CHOP Doc: Don't Let Fear Get in the Way of Vaccinations

CHOP Doc: Don't Let Fear Get in the Way of Vaccinations
Paul A. Offit, MD, didn’t mince words when he spoke to a crowd at Holy Redeemer Hospital yesterday. His message was clear — get yourself and your kid vaccinated. Offit, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, addressed and debunked myths about vaccinations to a crowd of about 30 people, many of which were parents and physicians. Offit said emphatically that vaccines don’t cause diseases like Alzheimer’s or autism. With regard to autism, Offit said there have been 14 studies, on three continents, involving over 100,000 people — the studies consistently show that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. He added that the doctor who first proposed the idea in 1998 has since been disgraced. He also pinpointed, to the day, when vaccines first started to be vilified (see the video). Offit said not getting vaccinated is tantamount to selfishness. “When you choose not to get a vaccine, you make the choice for others,” he said. Read the rest of the article here.