A new study reveals up to 22% of Americans are self-identified anti-vaxxers and embrace the label as a form of social identity.
Constant exposure to images of syringes and people getting the COVID-19 vaccine on TV and social media may discourage those with phobias of needles from getting their shots, researchers report.
Vaccine skeptics have lower trust in doctors and are more likely to use alternative medicine. Researchers say vaccine recommendations given by authorities or as a result of social pressure cause defiance in those who are anti-vaccine.
Being vaccinated against influenza was associated with a 17% reduction in Alzheimer's incidence. Pneumonia vaccinations given between the ages of 65 and 75, reduced Alzheimer's risk by up to 40%.
Immunization with the vaccines for pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus reduces the rates of acute respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections in small children, thus reducing the need for antibiotic medications. Researchers say if universal childhood vaccination is achieved, an additional 40 million cases of antibiotic-treated illnesses could be prevented each year.
A study of over 200,000 people found no evidence that vaccinations increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, or the onset of an initial MS episode.
Recently, the WHO declared vaccine hesitancy one of the top ten international public health problems. They report the crisis is man-made, unnecessary and dangerous. Researchers are calling on search engines and social media organizations to do more to stem anti-vaccine rhetoric, and stop the spread of disinformation surrounding vaccinations. They also call for governments to better support mandatory immunization programs.
A newly developed vaccine for meningitis and other bloodstream infections caused by the meningococcal group B bacteria will allow for the immunization of younger children. The new vaccine also addresses several limitations of the current meningitis vaccine.
Study reveals how a pregnant woman's vaccine-induced immunities are transferred to her offspring via the placenta. The findings have positive implications for the development of new, more effective maternal vaccines.
A large, genome-wide study in children reveals genetic variants associated with differing levels of antibodies produced as a result of three common childhood vaccinations. Researchers identified two genetic loci associated with the persistence of vaccine-induced immunity following early life vaccinations. The results may help clinicians tailor personalized vaccine schedules to maximize the effectiveness of immunizations.
From anti-vaccine rhetoric to the over-prescription of antibiotics, researchers suggest we should try to work together to improve public health, rather than socially shun those who ignore scientific evidence.
Current vaccination policies are not sufficient to eliminate measles or prevent against future epidemics in the developed world, researchers report. Introducing compulsory vaccinations before entering school would allow the US, UK and Ireland to reach stable levels of herd immunity in the next ten years, thus helping to avoid future epidemics of the most lethal vaccine-preventable disease.
