Media Advisory: Baylor College of Medicine issues position statement on measles vaccinations
HOUSTON – (June 24, 2019) – Baylor College of Medicine has issued a response to the measles outbreak, calling on the public to communicate with elected officials, family and friends about the importance of vaccinations and evidence-based vaccine policies that promote public health.
The College’s Board of Trustees approved the position statement, which highlights five key elements of the College’s position. An accompanying video features experts Dr. Amy McGuire, director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor; Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor; and Dr. Mark Kline, chair of pediatrics at Baylor and an infectious diseases expert.
“Led by Dr. Peter Hotez, many Baylor faculty members have expressed their views on the importance of childhood vaccinations,” said Dr. Paul Klotman, president, CEO and executive dean of Baylor College of Medicine. “The Board of Trustees believed it was important to take an official stand on this important health issue.
“Our hope is to provide science-based information to lawmakers and the public in an effort to stem the measles outbreak that has occurred in the United States over the past year,” Klotman said. “Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but this year alone we have seen more than 1,000 cases. It is important for health leaders to step up to provide information to the public on the importance of vaccines.”
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For interviews, contact Dipali Pathak, assistant director of communications at Baylor, at [email protected]; 713-798-4710.
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