The video was created to address the most common questions parents have about vaccines, dispel the myths and misconceptions surrounding vaccine safety, and illustrate the very real and immediate threat that vaccine-preventable diseases still pose for children in the United States and throughout the world.

"By talking directly to parents about vaccines -- what they are, how they work and why they still make such a critically important difference in children's lives, this video helps to take the fear out of the discussion surrounding childhood immunization and focus instead on the facts," says Paul A. Offit, M.D., an internationally renowned vaccine expert who is director of the Vaccine Education Center and Chief of Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Vaccines are one of the greatest public health triumphs of modern times, and the proof of their overall safety and efficacy is unquestionably supported by scientific fact."

"Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fear" uses a town-meeting format to address the most common questions parents have about vaccines and vaccine safety. Throughout the video, nationally recognized experts in infectious diseases, vaccine safety and public health provide in-depth answers to these questions, including:

* Are vaccines safe?

* Are vaccines still necessary?

* Do vaccines weaken or overwhelm the immune system?

* Do children get too many shots? and

* Do vaccines cause chronic diseases such as autism, diabetes, or multiple sclerosis?

The video includes profiles of three parents whose children became seriously ill or died from vaccine-preventable diseases such as chickenpox, pneumococcal meningitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) meningitis.

These compelling stories illustrate the very real danger that these and other vaccine-preventable diseases still pose to children who are not fully immunized.

Because the United States now has the highest rates of immunization in history, it has the lowest rates of vaccine-preventable diseases, says Dr. Offit. Most parents have never seen firsthand the diseases they are being asked to immunize against, leading some of them to question whether vaccines are still necessary for their children.

"It's important to realize, however, that these vaccine-preventable diseases have not been eliminated," Dr. Offit explains. "Some, like measles, mumps and rubella, continue to circulate at low levels in our population. Others, like polio and diphtheria, continue to cause outbreaks in other parts of the world and remain only a plane ride away.

"History tells us that if immunization rates drop, even by as little as 10-15 percent, we would soon face a resurgence of these diseases and the devastating effects associated with them."

This was the case in the United States between 1989 and 1991, when immunization rates against measles fell to about 70 percent, causing sweeping outbreaks of measles across the country.

"In total, measles caused the hospitalization of about 10,000 and the death of more than 120 children, all from a disease that could have been easily and safely prevented with a vaccine," says Dr. Offit.

The Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was launched in October 2000 to respond to the rapidly growing need for accurate, up-to-date, science-based information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

(Editor's Note: The Center is one of seven websites comprising The Allied Vaccine Group, all of which present evidence-based information on vaccines and immunizations.)

"Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fear" is the latest in a comprehensive series of educational materials created by the Center. The video will be distributed initially to more than 8,000 physician practices and several state departments of public health across the country, and will also be available to parents and healthcare professionals through the Center's website.

The Center's website includes detailed information on all routinely recommended childhood vaccines, as well as sections on vaccines for special circumstances and vaccines for teenagers, adults, and those travelling to developing countries.

The site also features sections on the latest vaccine news, common concerns about vaccines, answers to frequently asked questions and the most current recommended childhood immunization schedule.

The Center has also developed "The Facts About Childhood Vaccines," a series of informational tear sheets available in English and Spanish editions for healthcare professionals to share with families in their practice.

The tear sheets address the most common questions parents have about vaccines, and have been distributed free-of-charge to more than 50,000 pediatricians, family practitioners and nurse practitioners across the country. The Center also conducts national speaker programs and educational symposia designed to help healthcare professionals address specific vaccine concerns.

[Contact: Rebecca Baumgold]

29-May-2001