Most U.S. children are vaccinated against 14 potentially serious illnesses by age 2, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). However, a March 2020 Pediatrics study, “Adherence to Timely Vaccinations in the United States,” suggests that more than one-third of children don’t receive vaccines on schedule as recommended by ACIP, leaving them vulnerable to preventable infections, diseases, and their complications. For the study, published online Feb. 21, researchers used 2014 federal data to classify vaccination patterns. Results showed 63% of children received vaccines according to the recommended ACIP dose- and age-specific schedule, while 23% followed an “alternate” schedule that either limited the number of shots per visit or skipped at least one vaccine series. Another 14% followed an “unknown/unclassifiable” schedule not in-line with ACIP recommendations but also not clearly limiting shots per visit or vaccine series. Study authors said 58% of children were up to date with all ACIP-recommended immunizations by 19-35 months. However, misinformation about vaccines in recent years may be leading parents and their providers to modify the ACIP-recommended schedule by selectively delaying or declining some vaccines for children under age 2. In addition, sociodemographic factors such as race, ethnicity and poverty status are associated with differences in when children receive recommended vaccines. The study examined an expanded number of ACIP routinely recommended vaccines than are usually used in standard CDC coverage estimates, which is why coverage levels were lower than typically reported. The authors said this was to ensure they captured a better sense of how well children’s vaccine uptake was adhering to the published recommended schedule. The findings, they said, highlight a need for targeted interventions to minimize vaccine delays that put children’s individual health, and public health, at risk.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.