Smallpox, measles, diphtheria, polio: vaccines have diminished their power, and in some cases, eradicated these dreaded diseases. Yet this century has seen growing numbers of parents refusing vaccinations for their children, not only endangering them but also increasing the risk of outbreaks and epidemics of vaccine-preventable diseases. Understanding and Managing Vaccine Concerns concisely explains the evolution of vaccine concerns, and gives clinicians hands-on help in dealing with vaccine hesitation and outright refusal among parents. Persistent themes in refusal, such as a supposed autism/vaccine link and the belief that too many vaccines are given too soon, are discussed and recent statistics given for trends in vaccine refusal and delay. Central to the book is a detailed guide to vaccine concern management, with sample responses that readers can tailor to address vaccine refusal and specific concerns regarding individual vaccines and their components. This thorough grounding will assist providers in countering misinformation with facts and allaying fears with medically and ethically sound responses. Included in this practical resource: A brief history of vaccine concerns. Current trends in vaccine hesitancy and refusal. Health implications of vaccine refusal. Characteristics and beliefs of vaccine-concerned parents. The CASE approach: a management strategy for vaccine concerns. Additional considerations in management strategies. The debate over vaccination isn't going away any time soon and neither is the potential threat to public health, making Understanding and Managing Vaccine Concerns a timely and necessary addition to the libraries of pediatricians, nurses and other healthcare providers.

Vaccines are among the most safe and effective public health interventions to prevent serious disease and death. Because of the success of vaccines, most Americans today have no firsthand experience with such devastating illnesses as polio or diphtheria. Health care providers who vaccinate young children follow a schedule prepared by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under the current schedule, children younger than six may receive as many as 24 immunizations by their second birthday. New vaccines undergo rigorous testing prior to receiving FDA approval; however, like all medicines and medical interventions, vaccines carry some risk. Driven largely by concerns about potential side effects, there has been a shift in some parents' attitudes toward the child immunization schedule. The Childhood Immunization Schedule and Safety identifies research approaches, methodologies, and study designs that could address questions about the safety of the current schedule. This report is the most comprehensive examination of the immunization schedule to date. The IOM authoring committee uncovered no evidence of major safety concerns associated with adherence to the childhood immunization schedule. Should signals arise that there may be need for investigation, however, the report offers a framework for conducting safety research using existing or new data collection systems.

The Public Health Foundation (PHF) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pleased to announce the availability of Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 13th Edition or “The Pink Book” E-Book. This resource provides the most current, comprehensive, and credible information on vaccine-preventable diseases, and contains updated content on immunization and vaccine information for public health practitioners, healthcare providers, health educators, pharmacists, nurses, and others involved in administering vaccines. “The Pink Book E-Book” allows you, your staff, and others to have quick access to features such as keyword search and chapter links. Online schedules and sources can also be accessed directly through e-readers with internet access. Current, credible, and comprehensive, “The Pink Book E-Book” contains information on each vaccine-preventable disease and delivers immunization providers with the latest information on: Principles of vaccination General recommendations on immunization Vaccine safety Child/adult immunization schedules International vaccines/Foreign language terms Vaccination data and statistics The E-Book format contains all of the information and updates that are in the print version, including: · New vaccine administration chapter · New recommendations regarding selection of storage units and temperature monitoring tools · New recommendations for vaccine transport · Updated information on available influenza vaccine products · Use of Tdap in pregnancy · Use of Tdap in persons 65 years of age or older · Use of PCV13 and PPSV23 in adults with immunocompromising conditions · New licensure information for varicella-zoster immune globulin Contact [email protected] for more information. For more news and specials on immunization and vaccines visit the Pink Book's Facebook fan page

The Immunization Safety Review Committee was established by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate the evidence on possible causal associations between immunizations and certain adverse outcomes, and to then present conclusions and recommendations. The committee's mandate also includes assessing the broader societal significance of these immunization safety issues. While all the committee members share the view that immunization is generally beneficial, none of them has a vested interest in the specific immunization safety issues that come before the group. The committee reviews three immunization safety review topics each year, addressing each one at a time. In this fifth report in a series, the committee examines the hypothesis that exposure to polio vaccine contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40), a virus that causes inapparent infection in some monkeys, can cause certain types of cancer.

By two years of age, healthy infants in the United States can receive up to 20 vaccinations to protect against 11 diseases. Although most people know that vaccines effectively protect against serious infectious diseases, approximately one-quarter of parents in a recent survey believe that infants get more vaccines than are good for them, and that too many immunizations could overwhelm an infant's immune system. The Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed the evidence regarding the hypothesis that multiple immunizations increase the risk for immune dysfunction. Specifically, the committee looked at evidence of potential biological mechanisms and at epidemiological evidence for or against causality related to risk for infections, the autoimmune disease type 1 diabetes, and allergic disorders.

Immunization against disease is among the most successful global health efforts of the modern era, and substantial gains in vaccination coverage rates have been achieved worldwide. However, that progress has stagnated in recent years, leaving an estimated 20 million children worldwide either undervaccinated or completely unvaccinated. The determinants of vaccination uptake are complex, mutable, and context specific. A primary driver is vaccine hesitancy - defined as a "delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services". The majority of vaccine-hesitant people fall somewhere on a spectrum from vaccine acceptance to vaccine denial. Vaccine uptake is also hampered by socioeconomic or structural barriers to access. On August 17-20, 2020, the Forum on Microbial Threats at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a 4-day virtual workshop titled The Critical Public Health Value of Vaccines: Tackling Issues of Access and Hesitancy. The workshop focused on two main areas (vaccine access and vaccine confidence) and gave particular consideration to health systems, research opportunities, communication strategies, and policies that could be considered to address access, perception, attitudes, and behaviors toward vaccination. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.