Pro-Vaccine
Experts and Parents
Available for Vaccine Safety Interviews
EXPERTS
Leading experts are available to comment on the science and safety of vaccines,
and parents are available to discuss what can happen when parents choose not to
immunize their children.
Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of
Microbiology at George Washington University and a Senior Fellow and Chair of
the Sabin Vaccine Institute's Scientific Advisory Council. The father of an
autistic child, Dr. Hotez offers a unique perspective on the current debate
about vaccines. He can be reached at 202-994-3532 or mtmpjh@gwumc.edu.
Samuel Katz, MD, was co-developer of the measles vaccine in conjunction
with Nobel Prize winner Dr. John Enders. Chairman of Pediatrics at Duke
University for 22 years, Dr. Katz is currently the Wilburt C. Davison Professor
of Pediatrics Emeritus at the University. Dr. Katz can be reached at
919-684-3734 or katz0004@mc.duke.edu.
Sharon Humiston, MD, MPH, works in the Pediatric Emergency Department of
the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y., and is the author
of "Vaccinating Your Child; Questions and Answers for the Concerned Parent."
In addition to her public health and immunization expertise, Dr. Humiston is the
mother of an autistic child. Dr. Humiston can be reached at 585-275-6657 or at
sharon_humiston@urmc.rochester.edu.
Paul Offit, MD, is Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine. A scientist and co-author of "Vaccines: What
Every Parent Should Know", Dr. Offit educates the public about vaccines as
Director of the Vaccine Education Center. He can be reached at 215-590-2020 or
offit@email.chop.edu.
PARENTS
Suzanne and Leonard Walther of Murfreesboro, Tennessee postponed their
daughter's immunizations based on mis-information they found on the Internet.
She subsequently contracted Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), a
vaccine-preventable disease, and spent her first birthday in a hospital
emergency room. Their daughter survived, and today Suzanne Walther urges parents
to trust their pediatrician and science - not unfounded allegations - when
deciding whether to protect their children against infectious diseases. Call
PKIDs at 360-695-0293 or e-mail for an interview.
Mary-Clayton Enderlein contracted whooping cough (pertussis) from her
son's unimmunized friend during her ninth month of pregnancy. She consequently
infected her newborn son, who became very ill and required hospitalization.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that
causes severe coughing and gasping for breath. Enderlein, who lives outside of
Seattle, comments, "I've always felt that immunizations are our social
responsibility. Vaccinating children is part of our social contract to help
protect the health of everyone who lives in our communities." Call PKIDs at
360-695-0293 or e-mail for an interview.
Frankie Milley of Conroe, Texas, lost her only child to meningococcal
meningitis, which could have been prevented by a vaccine. "I am motivated by the
loss of my only child to make sure all children everywhere are protected against
infectious diseases," she said. "Vaccines are safe, they work and they save
lives. Our children deserve the best protection we can give them." Call PKIDs
at 360-695-0293 or e-mail or an interview.
Maureen Kane and her husband wanted nothing more than to provide a happy,
healthy home for their newly-adopted daughter. When they brought her to their
small town in Maryland, they soon found that they could provide happiness, but
they would have to fight for her health. Like more than 1.2 million Americans,
their daughter was infected with chronic hepatitis B, which can lead to
cirrhosis and liver cancer. After months of grueling medical treatment, their
daughter is healthy, but her struggle has motivated Maureen to advocate for
critical childhood immunizations worldwide. Call PKIDs at 360-695-0293 or
e-mail for an interview.
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PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases) is a national nonprofit
organization that supports families touched by chronic, viral infectious
diseases including hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. The organization also educates the
public about preventing infectious diseases through immunization, standard
precautions and handwashing. PKIDs website is
www.pkids.org.
The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute pursues Dr. Sabin's vision of a world
protected from disease through vaccines by stimulating development of new
vaccines and increasing immunization rates. More information about the Sabin
Vaccine Institute can be found at
www.sabin.org.