Immunization Rates High For U.S. Kids

But CDC Says There's Still Room For Improvement, Especially For Teens

(WebMD)  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that U.S. immunization rates for young kids remain at or above record highs, but teens need to get up to speed on their vaccinations.

"We're doing well in the childhood program but we've still got a ways to go with adolescents," Melinda Wharton, M.D., deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news conference.

The CDC's latest immunization statistics report covers 2006 vaccinations for kids aged 19-35 months and teens aged 13-17.

The report shows that in 2006, more than three-quarters - 77 percent - of U.S. children aged 19-35 months in 2006 got all of the recommended doses of six childhood vaccines that target 10 diseases. Those children got four doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine; three doses of the polio vaccine; one or more doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; three doses of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine; three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine; and one or more doses of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

The percentage of children aged 19-35 months who got all recommended doses of those six vaccines is similar to the 2005 percentage. But that percentage is still below the government's 2010 goal to have at least 90 percent of U.S. kids in that group get all recommended doses of their vaccines.

Children's immunization rates varied among states. Here are the top five states, along with the percentage of children aged 19-35 months who got all recommended doses of their vaccines:

Massachusetts: 83.6 percent

Connecticut: 82 percent

North Carolina: 81.5 percent

Georgia: 81.4 percent

Pennsylvania: 80.8 percent

The five states at the bottom of the immunization list are:

West Virginia: 68.4 percent

Alaska: 67.3 percent

Montana: 65.6 percent

Wyoming: 63.5 percent

Nebraska: 59.5 percent

Among children aged 19-35 months, nearly 78 percent of whites had gotten the complete vaccination series, compared with about 74 percent of African-American children. That gap is tied to socioeconomic status, says Wharton.

The figures are based on nationwide telephone interviews with the parents of more than 21,000 U.S. children aged 19-35 months.


For the first time, the CDC also interviewed the parents of more than 2,800 teens aged 13-17. Those interviews show that some teens aren't up to date on their vaccinations.
For instance, the government wants at least 90 percent of teens aged 13-15 to get the recommended doses of the hepatitis B vaccine and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

In 2006, between 84 percent and 88 percent of teens in that age range had gotten the recommended doses of those vaccines. But teens were especially behind on newer vaccines. For instance, only about 12 percent of 13-17-year-olds had received the new meningococcal conjugate vaccine and only about 11 percent had gotten the combined tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough vaccine.

The CDC's immunization figures appear in tomorrow's edition of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.


By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang, M.D.
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Add a Comment

by mythoughtsr August 30, 2007 7:48 PM PDT

Finally a good report about vaccines. Knowing now that there is a genetic connection with Autism and the vaccine theory is debunked, we can get back to the business of vaccinating our children. Diseases such as pertussis are making a comeback due to the irresponsible parents who aren''t vaccinating their children. Although they should be held criminally responsible for not getting their children vaccinated, unfortunately this isn''t a law on the books. However, they should be penalized and forced to pay the medical bills of those who suffer and their children should be kept out of the schools our children attend as well. We all know this won''t happen but it''s a nice thought anyway.

Vaccinate your children and save lives.

Reply to this comment

by chrzeerose August 30, 2007 10:06 PM PDT

How uneducated are you? The only studies that have "debunked" the vaccine autism connection are the ones with ties to the companies who stand to benefit from them. I''ve seen many to the contrary and I promise you all my children will never have another vaccine injected into their bodies again. We are not the irresponsible ones. We are the ones that choose to educate ourselves and make an informed decision along with a growing # of Docs who agree with us. Do you have a child with autism? Have you seen a child get several vaccines in one day and stop talking, fall severely ill within hours of vaccination? Have you seen the bags under the mothers eyes when she''s desperately searching for why her child was stolen from her? The only thing that keeps her going is to see a children recovering from autism. It''s happening all over the world and yet we are the irresponsible ones. This very article is sponsored by several drug companies who hope that uneducated people like yourself continue to believe everything they tell you until that day when your own child is diagnosed....Then and only then will you realize vaccines can cause much more harm than good in certain subgroups of the population and it''s very sad it is to see most Americans following big pharma''s lead blindly like a bunch of sheep. I hope your children do not suffer from your blindness. Americans are failing our children and noone seems to care.

Reply to this comment

by chrzeerose August 30, 2007 10:32 PM PDT

Where did the comments that were here previously go????

Reply to this comment

by mythoughtsr August 31, 2007 8:24 AM PDT

chrzeerose, I have THREE children on the spectrum and I have a Master''s degree in Psychology so spare me your drivel. Just to quote one of thousands of articles regarding the genetic and hereditary components of Autism, start here: http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/genetics.htm One of my children exhibited numerous Autistic tendencies way prior to the vaccinations in question. Also, the fact that mercury has LONG been removed from the vaccinations in question is proof positive that the theory is debunked.

It''s very sad to hear of the long standing side effects that can be caused by vaccinations. Just like any medication, millions can take it and a select few are sadly affected by what can be devastating causes. However, with vaccinations and Autism, there are plenty of unvaccinated children out there who have it. How do you explain that? PLEASE give me a break with the "bags under the mother''s eyes" routine. You have NO IDEA what I''ve been through with three children on the spectrum and that analogy is comical. The fanatical anti-vaccination people who are bringing back the scourge of the very diseases we''d almost eradicated are the ones who are blind. I cannot wait until the day that the genetic code for Autism is completely written out for everyone to see so I can finally stop listening to this drama.

Reply to this comment

by tucano2 August 31, 2007 2:26 PM PDT

Merck''s MMR vaccine base is produced overseas. Their MMR vaccine causes millions of American children to be deaf. Merck has successfully convinced state legislators to insist American children must have MMR vaccines before entering schools. Any recourse is through the Federal Court of Appeals just around the corner from the White House, and Merck is defended by USA attorneys (some 45 USA attorneys vs. a kid). There is no excuse for this immoral situation.

Reply to this comment

by chrzeerose August 31, 2007 5:05 PM PDT

Mythoughts, I''m sorry you are also a parent of children on the autism spectrum and there is some genetics. However, my drivel comes from my personal experiences and many others who share. I find it so frustrating that people refuse to see this problem. If your kids showed signs of autism long before vaccination, did you skip the hepB shot that is given to them 12 hours after birth or did you notice symptoms during that 1st 12 hours? Have they been tested to see if they are able to excrete toxins from their bodies? Do they have allergies, eczema? I''m sorry you feel the way you do and everyone is entiled to their opinion, but I look for facts everywhere, not just what the CDC hands to me. And as for your masters in psychology, this means nothing to me. Wasn''t it a psychologist who said autism was caused by the "refrigerator mother"?

Reply to this comment

by chrzeerose August 31, 2007 5:16 PM PDT

It was "recommended" that thimerosal be removed from childhood vaccines, but they are not all mercury free yet. Some states have passed legislation banning the use of mercury in shots, however there has never been any recall. And if it wasn''t dangerous in the first place, why would they remove it?

Reply to this comment

by gaye5 September 1, 2007 9:40 AM PDT

chrzeerose, even if mercury had been removed, there are many other just as deadly thing in immunizations, here is a list and I believe that the WHO said that sickness is worse than it was 80 years ago, can anyone confer with this??? and The Center for Disease Control mandated infant vaccinations has more than tripled between 1983 (10 vaccines were required) to 2004 (36 vaccines required by the CDC). During this period, there has been an explosion in neurological disorders like ADHD and autism, particularly in boys, who represent 4 out of 5 cases.
These are just some of the ingredients used to make a vaccine.

* Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
* Phenol also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)
* Formaldehyde a known cancer causing agent
* Aluminum which is associated with Alzheimer disease and seizures also cancer producing in laboratory mice
- -( it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
* Thimerosal (used as a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease
* Neomycin, Streptomycin (used as antibiotic) have caused allergic reactions in some people

These vaccines are grown and strained through animal or human tissues like monkey kidney tissue, chicken embryo, embryonicguinea pig cells, calf serum, human diploid cells
(the dissected organs of aborted fetuses as in the case of rubella, hepatitis A, and chickenpox vaccines)

Reply to this comment

by gaye5 September 1, 2007 9:45 AM PDT

Does any one know how true this is???.
In addition to the viral and bacterial RNA or DNA that is part of the vaccines, here are the fillers:


aluminum hydroxide
aluminum phosphate
ammonium sulfate
amphotericin B
betapropiolactone
fetal bovine serum
formaldehyde
formalin
glycerol
human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
neomycin sulfate
phenol red indicator
potassium
polymyxin B
polysorbate 20
polysorbate 80
porcine (pig) pancreatic hydrolysate of casein
residual MRC5 proteins
sorbitol
sucrose
thimerosal (mercury)
tri(n)butylphosphate,
VERO cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells
washed sheep red blood cells
In many cases the vaccine additives are far more toxic than the viral component. This is particularly true for thimerosal which is mercury.

Congress "strongly recommended" , that the Pharmaceutical Company take the thimerosol out of vaccines....it was not mandated; simply recommended. Even though pharmecutical companies and governments know that mercury can cause massive problems, the drug companies were not told to take the existing lots off the market. The recommendations only applies to new product line manufacture. An unknown amount of vaccine was/is still on the shelves. A baby can receive in one day%u2019s doses of vaccines a hundred times the absolute maximum amount of mercury that the W.H.O. says is permissible, though as Poisons Information will tell you, there really is NO safe level of mercury.

Reply to this comment

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[mythoughtsr]

Finally a good report about vaccines. Knowing now that there is a genetic connection with Autism and the vaccine theory is debunked, we can get back to the business of vaccinating our children. Diseases such as pertussis are making a comeback due to the irresponsible parents who aren''t vaccinating their children. Although they should be held criminally responsible for not getting their children vaccinated, unfortunately this isn''t a law on the books. However, they should be penalized and forced to pay the medical bills of those who suffer and their children should be kept out of the schools our children attend as well. We all know this won''t happen but it''s a nice thought anyway.

Vaccinate your children and save lives.

[chrzeerose]

How uneducated are you? The only studies that have "debunked" the vaccine autism connection are the ones with ties to the companies who stand to benefit from them. I''ve seen many to the contrary and I promise you all my children will never have another vaccine injected into their bodies again. We are not the irresponsible ones. We are the ones that choose to educate ourselves and make an informed decision along with a growing # of Docs who agree with us. Do you have a child with autism? Have you seen a child get several vaccines in one day and stop talking, fall severely ill within hours of vaccination? Have you seen the bags under the mothers eyes when she''s desperately searching for why her child was stolen from her? The only thing that keeps her going is to see a children recovering from autism. It''s happening all over the world and yet we are the irresponsible ones. This very article is sponsored by several drug companies who hope that uneducated people like yourself continue to believe everything they tell you until that day when your own child is diagnosed....Then and only then will you realize vaccines can cause much more harm than good in certain subgroups of the population and it''s very sad it is to see most Americans following big pharma''s lead blindly like a bunch of sheep. I hope your children do not suffer from your blindness. Americans are failing our children and noone seems to care.

[chrzeerose]

Where did the comments that were here previously go????

[mythoughtsr]

chrzeerose, I have THREE children on the spectrum and I have a Master''s degree in Psychology so spare me your drivel. Just to quote one of thousands of articles regarding the genetic and hereditary components of Autism, start here: http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/genetics.htm One of my children exhibited numerous Autistic tendencies way prior to the vaccinations in question. Also, the fact that mercury has LONG been removed from the vaccinations in question is proof positive that the theory is debunked.

It''s very sad to hear of the long standing side effects that can be caused by vaccinations. Just like any medication, millions can take it and a select few are sadly affected by what can be devastating causes. However, with vaccinations and Autism, there are plenty of unvaccinated children out there who have it. How do you explain that? PLEASE give me a break with the "bags under the mother''s eyes" routine. You have NO IDEA what I''ve been through with three children on the spectrum and that analogy is comical. The fanatical anti-vaccination people who are bringing back the scourge of the very diseases we''d almost eradicated are the ones who are blind. I cannot wait until the day that the genetic code for Autism is completely written out for everyone to see so I can finally stop listening to this drama.

[tucano2]

Merck''s MMR vaccine base is produced overseas. Their MMR vaccine causes millions of American children to be deaf. Merck has successfully convinced state legislators to insist American children must have MMR vaccines before entering schools. Any recourse is through the Federal Court of Appeals just around the corner from the White House, and Merck is defended by USA attorneys (some 45 USA attorneys vs. a kid). There is no excuse for this immoral situation.

[chrzeerose]

Mythoughts, I''m sorry you are also a parent of children on the autism spectrum and there is some genetics. However, my drivel comes from my personal experiences and many others who share. I find it so frustrating that people refuse to see this problem. If your kids showed signs of autism long before vaccination, did you skip the hepB shot that is given to them 12 hours after birth or did you notice symptoms during that 1st 12 hours? Have they been tested to see if they are able to excrete toxins from their bodies? Do they have allergies, eczema? I''m sorry you feel the way you do and everyone is entiled to their opinion, but I look for facts everywhere, not just what the CDC hands to me. And as for your masters in psychology, this means nothing to me. Wasn''t it a psychologist who said autism was caused by the "refrigerator mother"?

[chrzeerose]

It was "recommended" that thimerosal be removed from childhood vaccines, but they are not all mercury free yet. Some states have passed legislation banning the use of mercury in shots, however there has never been any recall. And if it wasn''t dangerous in the first place, why would they remove it?

[gaye5]

chrzeerose, even if mercury had been removed, there are many other just as deadly thing in immunizations, here is a list and I believe that the WHO said that sickness is worse than it was 80 years ago, can anyone confer with this??? and The Center for Disease Control mandated infant vaccinations has more than tripled between 1983 (10 vaccines were required) to 2004 (36 vaccines required by the CDC). During this period, there has been an explosion in neurological disorders like ADHD and autism, particularly in boys, who represent 4 out of 5 cases.
These are just some of the ingredients used to make a vaccine.

* Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
* Phenol also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)
* Formaldehyde a known cancer causing agent
* Aluminum which is associated with Alzheimer disease and seizures also cancer producing in laboratory mice
- -( it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
* Thimerosal (used as a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease
* Neomycin, Streptomycin (used as antibiotic) have caused allergic reactions in some people

These vaccines are grown and strained through animal or human tissues like monkey kidney tissue, chicken embryo, embryonicguinea pig cells, calf serum, human diploid cells
(the dissected organs of aborted fetuses as in the case of rubella, hepatitis A, and chickenpox vaccines)

[gaye5]

Does any one know how true this is???.
In addition to the viral and bacterial RNA or DNA that is part of the vaccines, here are the fillers:


aluminum hydroxide
aluminum phosphate
ammonium sulfate
amphotericin B
betapropiolactone
fetal bovine serum
formaldehyde
formalin
glycerol
human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
neomycin sulfate
phenol red indicator
potassium
polymyxin B
polysorbate 20
polysorbate 80
porcine (pig) pancreatic hydrolysate of casein
residual MRC5 proteins
sorbitol
sucrose
thimerosal (mercury)
tri(n)butylphosphate,
VERO cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells
washed sheep red blood cells
In many cases the vaccine additives are far more toxic than the viral component. This is particularly true for thimerosal which is mercury.

Congress "strongly recommended" , that the Pharmaceutical Company take the thimerosol out of vaccines....it was not mandated; simply recommended. Even though pharmecutical companies and governments know that mercury can cause massive problems, the drug companies were not told to take the existing lots off the market. The recommendations only applies to new product line manufacture. An unknown amount of vaccine was/is still on the shelves. A baby can receive in one day%u2019s doses of vaccines a hundred times the absolute maximum amount of mercury that the W.H.O. says is permissible, though as Poisons Information will tell you, there really is NO safe level of mercury.