AAP News Vol. 15 No. 5 May 1999, p. 28
© 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
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Immunizing for 'inconvenient' diseases

Arthur Lavin M.D., FAAP1

1 Beachwood, Ohio

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a concern I have with recent AAP activity. This has to do with immunizations. I offer my concerns with some caution, since I have been a staunch supporter of the need to promote this vital issue. However, some aspects of recent approaches to promotion of immunization raise serious concerns.

With regard to immunizations, I find that we are entering a new realm: a shift from prevention of illnesses that are typically fatal or disabling to the prevention of illnesses that are simply inconvenient. One may ask, how could one argue against preventing any illness? The answer is that at some point the expense of the effort and/or the minimal risks of the intervention may begin to outweigh the benefit.