PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As kids get their required shots for the start of the school year, a new report shows some of the deadliest vaccine-preventable diseases are unknown by many adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report shows adults ages 18 to 49 are less likely to know about diseases once common in kids, including measles, mumps, pertussis and diphtheria, because of the efficacy of childhood vaccinations.
“We have an effort called ‘Let's Keep It That Way,’ which is really aimed at educating people about vaccinations so that they understand the importance of vaccination,” said Dr. Georgina Peacock, director of the CDC’s immunization services division.
The agency is celebrating 30 years of its Vaccines for Children Program, which covers the cost of vaccines for parents or guardians who may not be able to afford them. The program is open to anyone 18 years old or younger who is eligible for Medicaid, uninsured or underinsured. Indigenous children are also eligible.
“It provides vaccines for about 50% of children in the United States, and it's a very important program to make sure that children can stay up to date on their vaccinations.”
Last year, the CDC distributed 74 million pediatric vaccines through the program to participating providers. According to the CDC, almost 90% of eligible children born between 2011 and 2020 have received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Peacock says vaccination rates need to stay high to prevent resurgences of serious diseases.
“For example, we are seeing measles cases in different parts of the United States. In most cases, that's because a child or an adult is unvaccinated against measles,” she said. “Therefore, keeping those vaccine coverage rates high is very important.”
Vaccine safety is a concern for some people. In rare cases, there are exceptions from getting a particular vaccine, but Peacock says they are generally safe.
“Millions of children receive, safely, vaccines each year. Some of the common side effects that children have with vaccines are mild, such as a sore arm from the vaccination, or fever or a mild rash,” she explained. “There are serious reactions, but those are extremely rare.”
The CDC report says routine vaccinations prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1,129,000 deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023.