Overview of the United States’ Immunization Program

Abstract

This manuscript describes the history, background, and current structure of the United States Immunization Program, founded upon public- and private-sector partnerships that include federal agencies, state and local health departments, tribal nations and organizations, healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, pharmacies, and a multitude of additional stakeholders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sets the U.S. adult and childhood immunization schedules based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. We review the current immunization schedules; describe the set of surveillance and other systems used to monitor the health impact, coverage levels, and safety of recommended vaccines; and note significant challenges. Vaccines have reduced the incidence of many diseases to historic lows in the US, and have potential to further reduce the burden of respiratory and other infectious diseases in the United States. Though the United States vaccination program has had notable successes in reducing morbidity and mortality from infectious disease, challenges—including disparities in access and vaccine hesitancy—remain. Supporting access to and confidence in vaccines as an essential public health intervention will not only protect individuals from vaccine-preventable diseases; it will also ensure the country is prepared for the next pandemic.

Factors Associated with Receipt and Parental Intent for COVID-19 Vaccination of Children Ages 5–11 years

“…3 Children might play an important role in the transmission of COVID-19, highlighting the importance of child vaccinations in the effort to reduce COVID-19 community transmission and hospitalization rates. 4 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] years in the United States on October 29, 2021, which was endorsed on November 2, 2021, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. 5 Administrative data reported to CDC showed that coverage among children 5-11 years was 24% during the first two months of vaccine rollout, which was lower than coverage among those ages 12-15 years (33%) during the first two months of eligibility for that age group.…”

“…8,9 The evaluation of disparities in receipt of routine childhood vaccinations is an important component of the national immunization program in the United States. 10 Understanding sociodemographic differences in COVID-19 vaccination and parental intent to vaccinate children ages 5-11 years during the first few months after the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation is essential in efforts to achieve higher vaccination coverage in this age group and addressing inequities in coverage early in the vaccination program. Better understanding of the associations between behavioral and social drivers of vaccine uptake and the willingness of parents to vaccinate their children might help to identify specific issues and demographic subgroups where tailored efforts might be helpful to improve vaccination coverage.…”

Do vaccines cause epilepsy? Review of cases in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

“…8 The initial Table also included a term called "residual seizure disorder." 5 A petitioner was considered to have suffered a residual seizure disorder if the petitioner did not suffer a seizure or convulsion unaccompanied by fever or accompanied by a fever of <102°F before the first seizure or convulsion after the administration of the vaccine involved and if (1) in the case of a measles, mumps, or rubella vaccine or any combination of such vaccines, the first seizure or convulsion occurred within 15 days after administration of the vaccine and two or more seizures or convulsions occurred within 1 year after the administration of the vaccine that were unaccompanied by fever or accompanied by a fever of <102°F; and (2) in the case of any other vaccine, the first seizure or convulsion occurred within 3 days after administration of the vaccine and two or more seizures or convulsions occurred within 1 year after the administration of the vaccine that were unaccompanied by fever or accompanied by a fever of <102°F.…”

“…The Program allows petitioners three distinct theories of recovery, thereby allowing causation to be proven by showing that (1) vaccine, (2) a preexisting condition was significantly aggravated by the vaccine, or (3) the vaccine was the causein-fact of the injury. If any of the various injuries in this Table occur within the statutorily defined time, a rebuttable presumption of causation has been proven.…”

“…The 20th century saw the introduction of widespread vaccination and, consequently, the elimination of a number of communicable diseases, particularly in children. 1 Championing the success of vaccines, all 50 states have instituted laws requiring at least some vaccines as a condition of a child's being enrolled in school. In the 1970s and 1980s, however, as many communicable diseases were eradicated by vaccines, the public began to focus on the potential injuries caused by vaccines, leading to an increase in vaccine-related litigation.…”