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Increased efforts needed to raise rates for two doses of varicella vaccine
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A second dose of varicella vaccine provides incremental protection against disease. However, study results published online this month showed that two-dose coverage levels were low in 2010, despite recommendations for two doses dating back to 2006.
Gary S. Marshall, MD, of the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and colleagues published results of a cross-sectional analysis of data on 10,542 adolescents without a personal history of varicella who participated in the National Immunization Survey-Teen 2010.
The researchers said 42% of the participating adolescents had not received a second dose of varicella vaccine, although coverage varied widely across states. Several factors were associated with failure to receive a second dose, including Vaccines for Children Program eligibility and living in a state that did not have a two-dose policy in place for middle school entry.
Gary S. Marshall
“A strong individual-level correlate of two-dose vaccination was having received [tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine] and [quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine; Menactra, Sanofi-Pasteur], other routinely recommended adolescent vaccinations, which was an important finding of the study,” Marshall told Infectious Diseases in Children.
“This suggests that some providers make strong recommendations for all adolescent vaccines as a ‘package deal.’ On the flip side, some providers may not underscore the importance of the ‘adolescent platform,’ or families may not know about or may refuse adolescent vaccines as a group,” he said.
Besides increasing health care visits and health care provider recommendations, the study researchers concluded that communication among providers, adolescents and their parents about the benefits and potential risks associated with vaccines may be essential to improve vaccine coverage rates.
Disclosure:Marshall is a paid consultant for Merck.
Gary S. Marshall, MD, can be reached at gary.marshall@louisville.edu.
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