The National Vaccine Information Center is not anti-vaccine. We support informed consent. Before parents get their children immunized, we want them to have enough information about diseases and vaccines to be able to make an informed decision. As with any medical procedure, there are risks associated with vaccinations. In fact, every year, health statistics show 12,000 to 14,000 hospitalizations, injuries, and deaths following vaccination are reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, established by the Food and Drug Administration.
Experts suspect that numbers are much higher.
The U.S. has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. If we follow the recommendations set up by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, that's nearly 34 doses of ten different vaccines given to children by the time they enter kindergarten. We need more research examining the connection between vaccinations and chronic diseases such as asthma and attention deficit disorder. We should be examining and comparing the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated children over time. Parents should be fully informed about every vaccine recommended by their child's doctor.