Changes in Public Perception of Vaccines

Published: April 7, 2009, 3:52 p.m.

Guest: Paul Offit, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP

Vaccines have been described as one of the greatest medical advances in history. Yet some segments of the population view them as a potential vehicle for causing more harm than good to young patients. What led to this change in perception about vaccines, and how can physicians best counsel patients who harbor concerns? For answers to these critical questions and much more, Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes one of the foremost figures in the debate over vaccine safety, Dr. Paul Offit, chief of the division of infectious diseases and 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.