Academy adds voice to vaccine safety debate

As the issue of vaccine safety continues to heat up, a committee in the U.S. Congress held a second oversight hearing to investigate the current vaccine program. On Aug. 3, the House Committee on Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), convened to examine whether the risks outweigh the benefits of public vaccination programs and to discuss finding a balance between public health and individual choice. Parents, medical experts and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., testified before the committee to offer scientific expertise and personal experiences. The Academy was represented by Samuel Katz, M.D., FAAP, a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Immunization is the single intervention that has most dramatically reduced childhood morbidity and mortality, said Dr. Katz in his testimony. In our lifetime, it has led to longer, healthier and happier lives.