Ten or 15 years ago, the only unimmunized people were poor or had limited access to healthcare.  But with a strong immunization program and the vaccines for children program, which overcame the cost barrier to immunization, we are now seeing a different trend, with communities or pockets of unimmunized or underimmunized children that are more closely linked to voluntary exemption from immunization, either due to religious or personal beliefs. 

Pediatricians are concerned that those unimmunized communities may be growing due to misinformation.  Irresponsible media outlets, public fear, and unreliable internet sites have hendered our efforts to separate truth from fiction.  We think it's very important for parents to have good information to make decisions, to discuss with their doctor the risks and benefits of vaccines, and understand the very real and ongoing risk of vaccine-preventable diseases that are still in our community.

Below are reliable websites that can help answer your questions about vaccine effectiveness and safety