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Welcome to the Vaccine Education Center
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center provides complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines to parents and healthcare professionals.
The Vaccine Education Center is a member of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Vaccine Safety Net because our website meets the criteria for credibility and content as defined by the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety. Learn more about the WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net»
Vaccine snapshot
Vaccines have literally transformed the landscape of medicine over the course of the 20th century. Before vaccines, parents in the United States could expect that every year:
- Polio would paralyze 10,000 children.
- Rubella (German measles) would cause birth defects and mental retardation in as many as 20,000 newborns.
- Measles would infect about 4 million children, killing about 500.
- Diphtheria would be one of the most common causes of death in school-aged children.
- A bacterium called Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) would cause meningitis in 15,000 children, leaving many with permanent brain damage.
- Pertussis (whooping cough) would kill thousands of infants.
- Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations before. For most Americans today, vaccines are a routine part of healthcare.
However, the disappearance of many childhood diseases has led some parents to question whether vaccines are still necessary. Further, a growing number of parents are concerned that vaccines may actually cause autism, hyperactivity, developmental delay, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among others. These concerns have caused some parents to delay vaccines or withhold them altogether from their children.
Vaccine Education Center resources
Parents PACK
The Center has also established the Parents PACK program to develop a dialogue with parents, provide frequent vaccine information, and establish a place for parents to get up-to-date information and answers to questions about vaccines.
Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals
The Center offers the Vaccine Update program for healthcare professionals. The program was designed to make it easier for healthcare providers to stay up-to-date on vaccine news, research and developments. The program includes free webinars, monthly e-newsletters and mailings containing sample materials and announcements when new or revised information is available.
*Members of the public interested in materials offered through the Vaccine Update program can view the materials directly through the Vaccine Update website.
Reviewed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
Date: March 2013
Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.
You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.
Contact Us
We would like to hear from you. Please use our online form to contact us with questions or comments.
- Parents PACK
- Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers