But she went on to say that further study would be appropriate. Everyone supports further study of medical issues. But wishy-washy government positions on the safety of the MMR vaccine can lead parents to believe that safety is truly at issue. That's the subliminal message of these hearings, and it's a wrong message. The harm that Burton can cause may be beyond measure.
Vaccines are the underpinning of our disease-prevention programs.
Imagine a world in which children routinely contracted measles, mumps, and polio, just to name a few diseases that vaccines have virtually eliminated. Undermining the public's confidence in vaccines, which may be the ultimate effect of Burton's crusade, can make it more difficult to obtain universal immunizations. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of publicly stated opposition to Burton's position. It's not that the public-health community believes what Burton is saying. It's that the public-health community is not taking Burton seriously enough.