Timeliness of Childhood Vaccinations in the United States

A study recently in Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than 33% of children under two years old have not had their appropriate vaccinations. This leaves children vulnerable to diseases that can cause large outbreaks such as measles and pertussis or whooping cough. During 2003, almost 12,000 cases of pertussis/whooping cough were reported in the US, with incidence highest in those under 6 months of age. In these young infants, pertussis causes a significant proportion of hospitalization and death.

Timeliness of Childhood Vaccinations in the United States
JAMA 2005;293:1204-1211
www.jama.com

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