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 3,000.
• 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 8,000 children, most of whom were under the age of one

The development and use of vaccines has reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled children and adults just a few generations before. For most American's 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. In addition, a growing number of parents are concerned that vaccines may actually be the cause of diseases such as autism, hyperactivity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among others. These concerns have caused some parents to delay or withhold vaccines for their children. Specific information on each of these concerns is found by linking from this page to "Common concerns About Vaccines" and " In the News".

To provide complete, up-to-date, and reliable information about vaccines to parents and health care professionals, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia created the Vaccine Education Center.

The Vaccine Education Center, through its web site, informational materials, and speakers programs, will provide information on every vaccine. In addition, the Center will describe to parents how vaccines work, how they are made, who recommends vaccines, when they should be given, whether they are still necessary, and, most importantly, whether they are safe. All of this information is easily found by linking to the subject headings off of this page.

The Center is funded by an endowment for education about infectious diseases and immunology from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and does not receive any support from pharmaceutical companies. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is the nation's first children's hospital, and has been a center of vaccine research and education for over 125 years.

Before the development of a safe and effective vaccine, nearly 20,000 children a year were born with often-severe birth defects resulting from exposure to the rubella virus (German measles). Today, both the disease and its resulting birth defects have been almost completed eliminated from this country. The current rubella vaccine was developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology.

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Vaccine Education Center Home
About the Center • Common Concerns About Vaccines • A Look at Each Vaccine
Vaccines for Teenagers • Vaccines for Adults • Vaccines for Travelers
In the News • Vaccines at a Glance • Are Vaccines Safe? • Related Resources
Vaccine Schedule • Resources for Healthcare Professionals