Vaccination and Immunization

A program with the goal of expanding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and preventing HPV-related cancers has been expanded.

A recent study offers hope for more effective vaccine responses.

Immunizations during pregnancy are common and meant to provide protection during the early months of life. A literature review looks at whether the practice influences other early health outcomes.

The US government has entered into an agreement to acquire the first 100 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Routine vaccination for meningococcal disease has been recommended since 2005. A study looks at whether the recommendation has reduced the incidence of disease.

Walgreens announces that routine immunization service will resume.

Initiation and completion rates for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine aren’t where public health officials would like them to be. A report examines whether an intensive intervention can help improve those rates.

Vaccine hesitancy is a major issue in pediatrics and many have wondered how prevalent the issue is. A new survey offers a dispiriting answer.

New research shows that a mother’s mental illness can impact their child’s completion of recommended vaccinations.

Standing orders have a positive impact on vaccination rates. However, a new study indicates that some doctors aren’t using them for a variety of reasons.

Autodialer centralized reminder and recall messages have been used to improve the rate of childhood vaccination. A new study examines whether they could improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates as well.

COVID-19 has led to many changes in health care, including how children receive care. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examines how these changes have impacted vaccination.

Current US vaccine policy recommends that children receive 2 influenza vaccine doses during their first influenza season. A new study indicates that this helps reduce influenza burden among the vulnerable population.

The US FDA has approved Sanofi’s meningococcal (groups A, C, Y, W) conjugate vaccine (MenQuadfi) to prevent invasive meningococcal disease in children aged 2 years or older.

A few major changes are included in this year’s update to the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, including improved flexibility for tetanus- and pertussis-related vaccines.

Following the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedule for vaccination is the best way to protect young children from preventable diseases. However, parents may not follow that schedule for a number of reasons. A new study examines just how many children aren’t receiving vaccines on a timely basis.

Following a unanimous vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a hexavalent vaccine with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed, inactivated poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate), and hepatitis B (HepB) (recombinant) has been included in the federal Vaccines for Children program.

Group B meningitis poses a serious health risk to children, but the disease is vaccine preventable. A recent study evaluated the efficacy of vaccination with the multicomponent meningococcal group B (4CMenB) vaccine in young children with positive results.

Discussing vaccination against influenza can go a few different ways. For parents who are either unconcerned with the influenza immunization or who had children who received it in previous seasons but still got influenza, a targeted, evidence-based patient education supported by the influenza immunization and hospitalization data could turn the tide.

To address the different fears motivating vaccine-hesitant parents versus antivaccine parents, one must understand the historical resistance to vaccination.

As state policies regarding vaccination for children entering kindergarten eliminate exemptions for personal beliefs, parents turn to claiming exemptions on religious grounds.

The anti-vaccination movement has led to large pockets of the country that are unvaccinated and vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, but large-scale education could undo the damage.

The evidence is clear: Practitioners who fail to administer immunizations according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedules results in adverse outcomes for children and adolescents who are needlessly exposed to vaccine preventable diseases.

The 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) is performing well since its 2010 introduction but still has some flaws, according to a recent report.

Clinicians must advocate for pediatric patients receiving immunomodulation therapies to also receive timely vaccinations for vaccine-preventable diseases.