AN UPDATE ON VACCINE SAFETY

Vaccination has dramatically reduced the number of annual cases of per tussis, diphtheria, measles and congenital rubella syndrome. Although side effects of immunizations can occur, serious adverse events are ra re for all vaccines commonly used in the United States. Infantile spas ms and sudden infant death syndrome are not associated with childhood vaccines. Compared with whole-cell pertussis vaccine, acellular pertus sis vaccines are significantly less likely to produce moderate reactio ns such as fever, fussiness, pain, drowsiness, anorexia and local redn ess or swelling. Despite the documented safety and efficacy of childho od vaccines, concerns about vaccine safety increase when diseases such as measles, pertussis and rubella are no longer common. Parents need to be reminded that their child is susceptible to these diseases, that these diseases are preventable by reasonably safe and effective immun izations and that their child needs a series of vaccines at regular in tervals by the age of two years. Since 1994, all physicians have been required by law to use the Vaccine Information Statements for measles- mumps-rubella vaccine, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis va ccine, poliovirus vaccines and tetanus and diphtheria toxoids for adul ts.