In light of recent outbreaks of infectious diseases and new developments in immunizations, everyone from parents to policy-makers have questions about vaccines. What's actually in a vaccine? Are vaccines effective? Are they safe? Should a society require that all citizens get certain vaccines?
In this course, Dr. Paul Offit will tackle these questions and more. We will explore the history, science, and debate behind vaccines. We'll trace the development of vaccines over the past two and a half centuries, and describe methods for the attenuation of various viruses and bacteria. We'll discuss the benefits of vaccines in the United States and around the world, and we'll also explore the risks, both real and perceived, associated with vaccines. We'll look at how the media shapes the conversation about vaccines and some controversies that surround them, specifically that vaccines cause autism, multiple sclerosis, neurodevelopmental delays, diabetes or other chronic problems. The focus throughout the course will be on research and real-world examples and the discussion will conclude with an update on newly created vaccines and recent outbreaks of previously controlled diseases.
Dr. Offit is an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
For additional information about vaccines, the Vaccine Education Center, or its program for parents, called Parents PACK, please visit:
http://vaccine.chop.edu
http://vaccine.chop.edu/parents
http://www.prevent-hpv.com
