US: Child vaccination rates hit record levels

[Guest guest]

http://uk.reuters

com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL47185220080904?rpc=401 & =undefined & sp=true

Child vaccination rates hit record levels

Thu Sep 4, 2008 8:59pm BST

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Toddlers got the recommended vaccinations

against childhood diseases at record levels in 2007, federal health

officials said on Thursday, as they urged parents to continue to trust

vaccine safety.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its report on

vaccination rates for ages 1-1/2 through 3 years just a day after another

study came out showing no link between autism and the vaccine given to guard

against measles, mumps and rubella.

A record 77.4 percent of children in this age group received the full

recommended series of vaccinations, the CDC said. Ninety percent of children

got all but one of the six individual vaccines in the series, the CDC said.

The one exception was the four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or

whooping cough vaccine, received by 84.5 percent of toddlers, the CDC said.

The CDC report, based on data on 17,017 children, found that fewer than 1

percent got no vaccines.

The immunization program's success hinges on parents' trust in vaccine

safety, CDC Director Dr. Gerberding said.

Public health officials have expressed concern in recent years that some

parents fearful about vaccine safety were declining to get their children

vaccinated, making them more apt to catch and spread preventable diseases.

" We really recognize that ultimately our program is dependent on trust --

trust of moms and dads, trust of caretakers and trust of the clinicians,

pediatricians (and) family practice professionals who take care of our

children, " Gerberding told reporters in a conference call.

CDC officials have blamed this year's largest U.S. Outbreak of measles since

1997, with 135 people sickened, on lack of vaccination often due to

personal or parental beliefs. "

Childhood vaccinations save an estimated 33,000 lives per year in the United

States, the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said.

Coverage with the full vaccine series ranged among states from 91 percent in

land to 63 percent in Nevada.

The recommended series tracked in the report was: four doses of diphtheria,

tetanus and pertussis vaccine; three doses of polio vaccine; one or more

doses of measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) vaccine; three doses of

Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib); three doses of hepatitis B

vaccine; and one or more doses of chickenpox vaccine.

[Guest guest]

Trust, meaning blind faith despite the obvious? No, thanks.

I wonder if they realize that even if the vaccination rate was 100%, there would

a much lower effectiveness rate. Meaning, even with perfection, it's a

crapshoot.

Winnie

US: Child vaccination rates hit record levels

undisclosed-recipients@...

>

> http://uk.reuters

> com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL47185220080904?rpc=401 & =undefined & sp=true

> Child vaccination rates hit record levels

> Thu Sep 4, 2008 8:59pm BST

>

>

> By Will Dunham

> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Toddlers got the recommended vaccinations

> against childhood diseases at record levels in 2007, federal health

> officials said on Thursday, as they urged parents to continue to trust

> vaccine safety.

> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its report on

> vaccination rates for ages 1-1/2 through 3 years just a day

> after another

> study came out showing no link between autism and the vaccine

> given to guard

> against measles, mumps and rubella.

> A record 77.4 percent of children in this age group received the full

> recommended series of vaccinations, the CDC said. Ninety percent

> of children

> got all but one of the six individual vaccines in the series,

> the CDC said.

> The one exception was the four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and

> pertussis or

> whooping cough vaccine, received by 84.5 percent of toddlers,

> the CDC said.

> The CDC report, based on data on 17,017 children, found that

> fewer than 1

> percent got no vaccines.

> The immunization program's success hinges on parents' trust in vaccine

> safety, CDC Director Dr. Gerberding said.

> Public health officials have expressed concern in recent years

> that some

> parents fearful about vaccine safety were declining to get their

> childrenvaccinated, making them more apt to catch and spread

> preventable diseases.

> " We really recognize that ultimately our program is dependent on

> trust --

> trust of moms and dads, trust of caretakers and trust of the

> clinicians,pediatricians (and) family practice professionals who

> take care of our

> children, " Gerberding told reporters in a conference call.

> CDC officials have blamed this year's largest U.S. Outbreak of

> measles since

> 1997, with 135 people sickened, on lack of vaccination often due

> to

> personal or parental beliefs. "

> Childhood vaccinations save an estimated 33,000 lives per year

> in the United

> States, the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said.

> Coverage with the full vaccine series ranged among states from

> 91 percent in

> land to 63 percent in Nevada.

> The recommended series tracked in the report was: four doses of

> diphtheria,tetanus and pertussis vaccine; three doses of polio

> vaccine; one or more

> doses of measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) vaccine;

> three doses of

> Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib); three doses of

> hepatitis B

> vaccine; and one or more doses of chickenpox vaccine.

>

>

>