Without a doubt, the most important achievement in human health was the discovery of vaccinations, starting with the smallpox vaccination in 1796, which saved the lives of millions of people around the world. Smallpox is now eradicated, and the deadly polio virus is virtually gone as well.

Vaccinations became a widely accepted mainstay of public health generations ago after demonstrating their power to defeat infectious diseases that took their toll on children and society. Today, vaccinations are recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The importance and effectiveness of vaccines are as close to settled science as there is. Yet we find ourselves reading claims from people who oppose immunization. Their conclusions are based on false information derived from fraudulent research conducted by biased investigators.

"Mandatory vaccines: Bad medicine and bad politics" (Point of View, Dec. 10) by anesthesiologist Steven Lantier is a dangerous compendium of opinions that have no basis in fact or science. He claims that, “Vaccines are absolutely one of the causes of autism.” Plain and simple. No equivocation and no real documentation to back it up.