While the media has done an effective job of scaring most parents about the dangers of childhood vaccinations, it is important to know the history of infectious diseases. Today, most people in the U.S. have not seen the effects of diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, or rubella. However, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries these diseases were common, affecting tens of thousands and killing many. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that the significant decrease in the number of cases of illnesses in the U.S. corresponds with introduction of vaccine use. For this reason, there is basic information that every parent should know about vaccines

What are vaccines?
A vaccine is a low or noninfectious dose of a germ that is given to provide protection from an infectious disease. Often the initial response is not sufficient to fight an infection with the real germ. This is why for some germs a second or even third dose (booster) is required to be effective. Vaccines are given orally, by injection, and more recently, by inhalation.

How do vaccines work?
Vaccines take advantage of our body