A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics on July 25 revealed that more than one in six toddlers are not receiving the recommended doses of early childhood vaccines. The researchers from the University of Montana analyzed vaccination records from 2019 for over 16,300 U.S. toddlers between the ages of 19 and 35 months. The study found that more than 27% of children had not received the full series of required vaccines, with nearly 10% not starting any of the series and 17.2% starting but not completing one or more series.
The study emphasized the need for increased focus on encouraging completion of multi-dose vaccine series to ensure protection from preventable diseases and achieve vaccination coverage goals. Risk factors for non-compliance with vaccines included moving across state lines, the number of children in the household, lack of insurance coverage, lowered household income, living in a rented home, and race and ethnicity. Black children were found to be more likely than White children to have not completed a full vaccine series.
Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, who reviewed the study findings, highlighted various issues in the U.S. healthcare system that contribute to vaccine non-compliance, such as fragmented care, poor coordination across providers, a complex insurance system, and unequal access to healthcare.
While the study revealed concerning trends, there were some positive findings. For instance, 8.4% of children only needed one additional vaccine dose to complete the series. If these children had received the missing dose, the U.S. would have met the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80% coverage for vaccine series completion.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, expressed concern about the increasing vaccine non-compliance, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. He emphasized the contagious nature of these diseases, which could easily reappear if vaccination rates decline. Siegel also highlighted the importance of achieving herd immunity, which requires over 90% compliance with vaccines.
The study authors recommended increasing support for children from low-income families and racial minority groups, who are at greater risk of infectious diseases and poorer health outcomes due to social and environmental factors. Suggestions included implementing reminder systems, flexible scheduling, and pre-visit planning.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program, which provides free vaccines to children facing financial constraints.
Overall, the study stresses the need for renewed efforts to support timely completion of multi-dose vaccine series in early childhood to achieve vaccination coverage goals.
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