Without vaccines, epidemics of preventable diseases can return and cause serious illness or even death. The following preventable diseases are now rare in most of the world because parents and caregivers have paid attention to the advice of pediatricians about vaccinating their children. The URLs below identify some of the diseases that can be eradicated through immunizations.

Anthrax:
From the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bioterrorism/anthrax/index.html

Cervical cancer:
From the Prentice Women's Hospital, of Northwestern Memorial Hospital of Chicago.
http://www.nmh.org/nm/cervical+cancer

Diphtheria:
From Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/22740/router.asp

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib):
From the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
http://www.chp.edu/CHP/P02227

Hepatitis:
From Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago.
http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/online-library/content=P01997

Human papillomavirus:
From the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=84544

Influenza:
From Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, Calif.
http://www.lpch.org/healthLibrary/ParentCareTopics/influenza.html

Japanese encephalitis:
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/jencephalitis/index.htm

Measles:
From MedlinePlus.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/measles.html

Meningococcal disease:
From Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
http://www.texaschildrens.org/carecenters/vaccine/Vaccines_Meningococcal.aspx

Mumps:
From Children's Hospital Boston.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1322/printerfriendlypageS1322P0.html