It’s disappointing the EW published a letter (“Whooping Cough,” Nov. 15) containing misleading material regarding the safety of vaccines.

Vaccinations are safe and they are necessary to reduce the incidence of illness and death from preventable disease.

Vaccines undergo thorough testing and research by the Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control prior to release. These entities exist to protect us, and ensure compliance with safety regulations. The agencies are forbidden from taking funding from pharmaceutical companies.

Serious allergic or other adverse reactions from vaccines are extremely rare. More common side effects are localized and temporary, including soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site. These may be unpleasant but they are harmless to the overall health of children and adults.

Adverse reactions are tracked through the Vaccination Adverse Event Reporting System. Data is publicly available at vaers.hhs.gov.

A list of current vaccine additives is available from the CDC. None of the additives have proven harmful to animals or humans in the amounts they are given in a vaccine.

The benefits of vaccines have been evident ever since their first use more than 200 years ago. Polio was eliminated in the United States thanks to the introduction of the polio vaccine in 1950. Globally, due to the small pox vaccination, small pox was eradicated in 1980.

Without vaccinations, many people would have suffered life-long illness and disability, or would have died.

My facts are sourced from immunize.org.

Vaccines are safe and help prevent human misery.

Gabriel Wihtol RN, BSN, Eugene

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