Challenges to vaccine safety

The end of the 20th century saw the realization of a goal that was previously only dreamed about: the near elimination of many deadly infectious diseases through universal vaccination. As one disease after another has been driven from memory, it is vaccination programs themselves that have come to occupy the public's mind. With increased scrutiny comes the promise that vaccines will become even safer, but there is also the threat that ill-founded concerns will result in reduced immunization rates, and diseases will resurge. This article reviews scientific data relating to current vaccine safety concerns.