Fears of a connection between measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations and autism are not supported by research, Dr. Alfred DeMaria told a February 9 gathering of nursing school graduate students and faculty. DeMaria, director of communicable disease control at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, was the guest speaker at the February 9 Connell School of Nursing PhD Colloquium—one in a series of six public programs on nursing and public health presented this year. He stressed the long history of vaccines’ success in combating communicable diseases, and discussed strategies for allaying current concerns about safety. “There was a lively question-and-answer session with Dr. DeMaria,” said nursing doctoral student and adjunct clinical faculty member Heidi Fantasia, pictured above with Dr. DeMaria in the Murray Function Room. “How should we pay for vaccinations? How can we encourage more families to vaccinate their children? These are significant public policy questions for nursing professionals.”