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As more parents abstain from vaccinations, children from low-income households may pay the price

Beth Mowbray on

Published in Slideshow World

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As more parents abstain from vaccinations, children from low-income households may pay the price

For many American children, it's a rite of passage: Visit the pediatrician for a routine checkup, get a quick jab in the thigh or upper arm, and go home with a brightly colored bandage, a lollipop, and lifelong protection against a dangerous and deadly disease. Vaccines, one of the most important public health advances of the 21st century, have nearly eradicated many diseases, saving millions of lives. Yet, in recent years, a dip in immunization rates—coupled with the proliferation of vaccine misinformation—has unleashed new debates about this critical public health measure.

Until recently, immunization rates have trended upward since their invention. Mid-century innovations were pivotal in developing vaccines: A combined vaccination for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) was rolled out in 1948, followed by the polio vaccine in 1955. A vaccine for measles was first approved for public use in 1963. By 1971, it was combined with those for mumps and rubella to create the MMR vaccination.

The evolution of vaccination programs

Immunization advances dramatically lowered child mortality rates, with infant deaths decreasing by 40% worldwide over the past 50 years, according to a 2024 World Health Organization report. That's an estimated 101 million infant lives saved. "Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

It took more than just the invention of vaccines to see results, though. Public health campaigns and funding initiatives helped raise awareness about their importance, which increased vaccine accessibility. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed the Vaccination Assistance Act, designating government funds to ensure children under 5 received vaccines regardless of their family's income. In 1974, WHO launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization to ensure children across the globe have equal access to vaccinations.

Public health campaigns about vaccines were often created in response to crises. In the late 1980s, a measles outbreak prompted a national public health campaign to bring series 9 vaccines to public attention. Referring to the nine immunizations received by age 2 at the time, the campaign signs featured a cute baby and read, "We can think of 9 good reasons to vaccinate on time, but you need only one."

Addressing vaccine hesitancy and disparities

Despite substantial evidence backing the safety and efficacy of immunizations, protests against them date back to mid-19th-century England, when the British government mandated smallpox vaccinations. Objections varied over time. Some expressed concerns that the government should not have control over their bodies; others said vaccines conflict with their religious beliefs or expressed fears about their safety.

In November 2024, vaccine backlash again entered the public discourse when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated and later confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary. Taking a position in direct contrast to that of his late uncle, Kennedy has been vocal in his skepticism of vaccines. He has perpetuated false claims that vaccines are linked to autism—a theory from a 1998 study that was retracted for inaccuracy soon after publication.

In 2019, on a trip to Samoa, Kennedy met with locals who were also against vaccinations. Just months after this visit, an outbreak of measles there killed 83 people, most of whom were infants and children. The Samoa outbreak is not unlike past outbreaks in the U.S., where gaps persist in vaccination rates among children who live below the federal poverty level. Coverage for childhood vaccines was also lower among the uninsured or those covered by Medicaid, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to explore how socioeconomic factors influence vaccination rates, using data from the CDC. Keep reading to learn more about the challenges children face in getting vaccinated and how these difficulties could be exacerbated in the coming years.

Visit thestacker.com for similar lists and stories.


 

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