News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Health departments in some states have alerted their providers about a thin supply of rabies vaccine that has limited pre-exposure prophylaxis and altered how they obtain vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

(CIDRAP News) – More parents obtain medical vaccination exemptions for their kindergarten children in states where they are easier to get, which potentially reduces herd immunity and poses a threat to children who have real medical contraindications to vaccination, according to a study published yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

(CIDRAP News) – Washington state is battling its biggest pertussis outbreak in more than three decades, and cuts in local health department budgets are among the factors reported to be complicating the state's response to the epidemic.

(CIDRAP News) – For many years, public health personnel have cited the estimate of 70% to 90% when talking about the level of protection afforded by seasonal influenza vaccines. But last week's meta-analysis of flu vaccine studies in The Lancet Infectious Diseases—along with several other studies in recent years—has raised the question of whether it's time to change the message about flu vaccines.

(CIDRAP News) – A workshop summary released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) offers a wide range of observations and suggestions about what worked well and not so well during the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination campaign—a complex, months-long operation with a cast of thousands.

(CIDRAP News) – A federal vaccine advisory group today approved recommendations to fill some gaps in pertussis vaccination as a way to further protect babies who aren't yet fully immunized.

(CIDRAP News) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today endorsed its vaccine advisory group's recommendation for universal influenza immunization, as public health groups prepare to shift gears from pushing the pandemic H1N1 vaccine to drawing the public's attention to the new seasonal flu vaccine advice.