Infectious Diseases

The ongoing US measles outbreak underscores the importance of childhood vaccines-opponents of vaccination notwithstanding, say experts.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has announced the release of the 2015 recommended vaccination schedule for children and adolescents in a recent policy statement from the Academy’s Committee on Infectious Diseases.

Young children are more likely to get a second dose of influenza vaccine when their parents receive reminders by text message, a new study reports.

Investigators conducted a retrospective multicenter study to assess how well the standard Kocher predictive algorithm differentiates between children with Kingella kingae infection of the hip and those with transient synovitis.

Contrary to current guidelines, children born before 37 weeks’ gestation should be considered at high risk for complications of influenza, a new meta-analysis shows.

An estimated average of 6514 infants aged younger than 12 months were hospitalized for influenza infection each year between 2003 and 2012, according to an analysis of population-based influenza hospitalization surveillance data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines the academy’s influenza vaccination recommendations for the 2014-2015 flu season.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has updated its influenza vaccination recommendations for the 2014-15 influenza season.

Watch to learn about the flu season and it's impact on younger adults with the H1N1 strain of the flu virus and how important the flu vaccine is for this part of the population.

A study conducted in 264 3- to 4-year-old children who were attending daycare in China found that those who drank an experimental follow-up formula (FUF) had fewer and shorter episodes of acute respiratory infection (ARI) than children who consumed an unfortified cow’s milk-based beverage.

The high cost of purchasing and administering vaccines has been a topic of discussion by pediatricians for some time. New vaccines cost much more than the older ones, and even the old vaccines have consistently increased in cost over the years. This has caused some pediatricians to consider dropping vaccines from their practices altogether.

A growing number of adolescents are smoking hookahs instead of cigarettes, and users are more likely to be of higher socioeconomic status, a new study reports.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has taken the unusual step of recommending nasal spray vaccine over flu shots for healthy children aged 2 to 8 years.

Although skin and soft tissue infections can be deadly, most heal by themselves without antibiotics, say new practice guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

To enhance understanding of the association between infection with Clostridium difficile and disease caused by this bacterium, investigators conducted population-based C difficile infection (CDI) surveillance in children aged 1 to 17 years residing in 10 US geographic areas during a 1-year period.

An elevated level of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in an infant with acute bronchiolitis should raise a clinician’s suspicions that the child may have a bacterial coinfection, a new study indicates.

Don’t let mild early symptoms delay diagnosis of Kingella kingae osteoarticular infections.

Parenting influences the success of African American boys as they transition from preschool to kindergarten, according to a new study.

Guidelines for preventing and treating HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections (OIs) in children recently received a facelift. Government agencies and industry associations banded together to update recommendations previously published in 2009.

Children of persistent smokers are much more likely to smoke.

Acute otitis media (AOM) and acute bacterial sinusitis (ABM) are 2 of the most common infections affecting young children. They are also 2 of the most frequent medications for antibiotic therapy in a pediatric practice, and, as such, have been the focus of scrutiny as a source of antibiotic overuse.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released its guidance for influenza vaccination during the 2013-2014 influenza season. As always, AAP recommends that all children and adolescents aged 6 months and older receive either the trivalent or quadrivalent influenza vaccine, and children should be immunized as soon as the vaccine becomes available.

Do sick-visit immunizations dampen parental incentive to return for missed well-baby examinations?

Most pediatric burns are small and can be managed by primary care physicians. However, knowing when to contact a local burn center for assessment and treatment of burn injuries can minimize adverse outcomes and optimize care for the burn-injured child.

The role that school-aged children play in the spread of influenza to their families and the community continues to be undervalued.