5 vaccine stories to consider for National Immunization Awareness Month

Early in 2015, a measles outbreak at California’s Disneyland infected 52 people with the vaccine-preventable disease. Since then, calls for mandatory vaccination of all school-aged children, increases in adolescent vaccination coverage, increases in parental knowledge about vaccines, and increases in safety and efficacy research have become part of the national discussion on vaccines.

With August designated as National Immunization Awareness Month, Infectious Diseases in Children highlights five of the most informative and noteworthy recent stories in vaccination news.

“Vaccines are one of the most important measures families can take to protect their children from deadly diseases that not long ago caused suffering for thousands of U.S. children,” Sandra M. Hassink, MD, FAAP, president of the AAP, said in a press release. “Immunizations are one of the most effective tools we have in medicine. National Immunization Awareness Month is a good reminder of how important it is for children to receive all their recommended vaccines.”

1. California Assembly passes mandatory vaccination bill

The California Assembly has passed Senate Bill 277, legislation that eliminates the “personal belief” exemption and requires all schoolchildren to be vaccinated unless they are medically exempt, making it one of the strictest mandatory vaccination laws in the United States.

“As a mother, I understand that the decisions we make about our children’s health care are deeply personal, and I respect the fundamental right to make medical decisions as a family,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, said. Read more.

2. Teen Tdap MenACWY HPV vaccine coverage increases nationwide

Adolescent Tdap, quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate and HPV vaccination coverage increased in the United States from 2013 to 2014, although HPV vaccination coverage remains comparatively low, according to a recent report in MMWR.

“I am frustrated that in 2014, four out of 10 adolescent girls and six out of 10 adolescent boys had not even started the HPV vaccine series and are vulnerable to cancers caused by HPV,” Anne Schuchat, MD, U.S. assistant surgeon general, said. Read more.

3. Parents view vaccine safety, benefits more favorably

Parents’ opinions on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines have shifted toward more of a benefit and less of a threat, according to the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

“Outbreaks of diseases that can safely be prevented through routine childhood vaccination have become more common in the U.S. over the last several years,” Matthew, M. Davis, MD, MAPP, director of the poll, wrote. Read more.

4. Two-dose chickenpox vaccination program reduces US outbreaks by 78%

A routine two-dose varicella vaccination program launched in 2007 has drastically reduced the number of chickenpox outbreaks in the United States, a recent study reported.

“Although varicella outbreaks have declined during the two-dose varicella era, they continue to pose a challenge to manage and control,” Jessica Leung, MPH, of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC, and colleagues wrote. Read more.

5. Gardasil HPV4 vaccine determined safe despite parental concerns

Gardasil quadrivalent HPV vaccine was determined to be well-tolerated and safe for routine use in girls and boys as well as young men and women despite increased parental safety concerns, according to recent study data.

“The data presented here, reflecting experiences with the HPV4 vaccine in hundreds of thousands of recipients, and the reviews by global health experts and organizations, reinforce the favorable safety profile of the vaccine,” Michelle Vichnin, MD, executive director of oncology at Merck, and colleagues wrote. Read more.