When we immunise children, we introduce their bodies to a powerful little cocktail which will have a significant and beneficial effect on their health and the health of their community. Vaccines are the product of advanced biotech-nological techniques and ongoing research. They are complex and need to be administered by professionals who have the confidence, the expertise and the knowledge base to use them safely. Vaccines can also be a source of great confusion and anxiety among the parents of the children we immunise. Health professionals have a responsibility to deal respectfully and appropriately with those fears.