Vaccines

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.

Active, healthy 11-y/o boy develops degenerative neurologic symptoms. PMH relevant for measles at age 1 year, MMR vaccine at 8 months. Is there a connection?

In the absence of an official preference for one formulation over another, we can do what's best for our patients.

A seasoned pediatrician learns something new after a mother offers a moral defense against the Varivax vaccine for her son.

There is no room in the office refrigerator for Monday's vaccine delivery. Your son's mini-fridge is an ideal temporary fix. True or False?

The mother of a 12-year-old boy resists your suggestion that he receive the HPV4 vaccine today. She asks three good questions. Do you know the answers?

It's Monday morning and you're only 20 minutes behind. Per routine, you ask the mother of the 12-month-old in your office if she has any questions about the shots he's about to receive...

The mother of a 12-month-old says she'd rather her son have the chickenpox ("It's such a mild disease...") than be vaccinated today. Here, the pros and cons.

FluBlok, new this year, is egg-free but approved for persons aged 18 to 49 years only. The other options, and precautions, are discussed here.

The 5-year-old in your office has asthma and is egg-allergic. Mom wants him to have a flu shot today, but only if it can be given safely. Can it? With which vaccine?

If you aren't ready with the answer to this question and a way to put it in context for parents, you just might not get another chance. What would you say?

Here's how to put a parent's concern to rest.

Since mom went to the hassle of bringing along the 4 year old to her little brother's appointment, why not help make it worth the trip and get her up-to-date, too?

As the calendar advances to the fall months, we are reminded everywhere that it’s time for the annual influenza vaccination. In August 2011, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) updated its vaccination recommendations to include new guidelines for children ages 6 months through 8 years, and for persons with egg allergy.

My 18-month-old son has had a diaper rash, with no other symptoms, within a few days of eating a poached egg on 3 separate occasions.

Vaccination against infectious diseases has saved millions of lives. The recurrent threat of influenza pandemics and the prevalence of global HIV infections underscore the need for better-designed, more effective vaccines.

The lay public is being increasingly educated about the significant impact of HPV infection and the potential benefits of vaccination in reducing female cervical cancer. More medical providers need to recognize the substantial disease that could be prevented in men.

It certainly is reasonable for pediatricians to discharge patients if parents consistently refuse vaccinations. More than one-third of surveyed pediatricians agree.1 Although the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests avoiding the dismissal of vaccination refusers, it also recommends consideration of dismissal “when a substantial level of distrust develops, significant differences in the philosophy of care emerge, or poor quality of communication persists.”

Newborns and young infants represent the population most at risk for the burden of severe pertussis-related and influenza-related morbidity and mortality. The sources of these infections in infants are often unclear but are probably adolescents and adults (pertussis) and children and adults (influenza)

With the sole exception of the multidose influenza vaccine, childhood vaccines are now thimerosal-free. Communicating this fact (with signs in clinic) is a quick and effective way of making this concern a non-issue. It helps reinforce the message that vaccines are safe. Parents are made aware that the pediatrician is cognizant of their concerns and has endeavored to address those concerns.

The importance of vaccination has been well proved over the years for both individuals and the community as a whole. According to the 2004 to 2006 National Immunization Survey sponsored by the CDC, about 80% of children in the United States are up-to-date (UTD) with their immunizations, a rate that although respectable still leaves room for improvement.

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children can cause serious illness-including meningitis, pneumonia, and bacteremia-and death. Fortunately for children, their families, and their pediatricians, the incidence of IPD in children younger than 5 years has dropped significantly following the widespread adoption of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).

On awakening in the morning, a 2-year-old girl was noted to have left-sided facial swelling and was brought to the emergency department. The child had had no fever, trauma to the area, pain, or difficulty in swallowing. Her medical history was unremarkable. Her immunizations were up-to-date; she had received both doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine about 6 months before presentation. There were no sick contacts.

After independent academic researchers, using a new technology, found DNA from porcine circovirus 1 (PCV1) in GlaxoSmithKline’s Rotarix vaccine, the FDA has recommended that clinicians temporarily suspend administration of the vaccine. The recommended suspension is a precautionary measure, put into effect while the FDA reviews the data and conducts further investigations.