Thread by @SenAlexander

I’m about to chair the Senate health committee’s hearing on vaccines, ongoing outbreaks of preventable diseases, and the importance of immunizations. Watch live here: help.senate.gov/hearings/vacci… #VaccinesSaveLives

It was not that long ago that, as a boy, I remember the terror in the hearts of parents that their children might contract polio and put my classmates in iron lungs. @senatemajldr contracted polio when he was young.

His mother took him to Warm Springs, because that is where President Roosevelt received treatment for polio. Fortunately, because of her dedication, Leader McConnell is able to walk today, but thousands of others were not as lucky.

Following the introduction of a vaccine in 1955, polio was eliminated in the United States in 1979, and since then, from every country in the world except for three. Polio is just one of the diseases we have eradicated in the United States thanks to vaccines.

Before the vaccine for measles was developed, up to four million Americans each year contracted the highly contagious, airborne virus. In 2000, the @CDCgov declared measles eliminated from the United States.

And in 1980, smallpox was declared eradicated from the world by the @CDCgov and the @WHO. This is a remarkable demonstration of modern medicine.

Four years ago, this Committee held a hearing on vaccines, following the 2014 outbreak of measles – the worst outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

And even though 91.1% of Americans had been vaccinated for measles in 2017, according to the @CDCgov, we continue to see outbreaks of this preventable disease because there are pockets in the United States that have low vaccination rates.

We know that some Americans are hesitant about vaccines, so today I want to stress the importance of vaccines: not only has the @US_FDA found them to be safe, but vaccines also save lives.

Vaccines have been so successful that, until recently, Americans have lived without fear of getting measles, polio, or rubella. But, there is a lot of misleading and incorrect information about vaccines that circulates online, including through social media.

Here is what I want parents in Tennessee, in Washington, in Texas, everywhere in our country to know: Vaccines are approved by the @US_FDA, and meet the FDA’s gold standard of safety. #VaccinesSaveLives

Charlatans and internet fraudsters who claim that vaccines aren’t safe are preying on the unfounded fears and daily struggles of parents, and they are creating a public health hazard that is entirely preventable. #VaccinesSaveLives

It is important for those who have questions about vaccines, especially parents, to speak with a reputable health care provider. As with many topics, just because you found it on the internet doesn’t make it true.

The science is sound: Vaccines save lives – the lives of those who receive vaccines and the lives of those who are too young or vulnerable to be immunized. #VaccinesSaveLives