What editorial writers are saying about vaccines

Editorial writers are largely unanimous in their message -- that there are no reasons not to get inoculated against flu, mumps or any other illness for which a vaccine is available.

Safety report on vaccines

A comprehensive evaluation of eight common childhood vaccines has found that any adverse effects from vaccines are very rare or very minor. The report, issued ... by a panel of experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine, said there is no evidence that childhood vaccines cause autism, diabetes, facial palsy or episodes of asthma, as some people fear. ... Parents should take comfort in the report's conclusions about vaccine safety. Those inclined to seek ways to have their children evade mandatory vaccinations need to recognize that vaccination is the best way to protect them from the risk of contracting dangerous diseases. The New York Times, Aug. 30

The anti-vaccination peril

Contrary to what baby boomers might assume, the term "conscientious objector" didn't originate with the Vietnam War. It was first used in the late 19th century to describe opponents of England's mandatory smallpox vaccinations, who received special exemption from the inoculations. Their opposition to the vaccine was as shortsighted, and as unfounded in science, as the objections of parents today who refuse to recognize the importance of inoculation not just to their children but to public health. Los Angeles Times, Aug. 16

Put to rest false link of autism, vaccine

Belief in a false link between vital childhood vaccinations and autism has persisted for years, fueled by bad science and distressed parents searching for answers. It is time to put this falsehood to rest. One study after another has found no link. ... It's time to move on. Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 29

It's important to immunize

Over the past 10 years or so, distrust of "shots" by parents of children with autism has combined with religious prohibitions and political conspiracy theories, not to mention simple complacency, to undermine this important underpinning of public health. ... It is simply irresponsible to send a child to school to interact with others without being properly immunized. So, before the school buses start rolling, parents need to make sure their kids are fully vaccinated. Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, Calif.), Aug. 27

Immunizations part of good parenting

A child is statistically far more likely to be harmed in an automobile accident than by an immunization. And yet we're fairly certain that nearly all the parents who refuse vaccines for their children still drive them to and from school every day. So the notion that we must protect our children from any risk of vaccine-related harm, no matter how small, is illogical at best. There is risk in every action we take, from getting out of bed in the morning to going to school. Balancing those risks is how we survive. And the risk of preventable disease is far, far greater than the risk from immunization. North County Times ( Escondido, Calif.), Aug. 19

Get your flu vaccine. Yes, you. Get it now.

Getting the flu is miserable -- for the person who gets it, for the family members who have to care for (and put up with) the sick person, for the co-workers who have to cover for the absent employee and for everyone else to whom the sick person spreads the disease. When it comes to flu shots, the answers anymore are simple. Who should get it? You should. When should you get it? Now. Globe Gazette (Mason City, Iowa), Aug. 30