The American Academy of Family Physicians joined more than 350 organizations in penning a recent letter to President Donald Trump asking for support in spreading the importance and safety of vaccinations.
"Vaccines protect the health of children and adults and save lives,” the letter said. “They prevent life-threatening diseases, including forms of cancer. Vaccines have been part of the fabric of our society for decades and are one of the most significant medical innovations of our time.”
To back its argument, the group cited the successful eradication of smallpox through vaccinations in 1977 and polio in the Western Hemisphere in 1991 via “mass vaccinations.” It also highlighted death-prevention data and various studies that support vaccine safety.
"Claims that vaccines are unsafe when administered according to expert recommendations have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature, including a thorough review by the National Academy of Medicine, formerly known as the Institute of Medicine," the letter said. "Delaying vaccines only leaves our nation's citizens at risk of disease, particularly children."
The letter ended with an invitation to Trump to discuss the “extensive scientific evidence supporting vaccine safety and effectiveness."
