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Vital Signs

Tools for Closing the Immunizations Gap

Immunization against infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, hepatitis, pneumonia and influenza is one of the 10 Leading Health Indicators in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 national prevention agenda--and also one of the six focus areas of HHS’ Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. For example, both flu and pneumonia vaccination rates for African-American and Hispanic adults are significantly lower than for Caucasian adults. And according to the Office of Minority Health, one out of four African-American children age 19-35 months did not receive recommended vaccinations in 1999.

Because a complete immunization schedule for infants can require as many as 20 different injections during the first two years of life, groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots and doctor visits needed. One exciting new addition to the combination vaccine arsenal is GlaxoSmithKline’s PEDIARIXTM, approved by the FDA in December 2002.

PEDIARIX is the first-ever five-in-one U.S. licensed vaccine to offer protection against five serious childhood diseases simultaneously: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and polio. Children receive the vaccination in a three dose series: at two, four and six months of age. Until now, immunizing kids against all five of these diseases required a series of nine injections. By reducing that number to just three injections, PEDIARIX results in up to six fewer shots for infants, which could add up to as many as 24 million fewer injections a year for infants in the United States. More information about this new combination vaccine is available at www.GSKVaccines.com or www.PEDIARIX.com

To keep abreast of other important immunization news--and keep your patients informed as well--check out Vaccine Information for the Public and Health Professionals (www.vaccineinformation.org), a new Web site created by the Immunization Action Coalition and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site is loaded with information about vaccine-preventable diseases--including HIV co-morbidities such as pneumonia and hepatitis A and B--along with articles, case histories, recommendations, video clips, immunization statistics, state immunization laws and mandates, and links to other helpful resources.