Parents know that kids are vulnerable to a host of infectious diseases. Research supported by NIH and others proves that the benefits of vaccines in preventing illness and death greatly outweigh the risks.
The list of childhood diseases can be overwhelming: measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, meningitis, influenza and rotavirus. In the era before vaccines, many children in the U.S. died or became disabled from these diseases. Many still do in countries and regions with lower vaccination rates.
