Health & Pregnancy

MMR Vaccine Is Safe

Addressing the Controversy continued...

Kathleen Stratton, PhD, senior program officer in the division of health promotion and disease at the Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, says sorting out the scientific facts about the safety of vaccines in a practical way that parents can understand is one of the biggest challenges researchers face.

"We would love to know how to say it better," says Stratton. "For some people, the scientific glass is always half empty."

Stratton says healthcare providers should prepare parents and explain what is known about the benefits and possible risks of vaccination before their baby is born.

"There is not a debate about the benefits of these vaccines. There is uncertainty about many of the risks," Stratton says.

Katz and Stratton spoke at a briefing today on vaccine safety sponsored by the March of Dimes.