization
and rejecting claims that have no foundation in science.
National Signatories
Academic Pediatric Association American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family American College of Chest Physicians
Physicians
American College of Obstetricians and
American Academy of Neurology Gynecologists
American Academy of Otolaryngology American College of Osteopathic
Head and Neck Surgery Surgeons
Open Letter on Immunization Updated June 4, 2008 Page 1 of 3
American College of Physicians Emory Vaccine Center
American College of Preventive Every Child By Two
Medicine Hepatitis Foundation International
American College of Radiology Immunization Action Coalition
American Gastroenterological Infectious Diseases Society of America
Association
March of Dimes
American Immunization Registry
Association Meningitis Angels
American Medical Association National Association of City and County
Health Officials
American Nurses Association
National Association of Pediatric Nurse
American Osteopathic Academy of Practitioners
Orthopedics
National Association of School Nurses
American Pharmacists Association
National Foundation for Infectious
American Public Health Association Diseases
American Society for Reproductive National Network of Immunization
Medicine Nurses and Associates
American Society of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Healthcare
Nephrology Foundation
Association for Prevention Teaching and Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases
Research (PKIDS)
Association of Immunization Managers Partnership for Prevention
Association of Military Surgeons of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
United States
The Task Force for Child Survival and
Association of State and Territorial Development
Health Officials
Vaccine Education Center at the
Child Neurology Society Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Children's Health Fund Voices For Vaccines
Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists
State and Local Signatories
Arizona Partnership for Immunization Charles City Regional Health Services
(VA)
California Immunization Coalition
Colorado Children's Immunization
Central Virginia Health Services
Coalition
Open Letter on Immunization Updated June 4, 2008 Page 2 of 3
Colorado Influenza and Pneumococcal Maryland Partnership for Prevention
Alert Coalition Massachusetts Academy of Family
Consortium for Healthy and Immunized Physicians
Communities, Inc. (OH) Massachusetts Chapter of the American
Danbury Visiting Nurse Association Academy of Pediatrics
(CT) Massachusetts Immunization Action
Garfield County Immunization Coalition Partnership
(OK) Mid America Immunization Coalition
Greater Grand Forks Immunization (MO)
Coalition (ND) Northeastern Rural Health Clinics (CA)
Greater Salt Lake Immunization Oklahoma County Immunization
Coalition Coalition
Health Care Council of Orange County Oregon Adult Immunization Coalition
(CA)
Oregon Partnership to Immunize
Healthy Community Immunization Children
Coalition (CA)
Philadelphia Immunization Coalition
Hillsborough County Immunization
Task Force (FL) Project Immunize Virginia
Immunization Coalition of Summit Rhode Island Department of Health
County (OH) Childhood Immunization Coalition
Immunization Coalition of Washington, San Francisco Immunization Coalition
DC San Juan Unified School District Health
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant Services (CA)
County (TX) Texas Public Health Association
Immunization Task Force - Metro Tulsa Area Immunization Coalition
Omaha
Utah County Immunization Coalition
Larimer County Immunization Coalition (UT)
(CO)
Utah Every Child By Two Immunization
Louisiana Shots for Tots Coalition Coalition
Open Letter on Immunization Updated June 4, 2008 Page 3 of 3