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Vaccine transparency can increase confidence, immunization rates
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Despite the public health triumphs of vaccines, the number of parents who hesitate to immunize their children is increasing, according to a commentary in Pediatrics.
Carrie L. Byington, MD, FAAP, of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, said vaccine transparency may have an effect on physician confidence and parental hesitancy surrounding pediatric immunizations.
Carrie L. Byington
The average life expectancy in the United States increased by an estimated 30 years between 1900 and 2000, which may be attributable to the advance of vaccines and elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases, according to Byington.
Despite this progress, parental hesitancy of immunization is increasing, along with rates of nonmedical personal exemptions for vaccines, which have been associated with outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infections such as pertussis and measles.
Studies, such as the recently published systematic review by Margaret A. Maglione, MPP, of the RAND Corporation, and colleagues, add a layer of transparency to the evaluation of vaccine safety in the United States.
Physicians should utilize the significant relationship they have with parents, Byington said. Parents trust their child’s doctor over government officials, family members or celebrities as the best source of information on vaccine safety, she added.
“Clinicians can examine the nonbiased data presented in the [Institute of Medicine] report and the report by Maglione et al to increase their own confidence in vaccine safety and their advocacy for vaccines. Ideally, provider confidence in vaccine safety will increase the confidence of the families they serve and increase vaccination rates for children, safeguarding the health of the nation,” Byington concluded.
Disclosure: Byington reports financial ties with BioFire Diagnostics Inc.
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