Letter of Appreciation to Dr. Nancy Snyderman, MSNBC’s Chief Medical Editor

Dr. Snyderman Appeared on The Today Show to Discuss the Recent Pertussis Outbreak in California and the Dangers of Vaccine Exemptors and How They Put Others Around Them at Risk of Disease Outbreak as Well

July 29, 2010

To Dr. Snyderman and the producers of The Today Show:

On behalf of the entire staff of the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit creator of educational materials about immunization for healthcare providers and their patients, I’d like to thank you for your vigorous advocacy of the power of vaccination to save lives, most recently in your appearance on yesterday’s Today Show discussing the current pertussis spike concentrated in California.

The urgency you feel is palpable. We applaud your forthright and fearless condemnation of the false beliefs that lead people to reject vaccination. We wish that all medical correspondents discussed immunization issues with such clarity. It was particularly helpful that you mentioned pertussis vaccination is not just for children, but that adults also need booster doses to protect the infants and immune-compromised individuals around them.

No parent who saw your segment yesterday could fail to appreciate that vaccines are vital and that vaccine refusal is a life-threatening violation of the social compact. While we struggle to communicate this message effectively, you accomplished it with panache. Again, thank you for informing the public so powerfully about the deadly threat of pertussis.

With appreciation,

Lisa H. Randall, JD, MPH
Associate Executive Director