US Immunization Alliance call for action

The Immunization Alliance, which brings together 22 USA-based health care-related organizations, has issued a call for action to the government, health care professionals, parents, the media and Internet commentators. Specifically, the Alliance wants people and organizations that are aware of the benefits of vaccination to speak out clearly and responsibly, for the public to ask for clear information and for the media, both mainstream and bloggers, to communicate "scientifically-based and trustworthy information."

Although no specific reasons are given for the move by the group, it seems likely that the failure of official attempts to reassure many parents about the safety of immunization programs is at least part of the rationale for this campaign. In particular, the combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been the subject of 10 years of fears about an alleged link between the product and childhood autism (Marketletters passim).

The list of participating organizations consists of: the American Academy of Family Physicians; the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American Academy of Physician Assistants; the American College of Preventative Medicine; the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians; the American Medical Association; the American Public Health Association; the America's Health Insurance Plans; the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; the California Immunization Coalition; Every Child by Two; the Immunization Action Coalition; the Infectious Diseases Society of America; the March of Dimes; the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases; the Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases; the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society; the Sabin Vaccine Institute; UnitedHealth Group; the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and Voices for Vaccines.