Top stories for World Immunization Week
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According to the data from the CDC, 70% of children in the United States aged 19 to 35 months receive the combined seven-vaccine series in 2017. In the past 12 months in the U.S., 50% of children aged 6 months to 17 years, 34% of adults aged 18 to 49 years, 47% of adults aged 50 to 64 years and 69% of adults aged 65 years or older received an influenza vaccination.
“Immunization is one of the greatest success stories in the history of global health,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, said at a press conference on Monday. “More than 20 diseases can be prevented with vaccines. Every year, more than 116 million infants — 86% of all children born globally — are vaccinated, but there are still more than 13 million children around the world who miss out on vaccination.”
“We know that the number will increase because of COVID-19,” he continued. “Already, polio vaccination campaigns have been put on hold and, in some countries, routine immunization services are being scaled back or shut down. With the start of the southern hemisphere's influenza season, it's vital that everyone gets their seasonal influenza vaccine.”
In observance of World Immunization Week, Infectious Disease News has compiled the top immunization stories from the past year. – by Eamon Dreisbach
Nonmedical vaccine exemptions ‘violate’ a ‘fundamental right’ of children
Imported cases of measles have caused numerous outbreaks in vulnerable populations throughout the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The problem has since been compounded by nonmedical vaccine exemptions. Read more.
Faith in vaccines falls 10 percentage points in US poll
A Gallup Poll demonstrated that faith in vaccines across the United States has dropped by 10 percentage points since 2001 and that only 45% of Americans believe vaccines do not cause autism in children. Read more.
Q&A: AAP president concerned about pandemic-related drop in vaccination rates
According to PCC, an independent firm that provides pediatrics electronic health record software, pediatric vaccinations have decreased as a results of the COVID-19 outbreak, including a 19.8% decrease in DTaP vaccinations from Feb. 16 to April 12. Read more.
US measles outbreaks cost $42 million, according to ‘conservative’ estimate
A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that the United States’ response to measles outbreaks in 2019 cost roughly $42 million, with the median cost of the 11 outbreaks analyzed reaching just over $152,000. Read more.
ACIP changes recommendations for HPV, pneumococcal vaccines
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices updated recommendations for HPV and pneumococcal vaccination in adults, updating the upper age for catch-up vaccination against HPV in men to 26 years. Read more.
HAV outbreaks prompt robust public health response
Hepatitis A virus has caused several outbreaks in the United States, with case counts increasing in recent years. A multistate outbreak originating in 2016 caused an estimated 11,776 hospitalizations and 194 deaths, according to CDC. Read more.
Interviews with Orthodox Jewish moms reveal barriers to measles vaccination
Results from a case series of interviews with Orthodox Jewish mothers revealed factors that are impacting childhood vaccination rates in New York communities with significant Jewish populations. The study’s results may aid interventions to improve vaccine uptake. Read more.
Influenza vaccination strategy for pregnant women with HIV still needs improvement
Findings published in The Lancet showed that a double-dose influenza vaccine regimen resulted in greater immunogenicity among pregnant women with HIV than a single-dose regimen. Read more.
Norovirus vaccine development accelerates after success against rotavirus
Although there are no licensed vaccines for norovirus, experts said that there are promising candidates in the pipeline, while researchers work to define which genotypes and populations to target. Read more.
References:
CDC. Immunization. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm. Accessed April 28, 2020.
CDC. Influenza. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/flu.htm. Accessed April 28, 2020.
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CDC. Immunization. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm. Accessed April 28, 2020.
CDC. Influenza. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/flu.htm. Accessed April 28, 2020.
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