Date of Publication

2-4-2011

Abstract

Introduction: Nationally, childhood immunizations have proven themselves invaluable in preventing contagious diseases and their associated morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, vaccines have become increasingly controversial, with a growing number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. Primary reasons given for vaccination refusal include fears of side effects and the belief that the target diseases are not harmful. Those parents who refuse to vaccinate their children generally have higher levels of education and income. An additional population of under-vaccinated children who have received limited recommended vaccinations has been identified and often comes from a lower socioeconomic level. Unimmunized children have been associated with recent disease outbreaks, placing other individuals at risk and increasing the controversy about childhood vaccinations. Nationally, Vermont has one of the highest rates of unvaccinated children with recent data showing these rates are continuing to increase.

Advisor(s)

Christine Finley, MSN, MPH, Vermont Department of Health

Marianne Burke, MLS, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Agency

Vermont Department of Health Immunization Program

Subjects

Health Communication and Health Information Technology, Immunization and Infectious Diseases, Public Health Infrastructure, Maternal, Infant, and Child Health

Notes

Presented at the American Public Health Association 139th Annual Meeting & Exposition, Washington, DC, October 30, 2011

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License

Understanding Factors Contributing to Suboptimal Rates of Childhood Vaccinations in Vermont
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