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Jose' Cordero, M.D., Deputy Director, National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Cordero addressed issues of safety for childhood vaccines. He noted the growth in the number of vaccines for children and the huge decrease in disease that has resulted. CDC uses active and passive surveillance systems to gather information about adverse events. The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System is based on spontaneous reporting, whereas the Vaccine Safety Datalink actively gathers information about adverse events.
Several challenges to vaccines include alleged associations between autism and vaccines, the exposure to mercury found in the preservative thimerosol, and the alleged association between myofasciitis and muscle weakness and vaccine adjuvants containing aluminum. Hypothesized mechanisms through which vaccines may produce adverse events include immune overload, autoimmune disorders, demyelination, and persistence of vaccine virus. Currently, there is no scientific evidence to support any of these hypothesis. However, additional studies need to be performed. |