Author: Kate Smith

Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, MP, MPH Statement on National Infant Immunization Week, Safety and Effectiveness of Vaccines

Posted on by Kate Smith

Vaccinations save lives, protect our children, and are one of the greatest public health achievements in history. Most parents choose to protect their children with these safe, proven vaccines. Despite this, we are now seeing a large, very concerning outbreak of measles. Vaccinating your baby according to the recommended immunization schedule provides the best protection against 14 serious childhood illnesses—including measles and whooping cough. As a parent, I have publicly talked about my family’s decision to protect my three children by getting them vaccinated. Unfortunately, there is inaccurate information circulating about vaccines, so let’s make sure we separate the facts Read More …

2019 Childhood Immunization Champion Award

Posted on by Kate Smith

The CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award recognizes individuals who make a significant contribution toward improving public health through their work in childhood immunization. This year, a new partner will join CDC to honor those who are doing an exemplary job or going above and beyond to promote or foster childhood immunization among children 0-2 years old in their communities. One Champion from each of the 50 U.S. states, 8 U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia will be honored. The awardees will be announced during National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 27-May 4, 2019.   We wanted Read More …

What Happened After California Got Rid of Personal Belief Exemptions?

Posted on by Kate Smith

Karen Kaplan | October 29, 2018 | Los Angeles Times Health authorities in California have more power to insist that a dog is vaccinated against rabies than to ensure that a child enrolled in public school is vaccinated against measles. That’s just one of the frustrations faced by health officials in the first year after California did away with “personal belief exemptions” that allowed parents to send their kids to school unvaccinated, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics Read more

The relationship between anogenital HPV types and incident HIV infection among MSM and transgender women in Lima, Peru

Posted on by Kate Smith

Although it is known that individuals living with HIV have a higher HPV prevalence, the impact of individual HPV types on HIV acquisition is less clear. In this prospective cohort study we investigated the relationship between HPV types and incident HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Lima, Peru. Read more

It’s Complicated: The 2014–2015 U.S. Measles Outbreak

Posted on by Kate Smith

While it seems intuitive that highly visible vaccine‐preventable disease outbreaks should impact perceptions of disease risk and facilitate vaccination, few empirical studies exist to confirm or dispel these beliefs. This study investigates the impact of the 2014–2015 Disneyland measles outbreak on parents’ vaccination attitudes and future vaccination intentions. Read more

HPV Vaccine Expanded for Ages 27 – 45

Posted on by Kate Smith

The HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer and other malignancies, is now approved for men and women from 27 to 45-years-old, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The vaccine is Gardasil 9, made by Merck, and had been previously approved for minors and people up to age 26. Read more.

Political Views and Vaccine Refusal Rates and Increasing Concern for Policymakers and Public Health Officials

Posted on by Kate Smith

Health Policy Watch | July 13, 2018 Or they should be. That’s the conclusion of a recent study published in the medical journal Vaccine. The study focused on political views of parents in the state of California, who had chosen not to vaccinate their nursery-school aged children. And it tracked the number of parents who had filed personal belief exemptions (PBEs), applications for permission to avoid vaccinations over a 5-year period to 2015. Read more

Despite Improvements, California’s Campaign for Childhood Immunizations Faces Pushback

Posted on by Kate Smith

Two years after California adopted one of the toughest child vaccination laws in the nation, the state’s immunization rates are near record high levels. Approved after a measles outbreak that originated at Disneyland, the law makes California one of only three states that bar parents from citing their personal beliefs to avoid having their children vaccinated. Read More