Vaccines have saved an incredible 154 million lives in the last 50 years
Since 1974, when the World Health Organization launched its Expanded Global Programme on Immunisation, 154 million lives have been saved through vaccination. Maria Mercedes Galuppo von Veuer reports.
Mild cough, feverish naps and runny noses.
There’s nothing as heartbreaking as a sick child. And it’s even more worrying when you’re dealing with it in the middle of class. To best prepare, doctors are urging parents to check that their children’s routine vaccinations are up to date before the first day of school.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children should be vaccinated against 15 potentially serious diseases before their second birthday. These include annual vaccinations against flu and COVID-19.
While children receive most of these vaccinations as part of routine checkups, doctors say some pediatric patients are still behind because the pandemic has disrupted health visits. Doctors encourage parents to make sure their children are up to date before they start school.
“It’s important for parents to be mindful of these diseases, even if they’re not common. … They’re still around,” said Dr. Kisha Davis, chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. “Discuss with your primary care physician which vaccine is right for which age and at which stage.”
Vaccinations for children: still need to catch up
The Vaccines for Children program has led to record increases in vaccinations since its launch in 1994, although the pandemic has hampered some of that progress.
In 2021, according to the CDC, 92% of U.S. children under 2 were vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella, below the federal goal of 95% that the country met in the 2019-20 season. In November 2023, the agency released another report that found that nationwide vaccination of kindergarten children remained below pre-pandemic levels.
School districts across the country require a range of childhood vaccinations before children can attend class, but enforcement of those requirements fell by the wayside during the pandemic. Instead of going to school, students learned virtually at home, where the opportunity for disease transmission was lower.
Teachers were more focused on making sure students had meals and laptops at home, said Davis, who is also a board member of the American Academy of Family Pediatrics. “Pressuring people to get vaccinated was less of a priority.”
The pandemic has interrupted routine health checkups where children normally receive these vaccines, said Dr. Glenn Fennelly, a professor in the department of pediatrics at Texas Tech Health in El Paso, adding that some patients are still in the process of catching up on vaccinations.
Vaccine hesitancy has also increased since the pandemic, he said, prompting states to allow more vaccine exemptions for non-medical reasons. During the 2022-23 school year, the number of families requesting a vaccine exemption increased in 41 states and exceeded 5% in 10 states, the CDC said.
Recent outbreaks of measles, a highly contagious disease that can be prevented by vaccines, demonstrate the importance of high vaccination rates.
According to the CDC, at least 13 outbreaks have been reported in 2024, including one that occurred at a Florida elementary school earlier this year. Of the 219 cases reported this year, 40% were in children under 5 and 87% were in adults and children who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
“These are devastating diseases,” Fennelly said. “It’s a worrying trend.”
What parents should know about routine vaccinations
Most vaccines are given in multiple doses on a specific schedule. They protect against diseases such as hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (lockjaw), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), pneumococcal disease, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and hepatitis A.
Sometimes vaccines are combined in a single vial, so that one series of vaccinations can protect against several viruses. For example, children only need one series of vaccinations to be protected against measles, mumps and rubella. Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough are also protected against with a single series of vaccinations.
Patients are given different vaccinations at different times in their lives because studies have shown when the vaccine provides the most protection, Davis said. But experts say if a child misses the window for vaccination, there are ways to catch up.
They recommend that parents speak with their family doctor or pediatrician to create a schedule that works for them.
“Your primary care physician’s job is to manage your health in your context,” Davis said. “Trust them. We can figure this out together.”
Flu and COVID-19
Vaccinations for children are only necessary once in a lifetime. However, doctors also want parents to receive their annual vaccinations regularly.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine seasonal flu vaccinations targeting the three predominant flu strains from the previous winter for all persons 6 months of age and older.
“Our most important recommendation to protect yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. “Make a plan now for yourself and your family to get both up-to-date flu and COVID vaccinations this fall, before respiratory virus season.”
Like flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for children 6 months and older. In early June, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended that this season’s COVID vaccines target the JN.1 lineage of SARS-CoV-2.
JN.1 dominated case numbers last winter, but its subvariants – known as FLiRT – were responsible for more cases in the summer months. According to CDC data, the KP.3.1.1 subvariant accounted for nearly 28% of COVID cases in the U.S. through August 16, while KP.3 accounted for over 20%.
In an update, the FDA recommended that vaccine manufacturers also target the JN.1 subvariant KP.2.
The FDA is expected to approve the vaccine in the coming weeks. The country’s two largest pharmacy chains, Walgreens and CVS, told USA TODAY they expect vaccine shipments within days of approval.
Older children can usually get these vaccinations at their local pharmacy, but most pharmacies do not vaccinate children under the age of three. Davis advises parents to ask their doctor if younger children can be vaccinated at the doctor’s office.
Vaccine confusion: 128 pregnant women and 25 babies were incorrectly vaccinated against RSV, CDC says
Respiratory syncytial virus, RSV
The newest vaccine on the market is the shot that protects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
RSV is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and airways, including the nose and throat, according to the CDC. In the United States, about 58,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year, and several hundred die from it.
The monoclonal antibody called Beyfortus from Sanofi and AstraZeneca had a bumpy market entry last year.
The vaccine is recommended for babies aged 8 months and older who are entering their first RSV season, and can also be given to children aged 8 to 19 months who are at increased risk of severe disease as they enter their second season of vaccination.
In the United States, RSV season typically begins in September and lasts through January. According to the CDC, Beyfortus reduces the risk of RSV hospitalizations and doctor visits in infants by about 80%.
Last year, health authorities were forced to withdraw their recommendations on who was eligible for infant vaccination because of a rise in RSV cases following a shortage of the drug.
At the time, Sanofi blamed “unprecedented demand” for the vaccine, but the drugmaker told USA TODAY that its expanded manufacturing network will more than double the available doses this year. They should be available by October, the manufacturer said.
It is important to note, however, that RSV vaccines will not be available in pharmacies, so health experts advise parents to talk to their child’s doctor and make a plan to get vaccinated as soon as their children are eligible.
Contributor: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY. Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].
